I am having a strange problem with my car that if any one has any ideas on what the problem could be or has had this sort of problem please help me.

First off my car is an 88 Pontiac Firebird with the TBI 305 and auto transmission has about 130,000 miles on it and I have an open element air cleaner, MSD coil and wires, Jet stage 2 chip, and AIR delete with the rest pretty much stock.

Problem is that the car suddenly starts to sputter erratically and dies but once the car has died there are no problems restarting it, it just fires right up.

Update:

My car will now start then run for a few seconds and die without holding the revs up to about 1500 rpm but if I disconnect the EST wire like I am about to set my timing the problem disappears.
So why does my car run terrible with the EST connected but runs like a top when it is not connected? I have replaced the ESC module, plugs, wires, cap, computer, rotor, and ignition module so what else could be causing this problem?

I also have my timing set at 0 deg per factory specifications.

Thanks in advance for all the help!!!

 

The computer controls your timing. Do you have a check engine light when you drive the car? Check the codes maybe somethin there that might be helpful.

 

Nope does not set any SES codes but I might hook up my laptop to see if maybe I missed one.

 

I noticed when searching through the posts that related to the problems I was having [car runs like crap with EST connected and fine without] that not many people finished the post with a definite answer to why their cars had been acting the way they had. So maybe with the hope of starting a new trend where people can search previous posts and find a solution to their individual problems here is my solution. Following Vaders’ advise and checking the grounds I found that the ground wires on the drivers side head had come loose, and once tightened the problem no longer exists. Thank you Vader for your helpful insight I am very grateful. :hail: And for any one with the problem described above I suggest following Vaders helpful suggestions.

 

Where exactly are the grounds located on the head? How many wires going there? What color are they? Thanks. Later.

 

leave your timing plug connected and unplug your MAP sensor, from what you are describing it sounds like it is running out of fuel which would indicate a weak/leaking fuel pump if it straightens out then i would say it is the fuel pump, next the grounds on the heads are usually on the back of the head next to the firewall usually one or two maybe more maybe less, but they are easy find, hard to get to.

 

I don't know how to fix it but I can tell you not to drive the car with it disconnected, I forgot to reconnect mine after setting the timing once and after about 5 miles down the hwy. I noticed the engine overheated because of the retarded timing, I got out and reconnected it and then it cooled back to normal.

 

Thanks for the info but....…… look up about 3 post to where I last posted, Vader already suggested the ground wires on the back of the head and this solved my dilemma of having to drive the car with the EST disconnected a day or two ago. And yes, one should not drive very far this way due to the lack of timing input by the computer which will could lead to problems such as detonation or overheating.

ORAY777-There are two wires I believe, one black and one black with a white stripe. They are not very hard to tighten down; I used a 14mm open-end wrench to tighten them down which solved my problems of the car stalling. I am not an electrician or an electrical engineer, but I believe that with out those wires grounded the computer either received or spit out faulty signals to my distributor causing the timing to jump all around and eventually causing the car to die. Disconnecting the EST where the computer could no longer control the advance/retard of the distributor based on sensor signals alleviated this problem.

 

Thanks. Laters.