Starting/Running problem --HELP
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Starting/Running problem --HELP
I just got an '88 LS with 250,000 miles on it. It's a one-owner (No, REALLY!) car with all maintenance performed and documented. Head gasket, rebuilt head, water pump, timing belt, thermostat, CVs, tires, battery, brakes, and some other stuff in the last year and a half. The car runs great, and everything works in it. When I got it the alternator wasn't charging, and I replaced the brushes. Since then it's been good. I've driven it around for a few hundred miles so far.
Yesterday I drove it probably a hundred miles off and on, mostly highway. Everything felt fine. I got off of the highway and stopped at the bank drive-through. After sitting for several minutes idling with the A/C on, the car just died. I tried to start it again, and it would stumble and die. I tried giving it gas after it started, and it would sometimes rev to about 1500-1800 RPM then die. The temperature gauge was reading a bit high after the first minute or so that I was sitting there, but I didn't think much of it. (I am keeping an eye on that sort of thing though, since I just got this car.) I pushed it out of the drive-through and checked under the hood. I jiggled every electrical connection I could find and tightened up the battery cables. I tried several things, and nothing seemed to help. A couple of times it would seem to start and run, then wouldn't rev and eventually died again.
After about 20 or 25 minutes, it started and slowly would rev again. I kept the revs up and drove it home. When I got it home, it started right up again no problem. Today I drove it around a few places with the A/C on, stop and go driving the whole time. No problems.
What do you guys think? Heat related? The gauge never got within about 3/8" of the red area, but was somewhat high while I sat there. It didn't seem to me to be an ignition problem.
I had almost a half tank of gas. Some kind of fuel starvation or vapor lock? I listened for the fuel pump. It worked for a second with the first turn of the key, then would operate the entire time the key was turned to start, and the whole time the engine was actually running. When the engine died, it would stop. That seemed right to me. Fuel filter? Intermittent fuel pump? Any ideas? Suggestions? I wouldn't mind if something was BROKEN then I could FIX it!
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Tom
Yesterday I drove it probably a hundred miles off and on, mostly highway. Everything felt fine. I got off of the highway and stopped at the bank drive-through. After sitting for several minutes idling with the A/C on, the car just died. I tried to start it again, and it would stumble and die. I tried giving it gas after it started, and it would sometimes rev to about 1500-1800 RPM then die. The temperature gauge was reading a bit high after the first minute or so that I was sitting there, but I didn't think much of it. (I am keeping an eye on that sort of thing though, since I just got this car.) I pushed it out of the drive-through and checked under the hood. I jiggled every electrical connection I could find and tightened up the battery cables. I tried several things, and nothing seemed to help. A couple of times it would seem to start and run, then wouldn't rev and eventually died again.
After about 20 or 25 minutes, it started and slowly would rev again. I kept the revs up and drove it home. When I got it home, it started right up again no problem. Today I drove it around a few places with the A/C on, stop and go driving the whole time. No problems.
What do you guys think? Heat related? The gauge never got within about 3/8" of the red area, but was somewhat high while I sat there. It didn't seem to me to be an ignition problem.
I had almost a half tank of gas. Some kind of fuel starvation or vapor lock? I listened for the fuel pump. It worked for a second with the first turn of the key, then would operate the entire time the key was turned to start, and the whole time the engine was actually running. When the engine died, it would stop. That seemed right to me. Fuel filter? Intermittent fuel pump? Any ideas? Suggestions? I wouldn't mind if something was BROKEN then I could FIX it!
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Tom
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