Engine stalls after starting 82' - Forums - Official C3 Vette Registry

SPONSOR AD

Support our Vendors! | Advertise Here

Topic: Engine stalls after starting 82'

in Forum: C3 Engines

Already a Member?
Login
Not yet a Member?
Register for Free!

Back to top of thread

Re: Engine stalls after starting 82' (3/13)
10/2/15 1:08pm

Adams' Apple

Lifetime Member
Moderator
Send Private Message

Duncanville, TX - USA

Vette(s):
#1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas

Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20128

Hmmmmm....so it runs fine, with no stalling out with the filters left out, or just the cover off? Have you tried it with the filters out and the cover on w/hood closed? I can tell you it is NOT a lack of air that's causing it....the symptoms are not right for that. If it was choking for air, you would have black smoke coming from the exhaust, and a strong fuel smell, neither of which you mention. To me, it sounds more like the cover has abraded the wiring harness somewhere, or something similar is happening. I would start looking closely for any wiring that might be coming into contact with the air cleaner cover.
When this first happened, and you removed the filters and it started, then you were able to drive it home, did you leave the filters off, or leave the filters AND cover off, or what?

______________

Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56
My Link

(click for Texas-sized view!) NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Quote

Re: Engine stalls after starting 82' (4/13)
10/5/15 6:28pm

Uribedream
Former Member
Send Private Message

Joined: 10/1/2015
Posts: 4

I removed the filters and it seemed to run fine as well. I put the cover back on and it still ran fine.

Quote

Re: Engine stalls after starting 82' (5/13)
10/5/15 6:38pm

Uribedream
Former Member
Send Private Message

Joined: 10/1/2015
Posts: 4

So after this post I went into my garage and I tried to start the car with the vehicle undisturbed. It turned on and shut off after about 5 seconds. After that the engine would turn but it wouldn't start. I opened the hood, removed the air filter cover and removed the two filters and left the cover off. The car started and ran just fine. I then put the filters back on while it was on and put the cover back on, as well. It ran ok but slowly started struggling to stay on until it shut off but it did run longer.

I then removed the filters as well and put the cover on, it ran ok. When I closed the hood it also eventually started idling a little rough.

Note that it took several minutes each time for this to happen.

I removed the filter cover and checked the wiring in the area but I did not see any issues. No black smoke at any time and no smell of fuel at any time.

Could it possibly be bad fuel?

Quote

Re: Engine stalls after starting 82' (6/13)
10/5/15 8:20pm

F4Gary

Gold Member
Send Private Message

Grapevine, TX - USA

Vette(s):
1972 LT-1 convertible with factory air.

Joined: 8/26/2006
Posts: 1409

Only thing left is filters out, cover off, and shut the hood. See what happens.

______________

Quote

Re: Engine stalls after starting 82' (7/13)
10/6/15 12:55pm

Adams' Apple

My next suggestion would be to check and make sure the throttle bodies are not loose on the manifold.
Then, I would check the 400(seems like) bolts securing the intake cover to the intake bottom. A leak in the gasket there can cause similar idle problems. Closing the hood with the air cleaner cover on will put pressure on the throttle bodies, and therefore the intake cover, changing the (un-metered)idle air(witch is really just a vacuum leak).
I would also recommend getting any codes out that may be in the ECM. However....once you turn the key off, any codes will be cleared until the ECM "sees" the problem again. You need to start it with the filters and top on, hood closed, and let it run until it dies, then check for codes without turning the key off. What you seem to have is an air leak, not a restriction. The idling up/down before it finally dies is an indication that the ECM is trying to control the idle speed via the idle control valve(s).

______________

Quote

Re: Engine stalls after starting 82' (8/13)
10/9/15 10:13am

dwa175
Former Member
Send Private Message

leesburg, FL - USA

Vette(s):
1979 coupe and now 2007 c-6

Joined: 7/19/2014
Posts: 195

just a old story for a old mech man seezs if I tighten air cleaner wing nut down car stalls,i say don,t tighten. if you look for trouble you will find trouble. dwa Beer

Quote

Re: Engine stalls after starting 82' (9/13)
12/21/15 11:44pm

my80Vette
Former Member
Send Private Message

Dacula, GA - USA

Vette(s):
1980 Corvette White and Black with Black interior. 350 V-8 Auto

Joined: 7/18/2015
Posts: 33

My son just bought a 78 L48 and is having a stalling issue but only when in our driveway when he is backing down the hill. He's letting it warm up first. The has only happened in our driveway and no other time has it stalled either forward or reverse. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to start looking ? Thanks.

Quote

Re: Engine stalls after starting 82' (10/13)
12/22/15 1:54pm

Adams' Apple

my80Vette said: My son just bought a 78 L48 and is having a stalling issue but only when in our driveway when he is backing down the hill. He's letting it warm up first. The has only happened in our driveway and no other time has it stalled either forward or reverse. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to start looking ? Thanks.

I'd first make sure there was plenty of fuel in the tank. On steep inclines, fuel can move away from the pickup tube, and cause problems like this. This is most common on cars with electric fuel pumps of course. On a car with a carb, the problem is more likely to be that the fuel level in the carb is either too high, or too low, causing the engine to stall on a steep incline.
What happens if he parks the car facing the opposite direction, and pulls forward down the drive, instead of backing it out?

______________

Quote

Re: Engine stalls after starting 82' (11/13)
12/22/15 11:44pm

my80Vette
Former Member
Send Private Message

Dacula, GA - USA

Vette(s):
1980 Corvette White and Black with Black interior. 350 V-8 Auto

Joined: 7/18/2015
Posts: 33

Thanks Joel. It's happened with both a half tank and a full tank. We haven't tried backing in the driveway so he is facing nose down. I'm not sure but I think it will bottom out coming out if the driveway. I'll try it tomorrow with him.

Quote

Re: Engine stalls after starting 82' (12/13)
1/4/16 8:33am

vettejack

Lifetime Member
Send Private Message

Titusville, FL - USA

Vette(s):
1977 Coupe (White), 2006 Convertible (Victory Red). NCM Life Member #2221.

Joined: 12/19/2007
Posts: 154

This was similar to my issue on my '82 back in 2010. Read my post from back then and see if this will help...troubleshooting means covering all the bases...good luck!

From January 2010:

I had a little bit of this problem with starting, and to stay running, while my '82 was in the shop for general maintenance. While moving the car outside, my mechanic said the car stalled and shut down. Eventually, with numerous troubleshooting attempts and replacing both air throttle valves to no avail the car would not stay running.

Searching the car from front to back, we eventually found that the fault was in the fuel tank. Not the sending unit mind you, but the attaching hardware had failed. The sending unit has a hose held by 2 teflon clamps that is in turn attached to the fuel line leaving the tank and going to the engine/fuel pump. While both of the clamps over time had become 'brittle', one of them actually broke at the geared teeth and allowed the hose attached to come undone and pretty much just rerouted the fuel right back into the fuel tank...allowing just enough fuel to reach the injectors and start the car for a few seconds.

So, I would also look at the sending unit assy and make sure all of the hardware that is attached, is in fact, attached and in good condition.

I replaced those teflon clamps with typical radiator hose clamps. The car runs like a champ now!

And keep in mind, this issue is only for the '82 MY...the only C3 with a in-tank fuel pump.

______________

Quote

Re: Engine stalls after starting 82' (13/13)
1/4/16 2:07pm

crossfire1982
Former Member
Send Private Message

Cramerton, NC - USA

Vette(s):
black 1982 coupe slate gray interior, 350 crossfire, 1985 fuel pump, Steeroids R&P conversion

Joined: 8/22/2006
Posts: 1094

Im intrigued by this post but have no possible cause for it to run without the air filter cover but not with. Did you ever get the issue resolved? I, and Im sure some other crossfire owners, would love to know what you determined. Thanks

Quote

Our Sponsors help support C3VR