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Intermitent no start

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Old Jul 20, 2025 | 02:00 PM
  #1  
Eightyninef's Avatar
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Intermitent no start

Cranks but won't start, intermittently. Fuel pressure is fine. Distributor is only 2 years old. Next time, I'm changing the MAF.
After that, I'm thinking computer...
But it's so intermittent, it's impossible to diagnose....
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Old Jul 20, 2025 | 02:42 PM
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Komet's Avatar
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From: WA
Car: 1989 IROC-Z
Engine: L98 350 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: BW 9 Bolt / 2.77 Posi
Re: Intermitent no start

Try to gather more data about the conditions when it won't start. Cold? Hot? Cold and hot? Have you ohmed the injectors? Is it getting spark when it's not starting?

Having a known good datalog and another when it's not starting would be nice for a comparison. Also, unfortunately, a 2 year old ICM could go bad. I'd expect the distributor to be mechanically ok but a visual on the center bit wouldn't hurt.
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Old Jul 20, 2025 | 04:17 PM
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Re: Intermitent no start

Only cold, injectors are good. They are new Delphi.
I wish it would happen more often, so I can diagnose it...

I'm going to swap the MAF, just to eliminate it. Process of elimination..
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Old Jul 20, 2025 | 04:37 PM
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From: WA
Car: 1989 IROC-Z
Engine: L98 350 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: BW 9 Bolt / 2.77 Posi
Re: Intermitent no start

Process of elimination is actually the worst method to deploy. You are likely to cause as many problems as you fix (if any).
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Old Jul 20, 2025 | 04:57 PM
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Car: Firebird
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 2.73
Re: Intermitent no start

I had that happen in my Firebird a couple of years ago and it turned out to be a loose electrical connection in the steering column.
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Old Jul 30, 2025 | 08:47 AM
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Re: Intermitent no start

The process of elimination continues. It's not the MAF, Good thing I have a basement load of spare parts....
Next this is the module, coil, and then the pickup coil. In order of easy to hard ....

Last edited by Eightyninef; Jul 31, 2025 at 05:26 PM.
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Old Jul 31, 2025 | 05:25 PM
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Re: Intermitent no start

Originally Posted by Komet
Process of elimination is actually the worst method to deploy. You are likely to cause as many problems as you fix (if any).
Bad ignition module. this one had 800 miles on it. 3 years old, but I seldom drive the car..
Problem resolved.
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Old Aug 27, 2025 | 06:20 PM
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Car: Firebird
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 2.73
Re: Intermitent no start

Glad to hear that you found the problem and it didn’t end up being to awful!
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