So I've got this two-fold problem with my 1990 v6 firebird. When I slow down quickly (brake to make a turn) my car would occasionally die out. Well that's picked up, and now when I start it, it will crank and start, but die immediately. I replaced the fuel filter, and a buddy of mine said it might be the ignition control module. I've read similar posts that say the problem may come from a vacuum leak. So my questions are these: Is this something that the ignition control module COULD cause (and how I could check to see if it's bad); and is there a cheap way to look for vacuum leaks (I've heard rumors of using a certain kind of smoke) without buying the $110 light kit from Autozone?

Did you check for codes to see if you have any stored.


Use intake cleaner. Spray around lines gaskets etc. If your idle picks up there is your leak.

Ignition module. Autozone at least the one locally can test them. But the module can test good but still could be bad. Most modules will be bad when they warm up.



You could also have a fuel pump problem. Either pump or relay. You can buy a fuel pump tester and see how much pressure that you have at idle and wOT.

Can rember pressure should be from 38-42 PSI. through all ranges. If it drops.

If your car has some miles on it and you never been in the distributor(dizzy)then I would start there.First ,I would remove the entire distributor and replace the ignition module like you said and replace the pick-up coil its just above the module and its real cheap..like 15 bucks..
Mine would die at lights or coming to a stop ,but it turned out to be a leaky brake booster.That fixed it 95% and then the module and pick up took the rest of the 5% out hasnt missed a lick yet.I prefer AC DELCO parts so its your call on the part manufacturer.
As far as the dying on start up ,I would start with the module and see what happens it might take care of that problem too.One thing at a time...

No codes, pump is putting out proper pressure, and the entire distributor was changed about a year ago (I believe a new coil, rotor, cap, and all that came with it). I'm probably just gonna go ahead and replace the module tomorrow (as long as I don't rotate the engine, the distributor shouldn't be a problem. I have a silver sharpie ). As for the vacuum leak, if I can't get it to idle on it's own, would the intake cleaner method work if I had someone revving the engine a little to keep it going or does it have to be at idle?

Have you tried cleaning out the IAC valve sometimes gets a collection of debris ?

Update: Got the ignition control module checked, Advance says it's still good. If I can't find another problem, I'll still probably go ahead and replace it. Also, I may have forgotten to mention, this problem only happens after the car has been going for a while. I deliver pizza, and after the 4th or 5th delivery it starts to happen. It's not when the car is warm, because it gets warm quick. It's just after the car has been turned on and off a couple of times in a short period. Does this change anything?

im assuming that it is FI so you mite want to try messin with the idle screw...after i swaped in a new engine in mine i would start it and it wouldn't stay running unless i was pushin on the gas pedel so get a torx bit and tightin that screw up a little bit and see if that helps any...

I don't think it's that idle screw, my car has started doing the same thing as yours. I'm idling at around 800-900, but it just started doing this maybe 2-3 weeks ago. And it only starts and stalls out sometimes. other times it'll start fine. I just had my fuel pump replaced in May. Go ahead and just get an ignition module, i'll never trust autozone's testing again, i've had 2 ignition modules go bad on me and both tested good. I'll be checking for vacuum leak today, as well as replacing the ignition module. Let you know how that goes.

Ok, so I put the distributor back in (that retainer bolt is a bitch, AND I had to reset the timing), and replaced my Idle Air Control valve. I've run into a little bit of a stupid-moron type problem. When I disconnected my MAP sensor (MAF/MAP??), I forgot to note which part of the manifold it plugs into. There is a T-shaped metal connector and a single connector on the back of the intake manifold... anyone?

Is your EGR valve sticking?

I had that happen to me... car ran great most of the time. But occasionally, I'd slow down to come to a stop OR make a turn- and the car would stall. Well when the car got warm and I went over 40 mph "crusing" (not flooring it), the EGR would kick in- when I dropped below 40 mph, the EGR tried to disengage but didn't. Too much carbon buildup, or rust, who knows, but the diapragm was wedged up there. So the car would run rough and stall. It'd start but die right away. After 5 mins or so, the EGR valve would finally snap closed, and I coudl drive again.

Finally it happened when I pulled into my driveway, so while the car was "barely" running I checked a few things... put my finger underneath the hot EGR valve and felt the diaphragm wedged up there. I ran, got the air blowgun, and gave the EGR pressure, SNAP! The diaphragm popped down and the motor idled perfectly again.

Now EGR won't kick in UNLESS your car is warm AND you go over 40 mph AND your foot is "easy" on the gas. That's when it thinks you're on the highway.

So you could do short delivery trips and never go over 40 mph and be fine. But when you're driving 20 minutes away on the highway with no traffic, then turn off, and pull up in front of someone's house- that EGR might not disengage.

I think you have the expensive electronic EGR, so try pulling it off and spraying the diapragm down with carb cleaner to remove any carbon buildup. I have the $40 mechanical EGR so I just replaced mine

[oh and it's just "ignition module", NOT "ignition control module". You're thinking of your Engine control module/ECM.]

Oh and by the way, with over 290,000 miles on my 2.8, I NEVER once touched the idle adjustment screw.

But I did clean the IAC/IAC passageway about a million times

Touching the idle adjustment is usually just asking for trouble... Well, I dunno how the non-adjustable TPS sensors deal with it but on my stang the TPS is adjustable, I mustve had to reset that thing 50 times by now, trying to get the car to perform just right. Either idles low, or hangs. lol

Oh and actually Tom, about the ICM thing, its actually referred to as an ICM in a lot of manuals and things I've seen. I've seen it listed both ways, Ignition Module, and Ignition Control Module.

check for vacuum leaks.. i replaced all of my vacuum lines for $15, 1 mt. dew, and about 30-45 mins, including running the engine and poking around driving it around block a few times.

also check for rubber connectors at the ends of the small plastic air tubes that come out of the EGR. that is the reason mine kept dieing... there was a dry-rotted rubber end to one of those suckers... replaced it and it was good to go. 50 cents fix.

It definitly sounds like you are having a fuel issue to me. Carry a can of carb cleaner with you and when it starts acting up, spray it down the duct and the try it, if it runs for a bit, then you know it's a fuel pump problem. Checking the pump cold doesn't always hold the answer. You want to check it when it's acting up. I recently changed a pump on a 3.1L Buick Regal and it would drive fine, then rndomly die, it would start again 15-20 minutes later. WHen I hooked the pressure guage up, it was dead on 37psi, then right around 15 minutes or so, the pressure would just start to drop and the car wouldn't run anymore. It was only when the pump had been running for a little while that it would quit.

Well, it doesn't take 20 minutes to crank back up, and now that I replaced the IAC valve, it seems to be running better (although I can't be sure until I purchase a timing light and fix the timing... f'ing distributor). Once I get that done, I'll update.

PS Haynes, Advance, and AutoZone all refer to it as an ignition control module, although Chilton's omits the 'control' part.

HI im new here last 2 weeks my firebird v6 too do the same thing its start grat but then in a slow down its die and it starts but dont move i press all the gas and nothing it only die after 15 minutes of the car is off it starts like nothings hapened i repalce the coil and now runs great
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o and i forget it this happen when the car stars warm because the coil is hot and after 10 minutes when the coil is cold it starts good i think thats what your car have

Ignition module and vacuum hoses changed...still stalls. I tryed pulling the pick-up coil out to change that. It had a lot of that orange/brown build up on it...I unscrewed those 3 screws, but how do I get it out?? I tryed pulling it out, and twisting it, no dice.

IIRC, the pickup coil has to be slid off the bottom of the distributor shaft, which requires removing the gear (usually knocking a pin out and pressing the gear off)....well its that way for 302's anyways, I imagine GM cant be THAT much different in those particular parts.

Yes,you have to remove the distributor to remove the pick up.Theres a cotter pin holding the gear on and will need to be removed and pop the shaft out.its not hard..hopefully the shaft isnt tough to get out when removing it from the housing thats the hardest part.Sometimes it gets some oil residue making if tough to remove.

Ok, so I got the timing fixed, replaced the IAC valve, and the problem is still happening, but now a new problem has surfaced. I may have been the culprit, not sure what this is. But when I floor the engine, a popping sound is heard (kind of like if you let a spring go and it hits something metalic). I'm scared something dropped into the engine when I removed the distributor.
Any thoughts? The EGR valve is less than a year old, and the car will idle all day long. But when slowing down, it stalls; and when flooring, it pops a little (maybe engine knock? maybe the timing isn't right after all?)

Thats back fire threw the intake

you know that this post is from 2006