Can't get car started again

[MattWalker]

So I've been driving the p15 around town, everything has been doing fine.  I went and took it for an oil change.  Drove it back to the office on a nice 30 mile drive, but on the way  back home... the engine started acting funny, wouldn't accelerate, car started jerking, and then died.  This was on I-75N going about 60 during rush hour, wasn't very fun.  

 

Anyway, I got the car towed home, put some gas in it from the garage to see if it was just out of gas(gauge works sometimes) and it fired right up... So thinking that was the only issue, I took it out for another spin to the gas station, drove just fine, put some more gas in it.  Headed home and on the way home, the engine died all at once with no warning.  And there it has sat for 3 days, luckily not towed away yet.  I got it to run once for about 5 minutes and I let the battery charge up and then bam, died again.  Then another time for about 1 minute.  But most attempts to start it, the engine revs a couple times like it might start and then dies.  It seems to get it to fire at all I have to pump the accelerator like 10 times before pushing the ignition.

 

So I am a little baffled.  I don't think it is the fuel pump because when I pump the throttle repeatedly, fuel is getting squirted in just fine.  I thought maybe the battery was the issue so I charged it up and still couldn't get it to go.  Coil, swapped it, no change.  Could it be the gas from the garage was bad?  I only put about a gallon in but I put about 7 in from the gas station.  Could it be the points? Condensor?  Plugs?

 

Any help appreciated.

[Niel Hoback]

Sounds like your coil is dead or dying. Check for a spark when it does it again.

[John Reddie]

Also check that little pigtail wire in your distributor.  It's the one that supplies juice to the points, These can break down after awhile or sometimes short out against the the distributor housing causing intermittent stalling. I speak from previous with this situation. Good luck to you.

John R

[dlrides]

Fuel, spark, air. sounds like you have 2 of the three.

 

Coil replaced, so move on to next in line. Condenser, points, supply voltage, etc.....................................

 

Sometimes the obvious creates issues such as , grounded wire, bad connections etc.............................

 

You'll find it.

 

 

After reading some of the troubleshooting threads here, don't be surprised if someone suggest changing the radiator, brakes, or steering box. Just sayin'

 

[busycoupe]

The above are all good suggestions, however, you might still look for a fuel problem.  It may be partially fuel starved.  Perhaps the filter in the tank, or one you have installed, is partially clogged.  Or perhaps there is a partial blockage somewhere in the line, the rubber section may be a good place to start looking, it may be collapsed. 

Good luck!

[Don Coatney]

Is your gas cap vented? Have you considered doing a systematic trouble shooting procedure? You need compression, fuel, and spark delivered at the correct time. Systematically verify each of these 3 one at a time and you should find your problem. 

[BigDaddyO]

Stick a vacuum gauge on it.

 

Now this is a l-o-n-g shot;

We had a car in the shop that had a similar situation, it turned out to be a loose baffle in the muffler.

It would run fine until that baffle plate found its way to the back of the muffler and somehow flopped up and covered the 'out' port.

Car would die. Baffle plate would fall back down. Car would run until whenever the plate flopped back up. It was quite baffling to say the least. 

[Don G 1947]

Matt,

 

I think the first thing I woud do right after it dies is take the top of the carb off and make sure there is fuel in the bowl AND that the float is at the specified distance from the top.  If the float is low, have someone crank over the engine to make sure fuel is is being delivered.  Easy and simple check.  If all is OK there then move on to spark.

 

Don

[Smokeywolf]

Did you check that you had a spark when it first happened?

If your plugs had no spark then it's electrical then try the following

Remove clean and refit earth strap or check resistance with a multimeter.

Fit new distributor cap. And rota arm.

If their was a spark then its a fuel issue!

Do you have an isolator fitted?

Also check ignition switch

Remove fuel pipe from carb turn over engine and collect fuel in container, check for quantity and any containates.

Good fuel supply and no contaminates in the fuel then check the carb.

Checking for loose baffles can be done by tapping the side of

Silencer boxes listen for rattles.

Edited August 22, 2014 by Smokeywolf

[MattWalker]

So I have not had much time to work on it and my battery keeps dying from cranking it which doesn't help.  I think it might be a fuel issue because I noticed if I pull the throttle knob wide open, like 3 inches out, the engine will start and rev up but I have to push it in because the rpm are so high and then it dies.  my fuel pump has a glass bowl on it which is full though... don't know if that rules that out or not.  Also I tried pouring gas in the carb throat and noticed most of it runs out the side and down onto the manifold,, is that normal?  isn't it supposed to go into the intake?   

 

At least it hasn't been towed.  I'm gonna go try again in the morning and try the stuff suggested here.  I may need a new battery, those duralasts from AutoZone are terrible, I have gone through a few in just a few years.  Maybe I should spend the money and get a glass battery.

 

Thanks for all the help.

[MattWalker]

Also this is probably a dumb question but how do you check for spark, actually remove a plug and crank the engine?

[Huzzad]

with the second to last comment you made Matt I think if the battery is dead each time you came back the coil would be the first thing I check then if it runs then shuts off when I go would be shorts, but I would do the normal check arounds plugs then coil then see if my lights worked without turning over the motor then put a voltage meter and watch the battery and see if it drains when I start or if it is draining to fast from something else, my experience would say you are shorting out with that type of shuting down and worst case your generator just went. you can try by passing it to see if it works before changing anything. good luck!

[Merle Coggins]

So, if you hold the throttle wide open it'll start and run, but if you let it return to idle it'll die? Have you tried to use the throttle pedal instead of the throttle knob on the dash? Maybe you can modulate the pedal more easily and keep it running without over revving. If that's the case you need to work on the idle settings of your carb.

Merle

[Smokeywolf]

checking for a spark at tip of the electrode.

1 Take out a spark plug

2 Connect the spark plug you have removed back into the spark plug cap

3 lay the plug so the hex metal

Shell is earthed (lay on the block metal to metal)

4 turn over engine and watch for spark.

All the plugs can be checked this way.

[MattWalker]

Definately fuel issue, took top of carb off, bowl dry, added gas, car fired right up and then died about a minute later. So either clogged line or fuel pump . Took fuel line off and cranked engine, got some spurts but no steady stream...rebuild pump first?

[casper50]

check for clogged line first

[desoto1939]

Hey Matt why rebuild the pump when you can get a new fuel pump for almost the same as a rebuild kit. If you rebuild the pump then get the longer rod that goes through the body of the FP and that has the little c-clip on the end to prevent the rod from backing out of the housing. Look at Don's posting about the rod that he got from McMaster.

 

And then you do not have to worry about if you rebuilt it correctly.  Just my 2 cents.

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

[Plymouthy Adams]

you are also assuming the pump is bad when in fact the test to prove it has not been accomplished..odds are you could as stated above only have a blockage in the tank to pump....you can feed the pump for a clean gas supply, via a line in a gas can, and see then if the pump has the ability and suck fuel in and thus be able to pump it back out under x pressure..do a few tests before spending the money..they are outlined in the service/repair manual..do not forget that the pump input is also protected by a screen..do ensure that this is also free from obstructions

[Smokeywolf]

Any update to this thread?

[BobT-47P15]

I don't know about the rest of the stuff......but I would certainly pay a tow bill and get the car back home.   

 

Or get a friend and a good tow rope.

 

I had sediment (rust) from the gas tank that caused my car to act about like that.   When you look at the glass bowl

on the fuel pump.......is the gas you see a brownish color or gold like gas normally is?  You can remove the bowl and there

is a filter above it that could be clogged up.  

 

In order to get as much crud as possible out of my gas tank without removing it, I went thru the opening for the

float.......got a siphon pump at WalMart.......and pumped as much gas as I could out of the tank.  Pumped it into

a spare 5 gal gas can using a funnel with a coffee filter in it.  That trapped a small amount of sediment.  Then

cleaned the fuel pump filter.....filled with new gas.  Has been running OK since then.  

 

Lots of other good suggestions above also.  Gets kinda confusing, especially if you are like me.....not that great 

of a mechanic.  

Edited August 29, 2014 by BobT-47P15