Got a Gremlin

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attack tiger

attack tiger

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IDK what to think about this car. Every now and then it'll start right up, run for a minute or two (sometimes a matter of seconds), and suddenly die. When this happens, it WILL NOT crank back up. I smell gas when I'm trying to pump it to make it crank back up, so I know it's getting fuel. There is a brand new coil, brand new wires, cap & rotor, and plugs, so ignition is unlikely (although the way it just DIES...with no sputtering or hesitation at all suggests it is). It runs GREAT when it decides to, so I know I don't have a compression issue.

Occassionally, this will happen when I'm driving also. Running great one second...dead the next.

In every instance, it will crank back up whenever it damn well feels like it. Sometimes it's a matter of two minutes...sometimes a matter of two hours.

Could I have gotten a defective coil? It IS an Autozone coil, after all. Is it maybe overheating and cutting out until it's cooled down? If so, how can I explain the times I'll run it 150 miles without incident?

I also put on a new 600 cfm Summit Racing carburetor at the same time I put in the new ignition pieces. Could this intermittent, sudden death be caused by the new carb?

Or is there maybe a relay that is wearing down somewhere?

Please help!
 
electronic ignition??? if so id check the back of the ignition box for melted epoxy. My ramcharger would do the same but its fuel injected and it was the magnetic pickup in the distributor
 
Try changing the reluctor in the distributor (little square black cube). they crap out at any time and start working usually after they've cooled down.
 
Was hoping to see an AMC Gremlin X with the Levi's interior. Good luck with your ingition issue.
 
cuda65vpt said:
Sounds like an electrical problem for sure. A new coil doesn't always mean a good coil. Did you replace the ignition resistor?
http://www.mopartsracing.com/parts/electronic/restrore.gif
Click to expand...

Where is that thing located?

ham_r_down01 said:
electronic ignition??? if so id check the back of the ignition box for melted epoxy. My ramcharger would do the same but its fuel injected and it was the magnetic pickup in the distributor
Click to expand...

No, not electronic ignition. But thanks!

demon seed said:
Try changing the reluctor in the distributor (little square black cube). they crap out at any time and start working usually after they've cooled down.
Click to expand...

Never heard of this. Is there a way to test it?

timbolia said:
Was hoping to see an AMC Gremlin X with the Levi's interior. Good luck with your ingition issue.
Click to expand...

And you see...I'm from the eighties, so when I think "gremlin", I think of a little green monster that multiplies in water! Sorry to disappoint!
 
Okay...got learned up on my ignition system. Not as complicated as I first thought.

I talked to my grandfather and he had an old '76 Ford F100 that used to do the same exact thing to him. Turned out to be the ingition module.

I figured I had replaced all but two pieces...the ECM and the pickup coil...so I went with the easier-to-change option that I was advised to change anyway. So I replaced the ECM and it cranked up okay...but that doesn't mean anything. If I go a few days without any problem, I'll consider it fixed.

Funny thing, though...the module that I got had five pins in it and the one I took off only had four. Runs fine, though, so I guess it's okay. Must be a one-size-fits-all kind of thing.
 
Yeah the ballast resistor kept throwing me off...I thought electronic ignition systems didn't use them, so I assumed it had points.

I kept wondering what that little black box was on my fender wall...LOL

So far, so good...think I may have conquered my gremlin!
 
I would have gone after the ballast resister first and then the ECM. If and when it dies again and won't start, check the resistance across the ballast resister to see if it is opening up the circuit.
 
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