what the hell is going on with my car? (88 camaro 5.0 TPI t5 transmission) when engine is hot, my car acts weird for a few seconds. It accelerates and decelerates check engine light blinks while this is going on then idles back to normal like nothing happen. A couple minutes down the road and it does it again, and my temperature gauge stop working too not sure if that's just coincidence (original gauge). Any how it happens with a load and with out a load too. I was thinking ICM is going bad. Daily driver.

 

I would suspect a vacuum leak or MAF

 

Pull the codes.

 

Definitely follow up on the check engine light. ECM is trying to tell you something.

But it's interesting that the temperature gauge is also acting up. I don't have this car, but isn't the temperature gauge controlled by a separate sender that is totally separate from the ECM?
If the gauge is independent of the ECM, then for that to be acting up while the ECM is also freaking out makes me wonder how they are related electrically. Are the other gauges, interior lights, or anything else electrical also acting strangely when this happens?
I don't know what circuits are powered from where, but perhaps it's some flaky wiring somewhere or a fusible link threatening to blow out. Heat will encourage that.
Anyway, check the trouble code. And if it happens again, keep checking it, just to be sure they're consistent.

 

I found a small vacuum leak at the vacuum reservoir ball looking thing that's located under the car in front of the driver wheel (brittle hose). No codes are stored. I'll replace the hose this weekend and drive it after and hope that's the only vacuum leak because diags. are a headache.