What to do...

[thecantaloupeman]

So I'm looking for a bit of advice here. My truck broke down at a stoplight on the way to work the other day and wouldnt start for the rest of the day. Had it towed to the shop and the next morning it started right up at the shop. They tested on it some more a few days later and said it drove/started fine for about 2-3 miles. They drove it across several days and it was fine. They didn't seem to want to do an inspection of the engine so I took it somewhere else. They tested quite a few things like the fuel pump, fuel lines and the ignition system. They said that my ignition module was the old yellow dot or something and that was their best guess at the problem, however they couldn't get the ignition module to fail again. They have been trying for a few weeks now. Nothing has gone wrong. There had to have been an issue and I can guarantee if I get it back it will happen again and this time I might not get so lucky as to have the police push me off the road to safety.

I was driving and it made it two blocks and then started sputtering and feeling like it had no power. I slowly made my way down the road and at the next light it stopped running and wouldn't start again. It almost felt like it ran out of gas but I honestly have no clue at this point. They said the fuel system was okay.

I don't know what I should do. Maybe someone on here has some insight on what it may be, but honestly I just want to know if I should take it back and keep driving until it happens again or if I should replace that module for 330$ and pray that that was the issue. I need some help guys. I really don't want to sell the truck even against my better judgement. I love the thing and have gotten so attached to it. I've come so far with it but it isn't as reliable as I need it to be. The thing is I just can't sell it. It is a great truck but I don't really have the time/money/knowhow to make it a reliable daily.

I don't even live on my own yet so I can't just buy a new car and put it in the backyard for a while uninsured. My only option is to send it to florida with my grandma if I wanted to keep it.

I just want some sort of hope. I need a light at the end of the tunnel. I just want to see what you guys think. Thank you.

 

[MisterB]

So I'm looking for a bit of advice here. My truck broke down at a stoplight on the way to work the other day and wouldnt start for the rest of the day. Had it towed to the shop and the next morning it started right up at the shop. They tested on it some more a few days later and said it drove/started fine for about 2-3 miles. They drove it across several days and it was fine. They didn't seem to want to do an inspection of the engine so I took it somewhere else. They tested quite a few things like the fuel pump, fuel lines and the ignition system. They said that my ignition module was the old yellow dot or something and that was their best guess at the problem, however they couldn't get the ignition module to fail again. They have been trying for a few weeks now. Nothing has gone wrong. There had to have been an issue and I can guarantee if I get it back it will happen again and this time I might not get so lucky as to have the police push me off the road to safety.

I was driving and it made it two blocks and then started sputtering and feeling like it had no power. I slowly made my way down the road and at the next light it stopped running and wouldn't start again. It almost felt like it ran out of gas but I honestly have no clue at this point. They said the fuel system was okay.

I don't know what I should do. Maybe someone on here has some insight on what it may be, but honestly I just want to know if I should take it back and keep driving until it happens again or if I should replace that module for 330$ and pray that that was the issue. I need some help guys. I really don't want to sell the truck even against my better judgement. I love the thing and have gotten so attached to it. I've come so far with it but it isn't as reliable as I need it to be. The thing is I just can't sell it. It is a great truck but I don't really have the time/money/knowhow to make it a reliable daily.

I don't even live on my own yet so I can't just buy a new car and put it in the backyard for a while uninsured. My only option is to send it to florida with my grandma if I wanted to keep it.

I just want some sort of hope. I need a light at the end of the tunnel. I just want to see what you guys think. Thank you.

Does it have an electric choke? Almost sounds like maybe the power and/or ground wires to the choke came unplugged or have a bad connection somewhere. This might explain why it's fine sometimes, but not others, since the ambient temperature and temperature of the truck would effect it.

Have they checked the carb?

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[shiftpro]

Really...? Ignition module is 330! Damn I thought they were like $30... wtf?

I've never heard of them failing and then coming back online.

 

[eskimomann209]

Sounds like a stall and a desperation flood.

 

[eskimomann209]

My advice would be get something you can depend on or a slightly newer project that’s FI. You sound like you have a terrible time with carbs. Then when you have the tools, space and time; get a project.
if that means selling this one and getting another later so be it. Sometimes we gotta be wise before sentimental.

Having said that, in my late teens early 20s .... I’d have ignored my advice.

 

[thecantaloupeman]

Does it have an electric choke? Almost sounds like maybe the power and/or ground wires to the choke came unplugged or have a bad connection somewhere. This might explain why it's fine sometimes, but not others, since the ambient temperature and temperature of the truck would effect it.

Have they checked the carb?

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They did say that the choke seemed to be functioning properly. I also have a vacuum choke but I guess that is still possible that it malfunctioned.

 

[Rusty Nail]

The module is s fine diagnosis. If it IS the yellow dot piece, dude...thats OE and it's outlived it service life by twenty years or so.

Best thirty bucks youll spend in some time...

 

[thecantaloupeman]

Sounds like a stall and a desperation flood.

What do you mean by desperation flood? I left the vehicle sit for a while like half an hour before turning it over again. I also tried holding down the gas pedal to clear the fuel in case it was a flood and it didn't change anything.

Something else I should note was that the engine coughed a few times while turning over as if it was going to fire but didnt.

It definitely felt like something more than a flood before I actually stopped at the next light. It lost a lot of power and slowly died at the next stop.

 

[Arkansas_V8]

Ignition module may be heating up.

My old Suburban and G20 did the same stuff when the ignition module would get hot.

Suburban did it under load, and the G20 was more erratic.

 

[thecantaloupeman]

Ignition module may be heating up.

My old Suburban and G20 did the same stuff when the ignition module would get hot.

Suburban did it under load, and the G20 was more erratic.

That’s exactly what they told me. They said it could’ve cooled down by the next morning. If it’s heating up wouldn’t that be an issue with the distributor? Because I did some digging about it and it looks like some people have replaced theirs with the same issue and it keeps failing and heating up like that.

 

[thecantaloupeman]

Ignition module may be heating up.

My old Suburban and G20 did the same stuff when the ignition module would get hot.

Suburban did it under load, and the G20 was more erratic.

I should also mention I had an issue a while back where I got stuck at the airport and my car wouldn’t even crank. It took about an hour sitting before it started again. I thought maybe it was the solenoid going bad, but it never happened again and now I’m actually wondering if it’s a related issue. Maybe that gives us more clues.

 

[Arkansas_V8]

You could replace the whole thing. Wires, cap and rotor can also contribute to its demise if they are bad. I had to get a few from Autozone the last time till I got a good one.

 

[Frankenchevy]

Maybe a good time swap for an hei style distributor.

 

[Paladin]

I had a very similar problem with my 1 ton a couple years ago long story short it turned out to be the mechanical fuel pump began to work intermittently especially under a load change going up a slight incline from flat. Once replaced no more problem! Good luck in finding your culprit!

 

[MisterB]

I had a very similar problem with my 1 ton a couple years ago long story short it turned out to be the mechanical fuel pump began to work intermittently especially under a load change going up a slight incline from flat. Once replaced no more problem! Good luck in finding your culprit!

That sounds promising. Also, it's probably a good time to go through it and do a tuneup. Replace spark plugs, spark plug wires, cap, and rotor, air filter, and fuel filter. You can buy everything on Amazon and do it yourself and it really doesn't cost much. If it ends up not solving the issue, at least you've done something that you probably should have already done, which will help it run that much better, which might help if get a little better mileage.

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