GMC Repair: engine dies when it seems to get warm outside, oldsmobile cutlass supreme, electronic ignition control


Question
I have a 1991 oldsmobile cutlass supreme with a 3.1 liter. In the morning when its cold outside it starts but wont idle and if you keep the rpm's up it runs rough but after it warms up a bit it is fine, and will run just fine to work or where ever i need to go. In the afternoon  I can get off work and go pick up my daughter from school which is about a mile and a half away and then go home and it is fine , but if I go anywhere else it will die and you have to sit there for a few minutes and then it will restart. It will restart if you hold the gas pedal down but it blows black smoke and you can smell the gas.The speedometer and tach works when it wants to as well. I have replaced the mapp scensor, tps, and the air flow scensor as well as the electronic ignition control module. Occasionly it backfires as well. Today It would not restart for quite awhile and I took a gallon of water and poured it over the intake manifold and it started right up and had it got me home.

                        Thanks for your time,
                                 mike

Answer
YOU ACTUALLY: Today It would not restart for quite awhile and I took a gallon of water and poured it over the intake manifold and it started right up and had it got me home.

This is one for my I DON'T BELIEVE IT BOOK, Of which is getting pretty full.



You stated: The speedometer and tach works when it wants to
           as well.

Is the speedometer and tach ANALOG or DIGITAL display ?.

I have some possibilities for you but without actually doing the test procedures on these components, Replacing them would be just guessing.

Since the water seems to COOL DOWN the intake temp. Here are a few things to try:

1. Disconnect the CAMSHAFT sensor when you experience this
  NO START condition and see if it starts.

2. Check the primary resistance of the coils, it should
  be .5 to 1 ohm. The water poured on the intake may be cooling the coil(s) as it/they may be HEAT SENSITIVE.

3. there is also the possibility that you have one or more leaking injectors that is dripping gas into the cylinder(s) thus causing the complete fuel rail and fuel lines to become empty thus resulting in long crank times.

4. The CRANKSHAFT sensor may be HEAT SENSITIVE and pouring the water on the intake causes the water to run onto the crank sensor thus cooling it and the engine starts.

5. you can also check the resistance of the IAC sensor's  ohms reading against the CTS sensor's ohms reading when the engine is COLD and the ohms readings should be almost identical. If they are NOT close in values, install a new coolant sensor.



These are some of the known re-occurring problems I have seen over the years.

let me know.


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