the other day i was driving home from work and my car just shutoff without any warning. (no sputtering or lights dimming) than would not start. just kept cranking and cranking. i thought it might have been the ignition pickup so i had literally just replaced it. took it down the road and it did the same thing. i just gave it a full tune up earlier this summer.

so my question to all of you is if you can all help me to figure out this problem. i have plenty of time to figure it out since i am just putting it in the garage for the winter now. i would like you guys and gals to help me through a checklist of things to check before i start spending money on things i dont really need to spend money on.

 

I would check the basics needed for it to fire, Fuel & Spark. I would check for spark first since it's quick to check then I would check the fuel pressure. Does is sound like your fuel pump is coming on? If not it's possible that the relay is bad or the fuel pump has taken a crap. An easy test is to spray some starter fluid in the throttle body and try cranking it. If it turns over then your problem is fuel related.

 

i can hear my fuel pump turning on. whats the easiest way to check for spark? about 5 months ago i just replaced all the ignition things except the module. (plugs, wires, cap, rotor, ignition pickup) i havnt had any time to really check for anything yet. been busy working and getting the garage cleaned out so i can park the car in there for the winter and try to figure this out.

 

You have to check the injectors. If even one goes bad it can shut down the whole thing. As said above try spraying starter fluid in the TB while someone cranks it. If it barks then you've got a spark and timing but no fuel. If the pump is running and you've got pressure at the rail it's likely injectors.

 

To check for spark, remove a plug wire at the plug & place a screwdriver in the boot, place it so the metal part of the driver is close but not touching the engine, have someone crank it & watch for spark to jump. If you don't have any there, then check at the coil wire.

 

Same s**t happened to me! Assuming you have a distributor, and there is no spark, try replacing the ignition module. It's inside the distributor. It's the flat plate where the wires from the wiring harness are plugged into. And make sure to follow the directions about applying the enclosed packet of grease to the bottom, GOOD LUCK!

 

Module is a good starting point if you don't have spark. Starting fluid spray is the quickest way to test it.

An open coil can give the same symptoms as a module, as can the reluctor coil in the distributor.

I just went thru this with my Burb (350 TBI.) I'd replaced plugs and wires, but then it quit on me at a rather inopportune time. See attached photo. More detail here:
http://www.chevyasylum.com/lsr/bsf20...f/Welcome.html

First I thought the distributor cap had gotten wet and all it needed was a little drying off. Nope. New cap and rotor didn't help, either. Neither did a new coil and module. It was, as I alluded to, the reluctor pickup coil inside the distributor. I finally had to have it towed from the salt flats to a garage where the owner put a used dizzy in and it's been fine ever since (that AAA card really comes in handy sometimes.)

There's the order I'd troubleshoot things in. If doesn't fire up with starting fluid, there's a pretty good chance it's an ignition, although the MPI can be misleading sometimes.