74 LS4-454

Enough of all you 82 owners who always have problems......
I have felt left out..... but not anymore... I got towed home today......and don't feel left out anymore.....

Ok so I am on my way home today, just gave the 82 another shot of freon yesterday, and the AC is working well, even on this extremely hot 98 degree day.....what more could I ask for!!!!
On the highway doing about 60 mph coming up an incline, I hear a "pop" from the rear of the Vette and the tach goes to "0". Glad I was in the right lane, and just coasted over to the shoulder. Tried to restart, it cranks, but won't turn over. Open the hood, and I am expecting some parts to jump up at me and say: "here I am now defective, replace me and I'll run again". I know, I know, the heat must be getting to me......

so, AAA arrives and up on the flat bed I am and going home.
Now to backtrack a few months ago, don't know if this has anything to do with the current situation, but I wonder. We all know that when you turn the key on, the pump turns on for about 2 seconds and the injectors prime. And the pump noise is very noticeable when that happens. Well that noise has gotten very faint, you have to listen for it, where before it was just there.....

So I get the Vette home, and remove the air cleaner assembly, I turn the key on, the pump comes on very faintly, and the injectors make the priming noise, but no fuel comes out of the injectors. So I am assuming at this point, that the pump has gone bad. I really need to read the "sticky" and do the process of elimination. I have also noticed the last few days, that when starting the engine, the idle after start-up seemed odd, can't quite explain it, but you know what the engine is supposed to sound like, and when its off, you notice.
It drove normal last night.

When my 82 dies, it just plain dies, it shuts off and that is it. Can't complain though, with about 32,000 miles driven since I purchased last March 2012, having it towed twice is not bad at all.........Tom

MelWff

take a voltmeter and see if you are getting current at the pump, if you are, the pump is bad

7t9l82

sorry for your bad luck. i wonder why they started calling them cease fire, shortly after it hit the market?

Arkyvette

I know you will get it fixed. I would also check that ignition module. When it dies it is sudden. All the pumps I have had go out are gradual deaths.

74 LS4-454

will check that out, have to wait until Friday afternoon when I finish work. thanks.....


it sure was a cease fire today..... no biggie though, glad I have AAA, they were there in 20 minutes....


I was also thinking about the ignition module, it sure was sudden when you think of it, just curious about the "pop" I heard in the rear, not a major loud "pop", but you could hear it just the same....and after that the tach dropped to "0" as I mentioned above....
I'm glad you know I will get it fixed, I also will be glad to know that I can fix it......

PaPaPork

I never had a problem with the electric fuel pump in my vette, because I have a 79. Now with other (old) electric pump cars experience I would like to point out two other issues causing a fuel pump problems (sorry if that's irrelevant to your problem - just trying to help)
1. fuel pump relay, you should be able to test it even with 9V battery.
2. wiring, even if the insulation looks OK, it might be "green" on the inside (not sure what the correct term for that is) it will pass less and less electrical current (acting like a smaller AWG).

Just something to consider...

jnealg

get a fuel pressure gauge. you will thank yourself later. ANY time you have an issue with a fuel inj car you can quickly eliminate 99.9% of the fuel side with a gauge.

TROPIC_THUNDER

good thing it simple. I dread the day my 82 gives me problems.

jb78L-82

I have had 2 problems like you describe with my 78 and obviously I don't have an electric fuel pump. Had the car die at a light in 1983 and it would restart after the ignition module cooled down. Changed the module and all good since then.

2005-Riding down the highway at 70 mph, felt a small hiccup when stepping on the accelerator about 1 mile before, car justed died, Tach read zero, coasted trying to restart over to the breakdown lane (a 4 speed car). No spark. Friend went to auto zone and bought an HEI coil and module for me and came to the breakdown spot. Changed the coil in the breakdown lane first and car fired right up-bad coil. All good since then.

74 LS4-454

Thanks....all good tips and info....
Will check out everything on Saturday, ordered a pump just in case. Since it is my "dd", can't afford to be out of commission to long. This way if it is indeed the pump, I will have it. Ordered the 85-87 TPI pump (AC Delco) so that will be upgraded if necessary. Just have to do a search on the connection needed for the TPI pump on the 82. I remember some type of pigtail has to be wired in............Tom

Arkyvette

It should come with the pigtail. Easy to wire in. I bypassed my noise filter in the tank as it was nasty looking, then when I changed the sending unit, it didn't have the filter anyway.

KY_BOB

That sux.

If it makes you feel any better, I got the '82 C/F to start and run for the first time in 5 years with the help of you and this forum. (It will move, now, I have to make it stop, but that's a different thread)

Richard454

My $.02 worth-

Since you have an electronic tach-

If it's fuel- the tach slowly drops down as the engine dies from lack of fuel.

If it's ignition- the tach immediately drops to zero- no spark-no tach.

Hope that helps-

Richard

74 LS4-454

I hope it does, if not, no biggie.....I am going to check out some other items before changing the pump....

thanks for the complement, but it has been the guys before us that own the 82's that have provided so much info, to many to name, but they know who they are.....
I only thought it would be more beneficial to have as much info on the 82 in a "sticky" to where we could all reference to when in need. And that has proven to work, as owners like yourself and others find it to be helpful, and that fulfills the goal of the 82 "sticky".......

we'll get you to stop.....


Richard, never thought of that, will troubleshoot those items first, thanks for the tip...and that is what the tach did, dropped to "0" like a stone.........

hugie82

I drive my 82 everywhere, its my daily driver during the summer and knock on would I've had very very minor problems. ( now I ginks myself) anyway.
If the car just shut off on the highway....(with a pop).I would use some gas or starting fluid to see if the engine fires up. If the timing chain broke, the oil pressure sending unit broke or even the ignition crapped itself. You'll be able to narrow it down if the motor fires!

(Note; when timing chains break, the motor will crank very fast....)

74 LS4-454

I hear you hugie......the "pop" sound was very faint, hopefully not like a chain breaking....more like the engine went lean, (a slight backfire), and that sound was from the rear of the vehicle.
I have another distributor from a low mileage 82 that is complete, so if I do need another coil and or module, I have them. I am hoping it is as Richard454 described in his post, that would make it more easy to fix.
Will be starting on it in the AM on Sunday, as today was a day to catch up on some sleep after coming off the road........

BTW, when it cranks it seems normal, not fast as you mentioned with a chain going......I hope!!!!!

Wrecked82

I don't know. 230K miles later, nothing with the crossfire has caused me problems. You are just repeating a tired, old comment.

7t9l82

well i am happy for your good fortune, i bought one new in 82 and in less than 3k miles shut down 3 times once on 495 around D.C in morning rush hour traffic in the rain. Rosenthal Chevrolet could not seem to get it fixed even had the zone office involved. i know at least one other new purchaser who had issues too. so its no wives tale. i remember it being a nice running car up to about 3k r.p.m and then it ran out of wind, due to its dinky intake ports. i am truly glad you have gotten such good service from yours and hope you have many more happy miles, but you couldn't give me one. and after about a year of legal wrangling cheverolet had to buy it back.

Arkyvette

Yeah, and back in 1982 nobody knew fuel injection. Take a carb car to the Chevy dealership for service today and you might get the same foreign looks and pitiful service your 82 got you back in 82.

74 LS4-454

problem solved.....thank you all for the replies, especially to
"Richard454" who was right on with his post, and "jb78L-82" who also had the experience with the coil, because that is what it was, look at the pic and you will see that the wire just broke off on the coil. Even though I bought a pump, just in case that was the issue, I knew I would have it on hand.
So we followed the "sticky" and checked the fuse at the battery, which was good, pulled a plug to see if there was any spark, which there wasn't, then went right to the coil to check for current, that is when we found the broken wire. The spare distributor I had came in handy, so I just swapped out the coil and it fired right up. My neighbor was amazed at the umbrella spray that the injectors were putting out. I also learned that when you have this happen, even though you hear the pump and the injectors prime, this is no movemnt of fuel, it just shuts down the system.
So once again thanks, it felt real good for the engine to fire up instantly, back in business again.........

and just to add a side note, I know the CFI gets it unjust due at times, so let's remenber that my problem had nothing to do with the CFI system, but an electrical issue that could have happen to anyone and has from the previous posts in this thread. I can understand frustration people may have with certain engines, etc., but that can happen with any engine. As "Arkyvette" pointed out about fuel injection knowledge back then, as there were only a few who understood this system. If you read most of the threads on the CFI, more problems then not seem to deal with other parts then with the actual induction system itself......
My Vette is on the road again..............................

the broken wire......