I just bought a 88 Trans Am 305 TPI 5-speed for 900 bucks, but it has some problems.

When it first starts it is kinda a hard start and when it does start it smells a lot of fuel. It also stinks of fuel when it is running. After it is started and I say, rev the motor up, it then just dies. The RPMs just drop off. It then starts okay, but can die every time it is revved for awhile. It seems okay if I just drive it. I have checked the Fuel Pressure, and it is fine, though I might have leaky injectors as the fuel pressure overnight dropped to 0, but when I let it sit for 20 minutes or so the fuel pressure seemed stable.

Second issue is that the car will be fine, then I will be driving and it will surge a little, then from then on for awhile it will always die when coming to a stop, or slowing down with the clutch in. Again, the RPMs just drop off.

Here are a couple data logs of the car running. Some show the car dieing as I can predict when the car is going to die normally.

<a href="http://amorget.pnw3.org/GM010102.CSV">First Data Log</a>

<a href="http://amorget.pnw3.org/GM010103.CSV">Second Data Log</a>

There is a fair amount of extra stuff in them, and they are both rather largo.

Thanks for all the help!
Douglas

 

Without looking at the data logs due to time. Did you do a tune up? Check the air filter? New Oxygen sensor. Do all those first.

 

Absolutely do a full tune-up first, plugs, wires, cap, and rotor. Looking over your data, I would say good job on collecting so much and what did you use? I am impressed, but then again I am fairly new at this. But I would suggest from the IAC data to clean the IAC passage and the whole throttle body and check over the whole top-end for vacuum leaks.
Let me know what you find. I had irradic IAC counts and found my 9th injector o-ring was leaking by.
Good luck.

 

I bought all the stuff for the tune up and have been spending today doing the tune up stuff. It kinda sucks because it didn't do it when I first bought it, but then it sat, and now it does it.

I used Moates GMECM to collect the data, using a 486 DX50 laptop. It is slower then all heck, but it is great for this. Can't kill the thing

 

Well, yesterday I replaced the coil, cap, rotor, plugs and wires. O2 sensor was also replaced, TPS adjusted (well, checked, it seemed to be just fine), and replaced the fuel filter.
Drove it to work today, and it still dies. It will be driving down the highway, and start surging, but what it is actually doing is the motor is dying, but being a manual it starts right back up again. I don't have any data logs of it doing it.
I am wondering if my IAC is messed up as it seems to be idling really low at time (450 rpms). I upped the Idle Screw in an attempt to keep it driving, and that has worked okay, but not ideal, of course.

Thanks!
Douglas

 

I didn't look at the logs either but hows the CTS?

 

It seems to be just fine. It reads around 200, which is where the car is normally running at. No weird changes, just a steady increase as the car warms up.

 

I had a MAF relay go last year that never set a code and would cause intermitent stalling. Can you try to unplug your MAF sensor and see if it still does it???? I looked for your MAF,TPS,O2 crosscounts and other readings in the data but I went cross-eyed first

EDIT: I should add that you unplug the maf sensor then start the car. If you start the car then unplug the MAF your car dies.

 

I tired unplugging the MAF to see it that was the problem awhile ago, as I was getting a code 34, and it ran fine as long as the ECM would have the SES light on, and ran like crap when it didn't. I think my ecm is a little slow at time....

However, I am going to replace the relays today.

THanls for the tip!

 

check the egr valve and the egr control solenoid...
check for any other vacuum leaks. laso replace the pickup coil, its 10$ part, they always gave me **** in both my thirdgens.
good luck

 

Well, I replaced the two MAF relays today. Now it pulls error 33 and 36.... before it was 34. I am starting to think my MAF is fried. I checked and I get 5v at the center pin of the MAF connector, however I didn't know what voltage to check for. I got some data logs, however I toasted the HDD they where on being lazy... so I'll have to get more logs.

The car is now running worse then ever, though. Died 4 times on the way home from getting dinner...