Car gets hot dies and won’t restart

[cheaptrick]

1980 FI spider, Tried a lot of things; new distributor, new coil, new plugs and plug wires, new ignition control module. Have fuel runs like a champ then hits 190 fan did not come on and car died. Won’t restart till it cools off after a few hours. Help I’m at a loss! Thanks Steve

[cheaptrick]

Also somehow looses spark after it gets hot and runs a while. dies at 290 temp then if I test spark these is none. Can the heat sink around coil go bad? Hope not it’s 400.00 part!

[cheaptrick]

Sorry not 290 but 190 temp

[18Fiatsandcounting]

190 oF is normal operating temperature (half way on the gauge). But, a question to make sure I understand: The engine is working just fine, and then when it gets hot, it just dies? My first guess would be a bad (or weak) ignition control module or coil, but you replaced those. You might try another ICM, perhaps a different brand.

The heat sink doesn't "fail" when hot, but there is supposed to be some special heat conductive grease between the heat sink and the ICM. Did you use that?

Other possibilities are that the coolant temperature sensor (the one on the outlet near the front of the engine) is bad, but that doesn't cause the engine to just die all of sudden. Another possibility is the gap on the distributor pickup coil increases when hot, and the pickup coil isn't triggering. One other remote possibility is that the spark plug gap is too large, but I would think it would falter first before cutting out completely.

If you can, I'd put a timing light on the main wire from the coil to the distributor when the engine dies. Just crank it and see if the timing light flashes. If it flashes OK, then the problem is probably not the ignition.

-Bryan

[cheaptrick]

Thanks Brian I’m willing to try anything at this point, didn’t use the special heat grease between ICM and coil sink. Try that next, got the ICM from Vicks, but will try great first before I change companies. Steve

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Steve (AKA Frank Zappa), yes, try the heat sink grease. However, your ICM may already be fried, so I'd try another. I believe there is a GM module that is pretty much the exact replacement and more reliable. Search the forum for which one.

-Bryan

[bobplyler]

I had a similar problem. One of the radiator hoses had a very small hole. It didn't open up unless the car was going slow and the temp went up. Then it started spraying a small stream on the coil. After cooling down, it started because the water evaporated.

[cheaptrick]

I have new coil, new ICM, and a new temp sensor on order. I also bought a universal fit ignition condenser. Not sure I even need the condenser, isn’t that for carberated cars? My fuel injected has a very old one running into coil, not even sure what is for and do I need it? Steve

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Not sure I even need the condenser, isn’t that for carberated cars? My fuel injected has a very old one running into coil, not even sure what is for and do I need it? Steve

The condenser is to lengthen the lifetime of the points, but you don't have those since you have electronic ignition. It was also there to suppress radio interference (static) in the AM band, but again, not needed for electronic ignition.

Unless.... You are using points to trigger the electronic ignition? Sort of a quasi-electronic ignition? Then you would need a condenser, although that would be a weird setup.

-Bryan

[bpadda]

Hello Steve,
Did you manage to resolve your issue?
Would love to hear an update... thanks.