Culprit identified

C

corsachili

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I can't believe it. It's the fucking headlight switch. I was working on the tail lights, making sure brake lights, turn signals, etc. were all working. I started the car and turned the lights on. It warmed up and was idling nicely.............past the point where it usually starts to do it's nasty tricks. I reached through the driver's window and pushed the lightswitch off and immediately the car started to stumble. I pulled it back on, problem goes away, off, there goes the problem again, on, problem clears.

I think we've narrowed it down to a bad headlight switch which was some how pulling a ground which resulted in a drop in voltage at the ECU. After wiggling it around and pushing the molex plug back in the problem does not occur with the lights on or off, but I will replace the headlight switch anyway.

It's pretty amazing that something completely unrelated to the fuel/ignition system could have been the problem, but I do believe that's the case. It does prove my original belief however, that it was not fuel delivery related, it was electrical.

Back to more mundane topics such as wheel offset, tire size, and belt line trim restoration.
 
I know there is a joke here, about the light bulb coming on and you getting this great idea... However, the whole thing was accidental troubleshooting! Just be happy that you resolved it without tearing down the car any further and spending anymore money.

Best of luck to you. John
 
I thisnk you should rewire the entire car...

That should keep that CSL off the streets for a while!!

So, now that you are running, we should do a drive!..

S
 
Wow!

Damn! Saw something like that years ago. Bad Hazard flasher would cause the injectors to fire randomly without the engine running. Was the damndest thing, car was in my garage for 2 weeks before I figured it out.
Glad you got it, now move on to the next item on the never-ending list of coupe to-dos... :!:
 
Good Job TJ.
Scott ,
TJ won't be able to hold himself back from tearing into something on Ali,
So TJ when do you wanna go for a spin with Scott & Me .

PJ
 
TJ,

I would still check the voltage and ground at the brain connector to see if they are correct.

There are a lot of gremlins in 30 year old cars.
 
Thanks for bearing with me everyone, and thanks for the good thoughts.

Terry Conners joked that it would have been a total bitch if I'd installed the S38 motor and still had the symptom! I would have beaten the thing with a baseball bat I think.

PJ/Scott-ready to go for a drive any time. I like early Saturday morning blasts through the mountains here................Bear Creek, 9, Skyline, etc.

As for more projects on the car, there are numerous little details to putter around with, but as long as it's running I can get to work on the other one. There's an Alfa waiting to be restored and I promised my young bride (she who supports my mania and endures my never-ending lamentations when things don't go right) that the next project would be hers.
 
Ahh.. so THAT's why you wouldn't sell me the alfa.. What? I'm not as pretty as she is? Rats!! There is always a woman in there somewhere currupting the otherwise sane mental processes of a man...

Now for my confession: I am awaiting my new fuses and combo relay for the 635 Euro. I replaced my old GBC fuses a few years back with nice new ones..Unfortunately the new ones used a plastc body. With 25 year old contacts in the fuse box there is considerable resistance at the fuse contact point, and my fuses were periodically, and at inopportune times MELTING!. Most recently my dad and I took a spritied drive out skyline/84/PCH to Cameron's in Half Moon Bay. I noticed an odd lurch or two while I was driving, but it seemed to work itself out.. Then on the bay side of 92 coming home it died.. I tinkered a little and it came alive again. GO me to within a mile of home and it died again.. this time it didn't re-start.

I took the combo rlay out and it was literally too hot to hold. I figure the low voltage caused by the bad fuses is increasing the current draw on the relay or something, causing it to get too hot, and then it starts to crap out. It hasn' t been replaced for about 15 years, so I figure it's time.

Anyway, I won't be able to drive for a week or two.

However, Hwy 9 to SKyline to 84 to Cameron's is one of my favorite roads routes!

See you soon

S
 
Alas saturdays are now out for me as my sweet wife is back at work and I have my kids ,tough day at the park/beach, hmmm could we design child seats for an E9 with Scheels.
I guess it wouldn't be that much of a spritied drive either.

Take care
PJ
 
I am up for driving 17 later today or Sunday as long as it includes some beach time and immersion in the Pacific. Immersion sans the car of course.
 
Aw c'mon Ariel...
Let's drive to pismo and go for a drive along the beach...sand annd salt water roostertails.. Yeah.. that's what we need!

Can't drive this weekend. Maybe next!

S
 
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