I have a 1990 RS with the 3.1 and everything is decent is except for one problem. Everyone now and then I'll go out and start her up and it will be fine for about 20 seconds and then it will die. After it dies I won't be able to get it started. The engine will just spin over and not fire. This only happens every now and then and most of the time I can start it up and drive it anywhere I want.

Anyone have any suggestions? I don't want to make my camaro my daily driver until I can get this fixed.

Thanks

 

Er, that's interesting, partly because if it was an alternator to battery problem(dieing car while idling/driving can be pointed to alternator first because it is what charges the system during this time) then the battery wouldn't maintain a good charge and you would NOT be able to start it up whenever you want. Maybe a wire that goes into the alternator isn't good? Do a simple test, start the car, take off one of the leads on the battery, if the car remains idling the alternator is fine, if it dies alternator is bad. That's the best amateur advice I can give you to start off with.

 

Yeah I'll check the alternator and any wires coming from it. I don't think it's the battery because even when it won't start it still spins over fast.

 

It can't be the battery, the battery only deals in starting the car(for all intents and purposes), you're saying it's dying while idling...so I look at two problems mainly, first the alternator because its very simple, second question, when it's idling does it feeling like the RPM's aren't staying relatively constant?

 

I would say they are staying pretty constant.

 

Problem with the 90-92 cars was that GM had some major issues in building the wiring harnesses. The ignition circuits have a problem, with either broken wires, chafing wires, or some other issue. However, the first thing that is usually checked is the ignition module inside the distributor. Take it out and take it to AutoZone and have it tested. Have them test it about six or seven times, to make sure they test it hot as well as cold. More often than not, ignition parts will fail when hot, but not cold. Check to see if the needle on your tach, if you have one, moves, when the engine is being a pain in the rear.

The ignition module is what tells the ECM the engine is being cranked. So, as was said in my auto shop class, "No spark, no squirt." Meaning, if the ignition system isn't working, neither are the fuel injectors, because the ECM can't fire the injectors without a reference pulse from the ignition module.