whitestang86

while driving the car for about 20min or so on the highway, stopped briefly and started it back up and drove on, 5 min later while driving the car dies. i'm running two tachs, both drop to zero figuring that the ignition is screwing up. Car comes back alive and backfires then dies again, did this off and on the rest of the way home if i didn't get into the throttle hard. It has done this before but not as bad, this was the worst it's ever been. I know the TFI's have been an issue for years and say they should be replaced every 100,000 miles. Bought and rebuit the motor two years ago so it could be an original TFI module. Has anyone had this simmalar problem and if so did it link to this module and fix the problem?? I might have to run it again and take it to a shop to see what the codes come up as to see if it would give me a clue since i dissconnected the battery when i got home. Hooked the battery back up and starts and ran fine but smells like its burning really rich and i know the module also tells the computer to adjust the timing so i'd figure i would get any information possible before i start throwing parts at her.

luckythirteen13

its very possible its the tfi. i had the same problem a couple times. im cheap tho so i just took the factory module off and cleaned the terminals and used some dielectric grease to help with the connection. so far so good the stock module is holding up with about 120k miles on it. also look at the coil, when i put this motor together i reused the msd coil from the last motor. when i went to the track, every pass, about 4500rpm in second gear the car would shut off for just a second and then fire up again. swapped coils and the problem went away

whitestang86

i know i've had the tfi off a few times when i was about to drop the distrib into the motor so maybe that the dielectric grease is very minimal to transfer the heat and is getting to hot from time to time and crapping out on occasion. maybe i should do that, take it off and clean and recoat it with grease and hope for the best.

whitestang86

alright i went out and bought a obd1 tester. got and egr code(31), cause i don't have the egr valve in anymore so the electrical is dissconnected so i expected that. did my KOEO test and got a map sensor code(22) but i don't need the vacum line hooked since i did a mass air conversion, a thermactor air system code(95) but not running that at all or a fuel pump monitor signal. KOER i got EGR(31), Thermactor system(94) and Thermactor system problem(44). So far thats what i've found out, but is the thermactor codes gonna be a factor, my car when i bought it never had the air pump on it. I'm gettin a little further into it, i still need to do the dielectric grease on the tfi yet so i'll be back to you when i finish if some of you out there are wondering.

g2_5point0

i had a similar problem and replacing my tfi module didn't fix it (i replaced it 2-3 times in a 2 year period). I finally read up about the stator within the distributor. That was my culprit. i removed the distributor, popped off the gear, removed the old pick up coil and put a new one in. Never had the same problem again, even in much higher temperatures in the summer weather.

Riceinator

Had very similar problem, and I also believed it was the TFI module and replaced it. That did not fix it, it turned out to be the pick up in the dizzy.

GGT

Had similar problem, it ended up being the computer ground connector over near the battory, a single pin connector, next to starter relay, got eaten by acid, did not have a good ground, I just cut the connector out and soldered the two ground wires together. (with pos battery terminal off)
Problem is gone
(had replaced the TFI, rotor cap wires and plugs and coil tracking this one down)