Died while driveing

[Racenut]

I was on my way to work this morning. In my 87 b2. Was running just fine. Then the motor died. Costed to the side of the road. Tryed to start it. Just turns over. I think. Not getting spark. I wiggle coil and dizzy wires. Try n start agin. Just turns over. So I take off the panel behind the battery on pass side. I wiggle a few wires. Try n start, and she starts rite up. BUT, My radio has lost all memery. All persets and clock set. What can cause this? What to check?

While at lunch. I started it. Wiggled the same wires. To c if it would die or something. But nothing. Just kept on running. I dont know what to check?
Thanks

 

[RonD]

I would start with the battery terminals, remove and clean both, and then check alternator wiring, clean and tight, follow the 1 large wire from the alternator and make sure it is clean at the other end.

 

[Racenut]

It did it agin this morning. Only took a few min, then it would restart. Maybe its the TFI that gives everyone so much trouble. But when I read the other posts about the TFI. Everyone says it takes a while till they can restart. Only takes me a few min. And When it restarts. It run fine. I drove it back home, And it did not kill.

 

[doorgunner]

Hate to see you get stranded, but don't do like I did on my "89 & start "replacing stuff"....

after about $200 worth of sensors at $50 a pop.....I found out the battery cable was nearly corroded all the way thru about 20" from the battery---the plastic coating looked fine so I never suspected the cable was bad inside the coating.....

Of course your problem could be different...but since you know that moving some wires affects the problem...I would do like the guys say & clean all connectors at the battery...

then continue wiggling each wire from conecction to connection to see if you can get the engine to kill...I also found a couple "pins" inside one connector that were greenish colored & the female connector was corroded inside too...

the main thing was patience to find the problem (I could have avoided buying $200 worth of non reurnable sensors )

 

[Racenut]

Thanks, but I dont really think that moving the wires did anything. But I will b checking my grounds n such this weekend. And after reading up on the TFI. I will install a new one.

 

[doorgunner]

be sure to let us know what the problem was/is and how you fixed it.....

 

[4x4junkie]

I don't see the TFI causing your radio presets to disappear... It sounds more like you have an intermittent connection in a main power wire/fuse somewhere.

 

[Racenut]

I think that my messing with the wires killed the power to the radio. But did not help me get restarted. It has done this to me 3 more times. It did it tonight. This time, when it would not start. I got my wife to turn the key to on. While I listened for the pumps. I did not hear them. So its my fuel thats being cut out. After a few min. It would start rite up. I drove it home. Took another car out for the night. Could it be my inertia switch?

I swapped the rely with another at the time. And still no start. After reading all the problems with the TFI. I am thinking could be that to? I will try n jump the inertia switch. And drive it around to c if it stop agin. I got a new tfi. But I need a thin wall socket to install it.

 

[Racenut]

I think that my messing with the wires killed the power to the radio. But did not help me get restarted. It has done this to me 3 more times. It did it tonight. This time, when it would not start. I got my wife to turn the key to on. While I listened for the pumps. I did not hear them. So its my fuel thats being cut out. After a few min. It would start rite up. I drove it home. Took another car out for the night. Could it be my inertia switch?

I swapped the rely with another at the time. And still no start. After reading all the problems with the TFI. I am thinking could be that to? I will try n jump the inertia switch. And drive it around to c if it stop agin. I got a new tfi. But I need a thin wall socket to install it.

 

[Tedybear]

auto parts stores sell a special tool for the screws on the TFI module. It's well worth the investment just to save the headache.

S-

 

[adsm08]

Moving the wires did something. You know because your radio lost power at some point.

You have a crappy connection at the battery. Some unexpected load was put on it and the alternator couldn't pick up fast enough. Clean your battery terminals and go from there.

 

[PetesPonies]

I think that my messing with the wires killed the power to the radio. But did not help me get restarted.

No, I believe you are wrong. Wiggling the wires did do something. You need to find the problem. It can be difficult. Sometimes a wire looks fine going into its connector, but inside enough corrosion has caused an open circuit. If I wanted to expound , I could give you some practical situation where I have run into this over the many years of working on cars. Even batteries have given me fits. You expect them die normally, but many times crazy disconnect/reconnect happens inside a battery. I have even seen a light hooked to a battery blink on and off at a steady rate.

 

[Racenut]

I did clean the battery terminals, and the grounds. Today I unbolted the the inertia switch, but left it hooked up. I made a jumper for it. But I left the switch hooked up. If it was the switch. I wanted to be able to get at it fast. And to do some trouble shooting. I also shook the switch to make it trip. Just to test it. It worked. So I went for a drive. Drove like 45 min. No kill. Then took the family on some errads, still no kill. After all this driving. I feel the floor board where the switch should be bolted. It is hot to the touch. I wonder if the switch was getting hot?

Now, why is the floor board getting hot? Well I think im running rich. It is bogging and some small backfireing. And a gas smell. I have not pulled any spark plugs yet. I will soon. What all could be making it run rich. It has new pumps, filters, and fuel pressure reg.

Could running rich make the the exhaust hotter? Which is making the floor board hot?

Thanks

 

[adsm08]

Running rich actually makes a gas engine run cooler. The floor board gets hot there because it is close to the exhaust. Exhaust is very hot.

Missing, backfire, and fuel smell can all be signs of weak spark or timing issues. You may still have another issue, but given my own multiple experiences with the exact scenario you laid out, down to the radio memory getting wiped out, tells me that the cause of your engine dying was a poor connection at the battery.

 

[PetesPonies]

Yes but if it is extremely rich, you can make the converter fail. A failed/plugged converter can cause lots of heat.