1995 2 Door Tahoe. 182,000 Miles on it, Randomly dies and hard starts.

[Willey]

1995 2 Door Tahoe 4x4. 182,000 Miles on it. TBI. Replaced fuel pump 5 years ago. Tuned up last year. Full brakes last year (the drums were a *****) It has been a great rig for the last 10 years but in the last 4 months I have been having an on going random weirdness.

It runs fine, when it runs, but that is the issue. About 5 months ago, I started having it die randomly while driving. It would turn right back over if I put it in neutral while driving and turn it over. Then it started having issues starting, it would take a good while to crank to start. Once started, it would (mostly) work. It finally got bad enough that it wasn't going to start and almost stranded me a few times. So it then sat for a month, once I got it back home.

I bit the bullet and had some time so I started troubleshooting it. My first thought was spark, as it seemed to have fuel and compression is fine (for a 180k motor). I pulled a cyl 1 plug, spark tested it. Nothing. Figured it was coil, replaced it. Still nothing, next was ignition module in the distributor. Replaced that and I got it to turn back over and fire, once the fuel system pressured up from sitting for a month. Turned right over. Drove it around for a bit, thought sweet, fixed.

4 days later, I have still had it cut out on me while drive 3 times (right after each other over 3 minutes, it was hot this day) but fine while driving. Started fine Monday and Tuesday, today, fine in the morning but starts really hard this afternoon. I had to turn off the ignition, cycle the gear selector, then I saw the cluster "reset" and it fired up. So now I am thinking something heat related or cluster related. The speed it will zero and not display current speed but it always comes back. It has the typical fuel gauge flutter. All the other gauges work (tach, volt, temp, oil).
I have purposely hit train tracks and bumps to see if is a loose wire / connection but nothing seems to happen. It is SOO random. Checked grounds, fine, (though ground was loose, tighten it back up when I fixed the ignition module). Charging system seems fine, the radio doesn't cut out when it dies, it is more like the ignition switch gets turned off. Tight might be that so I wiggled it while engine was running and I couldn't get it to die. So frustrated.

Edit:
Never seems to throw codes when it die while drive, it is like you turn off the switch..

 

[east302]

So it is at least cranking, right?

Next time it does it, check for spark at all cylinders and spray some starting fluid in the throttle body. So the ignition module and coil are new. What about the pickup coil?

Here's a good write up on testing the ignition system with no spark:

http://easyautodiagnostics.com/gm/4.3L-5.0L-5.7L/distributor-mounted-icm-tests-1

If it starts and dies, then it's a fuel issue. Check the fuel pressure then. The TBI versions don't need much, somewhere around 12-psi but maybe someone can confirm.

I don't think that the TBI had a schrader valve, so you'll need the gauge with an adapter and shutoff valve to tie-in at the fuel filter or maybe at fuel supply at the TB.


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[TedF]

I have a '95 4 door as well. A couple years ago I had ignition problems about the same as you describe. I changed out most of the ignition, and even the ignition module in the distributor. A few days later it died again - just like yours. I was stranded, out of patience, out of time, and took it to a mechanic. He said some times the ignition modules just die prematurely! He changed it again, and I haven't had a problem since.
MAKE SURE you get a good thermal connection (with dialectic grease which should be supplied with the module) from the ignition module to the distributor plate. The module dissipates heat through this plate.