I posted this situation on introductions forum, but it seems this may be a better spot to put it. Not sure, new guy here feeling my way around

Problem is this. Engine starts right up, runs well, and performs as it should on the road. After driving awhile and engine warms up to operating temp, if I stop somewhere and shut it off, it will start again once. Only once usually. After that, just crank til the battery goes down and won't fire. If it sits for a few hours and cools down, it takes right off like nothing's wrong. It did it on me again today. Started one time, shut it off and tried again. No luck> It has spark all the way to the plugs but no fire. I tried pouring a little gas down the throat but still wouldn't hit a lick.

Any one seen or heard of this problem before? Any ideas are more than welcome.

 

pull the plugs and check continuity (it sounds dumb but they love to crack) and what was happening on my 93 was that when the engine got hot the injectors were acting suuuuper funny and I ended up cpi swapping it

 

Plugs? I guess it's possible, although it's hard to imagine an engine running smoothly on all cylinders for half an hour. Shut it off and five seconds later all six plugs decide not to fire until they get a two hour siesta. I've been around a while, but I admit I haven't seen everything yet. At this point I can't afford to pass up on an idea.

 

Two things come to my mind. The O2 Sensor and the Temp. Sender for the ECM. If you have access to a scan tool you can see the temp. that the ECM is reading. You can make sure that the O2 sensor is reading correctly. Once the engine is warmed up the ECM should be in open loop operation. The Air Fuel Ration is controlled by the O2 & Temp Sensors, The ECM Temp Sensor is in the front of the intake manifold. It could be the engine is flooding out. Have you tried holding the gas pedal to the floor while cranking. That is the method to start a flooded engine.

 

Yes, I've tried the pedal to floor trick with no results. When it does this, it will sometimes stumble a couple times, and if I back off off on the key at just the right spot it will actually start. Most times it does that once or twice and then won't hit a lick again no matter how long it cranks.

I don't have a scan tool. Have only had a few minor skirmishes with O2 sensor problems, but in those cases the engine would always start and run to some degree.

I read somewhere about a temp sensor on the intake manifold and replaced the one that I thought was involved. No change. It was near the thermostat housing, screwed down in vertically with a two wire clip on it.

Right now if I take it somewhere to have it scanned, I need to plan on staying there until it cools off again or I have to walk home.

 

Considering purchasing a scan tool. Is there a lightweight (read that cheap) unit out there that will work on the '88 system and do the basics?