Car Specs:
1989 - Firebird - TBI 5.0 base

I pulled the car out of storage and was driving it around for over a month when suddenly my car started to buck. The RPM gage starts to jump up and down. I've inlcuded a link to youtube of it at the bottom of this message.

Last time I was driving for about 30min with Cruse on on a straight doing about 70km and then it started. The RPM continues to jump in neutral or when I put it in park. Sometimes when I let the car sit for 5-10min the car will come alive again and allow me to drive it to a safe place.

I've brought it to a few mechanics and they are just to young to know what a TBI is. There is a little ticking sounds at the injectors area and if someone can tell me what that is called I'll gladly replace it. Someone mentioned it could be the fuel pump but I am getting gas and a spray into the carb.

If any other videos are required of any other behavour, let me know!!

Video of the RPM dacing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DinpHpa3WIQ

 

I'd check basics - wires, plugs, rotor, cap.

Pull codes if any.

Replace fuel filter.

Check for vacuum leaks.

When you "stored it", did ou use Stabil or other additive to keep the gas fresh? Gas can't sit long, or it starts to turn to varnish. Might try some injector cleaner.

Injectors tick when they fire - that's normal.

 

I knew I fogot some information.
K, there is NO check engine light. Ever.
I do notice the fuel pressure does build up a little but it's never at the same point when the car starts to "jump".

When I put it away, I couldn't complete my normal process and it was stored with a really low fuel level. (I was rapid deployed to Afgan, 2 days notice) It was stored on pavement with a tarp ontop.

When I pulled it out, I filled it up with "surpeme gas" and gas stabilizer as directed by the local garage guy.

Checked the cables and distributor cap and all is good. The distributor was installed 1 for a month prior to winter and it was distributor complete and not just the cap.

Thanks for the advice on the ticking. I never noticed it before but that might be due to the high squeel I use to get, prior to doing the "ac delete" replcaement.

This only started happening about 1000km after I pulled it out, so I don't think it's the gas. Now, I haven't changed the filter yet... My wife seems to have chucked my Hayes manual. I've never replaced it before and I've been driving this for about 10 years now... Someone told me the filter is a generic part and not tied to the "firebird/fbody" model.

It's just starting to get warm here.

 

a cracked distributor cap can cause your problem and there is no real way to "check" it,
other than replacement.
you can have codes stored without the light coming on.

 

this is very intersting to me because i had a very similar issue when i was still running a computer controled q-jet and distributer. i tried a different cap and rotor and plug wires, but i never got it figured out and i never got a straight answer. instead i chose to run a holley dp (all mechanical) and an HEI with a vacuum advance, and completely cut the engine off from the ecu. (never had that problem again)

i realize our situations are very different (u having a tbi vs. my carb) and in no way am i suggesting that what i did is a solution to the problem, but nevertheless, youve sparked my interest and id like to see this issue solved.

also, it looked to like you were feathering the gas a bit in your vid (true/false)?

 

I was pumping the gas yes... somthing I've never had to do before. Normally the car starts up on the first turn with out ever having to touch the pedal.

It's starting to warm up, so I will finally be able to crawl under the car with out freezing my back. I'm in Canada and the average temp is still around 0 (freezing point). I'm not in a hurry to drive the car, because if there is a chance of ice... I'm not driving that beast!