Tech / General Engine Is your car making a strange sound or won't start? Thinking of adding power with a new combination? Need other technical information or engine specific advice? Don't see another board for your problem? Post it here!
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by: CARiD

89 rs stumbles and dies when starting

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 1, 2012 | 12:48 PM
  #1  
88BlackBirdGTA's Avatar
Thread Starter
Junior Member
 
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: South Bend, IN
Car: 88 Firebird Trans Am GTA
Engine: 350tpi w/383 setup
Transmission: TH350
Axle/Gears: Stock possibly?
89 rs stumbles and dies when starting

Ok, a friend of mine bought a car about a month or so ago, and it ran fine at the time and for a while. It's an 89 rs. Orriginal 700r4 tranny(as far as I know) but supposedly the motor is now a 350 tbi out of a 91 corvette instead of the 305 v8 that was offered. I don't remember gm offering a tbi in the c4 vettes tho. Unless they changed the intake over to it when installing. but anyway, the problem...when started up it'll stumble and die multiple times. I have to rev it up to keep it running. And then the rpm's will just jump around to where it nearly dies but jump back up. It'll do this for several minutes. Then once I start to drive it, it'll kinda lag out a bit but then run fine. It will idle relatively high tho. About 3500 or so. After some more driving tho it sometimes goes down to around normal. Possibly a fuel problem with the injector? Or a throttle solenoid/positioning type sensor?
Reply
Old Apr 1, 2012 | 06:24 PM
  #2  
88BlackBirdGTA's Avatar
Thread Starter
Junior Member
 
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: South Bend, IN
Car: 88 Firebird Trans Am GTA
Engine: 350tpi w/383 setup
Transmission: TH350
Axle/Gears: Stock possibly?
Re: 89 rs stumbles and dies when starting

Any ideas at all? Much appreciated
Reply
Old Apr 1, 2012 | 07:53 PM
  #3  
Jesse Boggess's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 54
Likes: 0
From: Indianapolis
Car: 1992 Camaro RS
Engine: '78 L82 bored .30 over
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 3.23
Re: 89 rs stumbles and dies when starting

having the same issue with my 92 rs. Do you also experience white smoke and gas fumes?
Reply
Old Apr 1, 2012 | 08:00 PM
  #4  
88BlackBirdGTA's Avatar
Thread Starter
Junior Member
 
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: South Bend, IN
Car: 88 Firebird Trans Am GTA
Engine: 350tpi w/383 setup
Transmission: TH350
Axle/Gears: Stock possibly?
Re: 89 rs stumbles and dies when starting

No fuel smell that I'm aware of. But I believe there's a little smoke out the pipes when I get on it to keep it running. Other than that nope
Reply
Old May 10, 2012 | 11:32 AM
  #5  
NinjaIzuna's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Re: 89 rs stumbles and dies when starting

I have this same issue with an 89 camaro rs with the 2.6 v6. I believe its the Throttle positioning sensor. When I purchased it it looks like it was cut at the connector.

https://i.imgur.com/maq0o.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/fAeWC.jpg

What I did to get it running even with this issue is I adjusted the throttling screw to throttle higher to prevent the stalling and not have to rev the engine. However this is only a temp fix and I suggest you pick up a new connector and test the Sensor its self.
Reply
Old May 10, 2012 | 11:49 AM
  #6  
ASE doc's Avatar
Supreme Member
 
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4,337
Likes: 29
From: Aurora, OR
Car: 87 IROC Z28
Engine: 355 cid TPI
Transmission: Custom Built 700R4 w/3,500 stall
Axle/Gears: QP fab 9" 3.70 Truetrac
Re: 89 rs stumbles and dies when starting

Of course, before replacing any sensor, test it. The TPS receives a 5v reference and ground from the ECM and returns a voltage signal between .5 at closed throttle to 4.5 at WOT. Use a voltmeter to test between pin B and ground while you slowly move the throttle from closed to open. The voltage should change smoothly with no glitches or drop outs.

Honestly though, your problem sounds very little like a TPS issue and more like a coolant temp sensor issue. The CTS is the two wire(yellow wire, black wire) sensor at the front of the intake manifold. You can test it for resistance. It should read about 3,400 ohms at 70 degrees(cold engine) and about 180 ohms at 220 degrees(hot engine).

Last edited by ASE doc; May 10, 2012 at 12:10 PM.
Reply
Old May 10, 2012 | 11:02 PM
  #7  
newagereject's Avatar
Member
 
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 103
Likes: 0
Car: 1988 Trans Am GTA
Engine: 305
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.73 posi
Re: 89 rs stumbles and dies when starting

Try looking at your idle air control as well, if it does not move freely in your hand then its shot
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Orr89RocZ
Power Adders
206
Apr 25, 2016 08:28 AM
apo_bailon15
TBI
4
Mar 28, 2016 05:20 AM
Andrew6.688
TPI
10
Dec 13, 2015 10:59 AM
EFR2000
Tech / General Engine
0
Aug 18, 2015 08:54 PM
Winchester1094
Tech / General Engine
0
Aug 18, 2015 10:23 AM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:20 PM.