My car usually starts fine, but every so often if you try and start it 3-4 hours after it has been ran. It will fire right up, and go :chug: :chuggggg: :chugg: and die.

Now it is 100% an issue with heat. It ONLY does this if the car sits a while after being driven. All I have to do is pop the hood for 10 min, let all the heat out, and she will fire right up.

So far I know:

-It's not the coil.
-It is not a fuel problem
-Injectors are fine
-I have a new ignition system

I am thinking it is the ignition control module getting fussy when it gets warm in the engine bay.

Anyone else have any suggestions?

 

The thing to do, would be to check for spark when it's acting up, to tell if it's the module. If it's getting spark when it dies, it's not the module.

 

i agree. i used a hair dryer on my old 87 camaro to diagnose the module - i ran it on the distributor cap for a minute, and it didnt get spark so i knew it was the module

 

Well it has to be getting some spark, because it fires up, then dies.

 

Great, now it won't run when cold either. Still starts, fires right up, then chugs and dies. Or it will chug (idling at 400 rpm), and as soon as I tap the gas it just dies. Hooked it up to the laptop, all the sensors seem to be reading fine, no codes. I wonder if it's just not a very weak spark problem.

 

If you want to check the spark, pull out a plug, hook it back up to its plug wire, and rest it on the valve cover or something (to ground it) and have someone crank it over. This way you can see if its getting spark at all, and if it is, how hot the spark is too. Should be white or blue spark... if its orange or red, then its got a really weak spark. I know this works on carb'd motors, I assume it should work with a TPI as well?

 

Thank you very much for the reply. I will try that tomorrow and let you know.