Well.....
Ready for a story....
It started out sad, as my Wife phones up crying that the car died while on Freeway and she was almost rear ended......
She gets pulled/TOWED off freeway for free (LOVE CALIFORNIA FOR THIS SERVICE!).

She give me a clue.
It's starts then dies quickly.
JUST LIKE ME OTHER DAY!!!!

Backing up abit... I was suspicious of the alternator as it made a "noise"

AND ROB WAS RIGHT ON ABOUT A HIGH VOLTGE SPIKE CAUSING THE ICM TO DIE!!!!

THE SOURCE OF THE HIGH VOLTGE SPIKE WAS

THE ALTERNATOR BEING STUCK ON CHARGE!!!!!
When I removed the alternator today, the shaft went BOING BOING!!IN & OUT!!

SO I replaced the alternator and the ICM (again after less than a week!! this time new record!!).
COST WAS FREE!!!
ALL WARRANTIED!!!

THIS TIME
I followed the directions.
The card says
DISCONNECT THE NEGATIVE CABLE BEFORE YA ATTACH THIS FINAL CURRENT WIRE!
So I did.
NOW Last time I swapped alternator, I hit the power charge wire against the outter case & I made sparks. LAST TIME I DID NOT DISCONNECT THE BATTERY NEGATIVE CABLE.

Not this time, I FOLLOWED DIRECTIONS!!!

I feel MOST CONFIDENT it'll be ok, now.
Wife is very unsure, yet I can't afford a brand new Van right now as my money is tied up in a real estate deal (big money!).
After I had several chats with friends about my solution, they say, you did the right/through job finally.

**** PART
Damn idiot lights never showwed a problem.
I can't wait to install the gauge package.
I can't wait to get my Blazer going.
IT WAS A PERFECT WARM DAY TO DO THAT, BUT INSTEAD......
I can safely finish my Blazer very soon, as it may rain again in SOCAL (Weds/Thurs they say).

MEANING, DON'T PUT AWAY THOSE SNOW SHOVELS YET!

I'm driving the car tonight so I can see if I get stuck too!
What fun, yet, I believe Rob's tip of the voltage spiking causing ICM failures was right on. His source of the spike was wrong, tho.
HOPE NO ONE ELSE GOES THRU $HIT LIKE THIS!

 

Idiot lights never let you know whats happening until its too late. I liked it when my sc blew off the lower radiator hose and the damn light didnt bother to light up saying HEY I'M RUNNING HOT. But I now have real gauges in the cluster so no more worries. But my SC wouldnt be what it is today without that happening, heh go figure Hey I guessed pretty close I was thinking it was getting fried by high amps.

 

I totally agreed the high energy spike could be a cause.
Yet it was finding the source, that was the challenge.
I heard that alternator the other day, then I died with cold.
Wife keeps using the car every other second, and now.
I'm splitting now cause I'm tired of listening to her whining.
Gonna hang out with guys.
Oh I so did not care.
YET I was only working on car in the rain with the water draining down my back.....
But I don't care......
I'll let ya know when being married is worth it again!

 

Its worth it because you have a mini you now

 

Congrat's on finding the problem. For both your's & the miss's sanity I have said a prayer. One thing I've learned about the fairer sex, they need their cars!

It is their one independence in the world.

RBob.

 

Ked, did you have your old ICMS tested?? My problems ended up sounding like yours. I swapped ICM and coil at same time. ICM tested good about 6 times. I tested coil buy method in book, and I think failed test 3.

I'm wondering if my Accell ICM is bad, but just isn't warming up enough to test bad on them bench test machines.

 

Test alternator. Or just replace.
Argue it could be a sticking regulator after "usage". Mine was doing that, as it was charging, BUT ALL TIME!!!
My ICMs, If I can get new one & the car runs, it was worth the investment. I figure, price of a cheap tow job!
Yesterdays was an simple swap. I had receipt from last week.
This ICM "worked" in less time than a marriage by Nick Cage & Lisa Marie Presely.

I'm going back to return old ones and accept store credit.

Yesterday, was very worthwhile.
Drove Firebird last night, damn, it was like a brand new engine swap, so powerful, again.
Watched "Endless Summer" last night, too unwind.