1990 spark plug wires i agree.  i've had similar problems back in the day... these cars are barely driveable with bad wires in OD.

It didn't do it today, but I know it will start doing it again lol.  It really does it at random.  Yeah I know it needs a tuneup, I will be doing that once I put it away for the winter at the end of November.  Anyone think this is a MAP sensor issue?

if the map sensor was bad or had really bad vacuum source it would throw code 33...

Quote from: flybynite on October 21, 2007, 07:36:37 PM
  Could be a plug wire breaking down also...  It gets pretty hot under the hood of a TGP    ;)

  Boy now thats the truth, mine can get so hot I just want to run an airconditioning under there or maybe a mist of Ice cold water.

Well the car started running like complete utter crap.  It shuddered worse than ever today on the way home, then I had to drive to town again.  I started the car and it stalled right away, so I restarted and it ran for a split second and died again.  So I started it again and held the throttle at ~2500RPM for like 10 seconds and took off.  It shuddered most of the way to town and as I pulled into a parking lot at ~10 MPH, the engine died again.  It restarted right away and ran until I parked it and ran inside a store.  I came out and started it again, same drill it stalled once and I gave it some throttle and it stayed running on its own for 20 seconds until I stopped at the end of the parking lot.  It stalled there and restarted again right away and shuddered horribly for the 7 mile drive home- I kept it in regular Drive the whole way and kept it under boost as much as possible during the drive (it runs perfect under boost).  So now it will idle nice when sitting at stoplights, but when I'm going at low speeds or just starting the car, it will just randomly decide to stall for no apparent reason.
Sorry for the long read, but this is a really strange problem and I'm trying to get in as many details as possible.  I called Kyle (Grinders 18) here from the board and he suggested the fuel pump may be on its way out?  Anyone have any ideas? 
Luckily, the TGP only had to make it today, because tomorrow I am cleaning it up and putting it into my garage until next summer.  I will be picking up an 89 GP 5 spd tomorrow morning for my DD for the winter/spring months, so I will have a car to drive during the time I fix the TGPs problems.
Any help is much appreciated!

Any ideas?

Change out your wires, and plugs.  I bet you see a big difference. 

Quote from: bake82 on November 03, 2007, 08:34:04 PM
Change out your wires, and plugs.  I bet you see a big difference. 

x2

Assuming that you know your battery and alt output voltages are fine, I too will definitely recommend new plugs/wires.

It has a new battery, but the alt is original and on occasion the electronics in the car would wig out ... I'm thinkin the alt is on its way out too.. like I said its teh original alt.

Here's a prime example of why you need to buy a Wideband gauge Nick. With white plugs your definitely having a lack of fuel issue and you most likely are having an issue with the map sensor (Vacuum or voltage). 

Why is it that people have such a hard time doing BASIC maintenance on their cars and when something is running poorly they look for the hardest friggin thing it could possibly be???   :icon_rolleyes:

Yeah put a WB 02 on it and that will tell you what is wrong! Hell put six of them on at each exhaust port to narrow it down even more.
Put a MAP, TPS, IAC, Knock, Crank Position, and Coolant sensor on it too just to make sure!  :gr_bs:

Oy evay!

Dude. Look in your owners manual and see what all should have been changed by now (current mileage) and do it. I am sure plugs, wires, fuel filter, air filter, etc are all listed. The harder you make your coils and ICM work to fire off the engine properly the sooner they will die. I would much rather put $100 into plugs, wires, filters, etc than $200 into an ICM and coils and still not have a running car.

If you have a couple of cylinders that are not firing properly then that rich pulse will go past the 02 sensor. It will then lean out every other cylinder until the lean pulses go past. If you have the front 3 cylinders white then guess what most likely is the problem? One or two of the rear three plug wires are most likely arching off onto the intake manifold causing a misfire in the rear three cylinders. That then causes a rich pulse to pass the 02 sensor. If it was intermittent before and now it is progressively getting worse then whatever is degrading is now finally giving up the ghost and BEGGING you to replace them. If you have two or three plugs that are wet fowling because they have no spark...how do you think your motor will run?

How many miles are on that car? How much maintenance has been done to it? If you say, "I don't know" or "I am not sure", then your answer is do everything possible that is in the owners manual to the current mileage of the car. If it still runs like ass then go after every other sensor on the car...but for someone to say...get a WB 02 to diagnose the issue? For $250 you can can damn near replace every sensor on the car!

Sorry I am sounding like an asshole...but I hear this from my customers on a daily basis. Then they are completely surprised how well their vehicle runs after minor maintenance, let alone after I tune the PCM.

I agree with Kenny...everyone knows when you buy a TGP/TSTE, you NEED to replace all your sensors and do a basic tune-up on it immediately...look how many problems I had with my car at first before she got a complete tune-up. Getting the tune-up and replacing the sensors fixed it all! Costly? Kind of...but I definately would have saved myself money if I had done it all right away. And yes Nick, that alternator does need to be changed at some point soon lol :icon_wink:

     Another thing I want to add Nick is, you may not have the money right now to put toward the TGP, which is just fine in your situation. I say store that thing away for now, finish school, get yourself a great job, Then start pouring money in the TGP. Cause if your thinking the same way I am, I like knowing that I'm driving a rare car. Please keep it. I strongly believe that you will regret selling it

Holy old topic :laugh:  Thanks again for the advice, I will do some of that stuff once funds are built up for it again.  Settle down guys, I'm planning on keeping the car. ;)