is it the spark plugs?

Question

i own a 1995 pontiac trans am. i brought it to the mechanics shop to get a tune up becouse it was running rough. i got new spark plugs, a distrbuter and rotor because i was having problems with moisture getting into the distributor and causing my car to stall. a couple of weeks later i was driving and the car just died. its not like it stalled and stopped it just shut off as if you were to take the key out. then it would not start for like 10 min. if you tried starting it you would here the noise you normaly would when you try to start a car but it wouldnt kick over. then after 10 min it would start as if nothing happend. its done this a few time already. yesterday it starded perfectly then it did it again but this time it didnt start after 10 min. i waited about an hour then tried it again and it did kick over but it was sputering at like 200 rpm instead of 700 or 800 and turned off...the mechanic said it might be the plugs but i want to try and figure it out before i go to him again

Answer 1

It could be the spark plugs are not gapped right. I would lean more to the starter is getting ready to die on you.

Answer 2

You said in your question that you were having problems with moisture...well, first check the distributor cap inside for moisture. If there is moisture, spray inside it with WD40 then wipe out excess, next put the cap back on and attempt to start it. If everything is fine take the cap back off and put a small bead of silicone sealant around the bottom edge of the cap and put it back on before it dries. This should take care of the moisture problem. If there wasn't moisture in the cap then inspect each spark plug for good spark. Also in the distributor there is a pickup coil and module that periodically go bad. My suggestion for you is get a Haynes manual for your car from the auto parts store and remedy the problem by trouble shooting. This is not as hard as it sounds...I hope this helped you and if you go through these steps and it still doesn't work just e-mail me. I would be glad to help you out and save your money with costly automotive shop prices.

Answer 3

It sounds like your ignition module is going out. I see you mentioned you had the mechanic change the dist cap and rotor. Did you get him to check the coil and ignition module as well? Alot of times some of those hotrodders like to put those cowl induction hoods on those T/A's and it will cause water on the distributor problems like that from time to time. If it means anything to you take the distributor unit out( but mark a index mark where it was before removal) and take it in to your local autozone or advnce auto and have them bench test the coil and the ignition module. Its the cheapest approach to just taking it to another mechanic thats gonna rack up another bill for you. Good luck.

Answer 4

Nope, not the spark plugs. But it does boil down to spark or fuel. If there is no CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, nor codes stored I’d be suspicious of the fuel pump or filter. Do a fuel rail pressure check (should be a Schrader valve on the rail). Also check the ignition coil. Look for cracks, tracking, or a “rainbow” discoloration any of which would indicate a problem. (If you have plug wires check all of them with an ohmmeter. High resistance anywhere in wires or plugs will destroy coils.)

Answer 5

Sounds like maybe part of your problem is some sort of a circuit breaker.
You could try randomly removing a couple spark plugs yourself and observing them. If they are not clean in appearance and have oil on them or carbon buildup then it may be a more serious problem.
May be a coil going bad in your distributor system.
It sounds of electrical of some sort to me.

Answer 6

I have an older vehicle and I have had similar problems. The only thing I can figure is that I have to put in 92 octane gas or better, not race car gas. If I use lower octane I put in some octane booster and it helps it run better and smoother.

Answer 7

I had a truck that did something similar and it turned out to be the electionic ignition module. It would work fine til it got hot then just shut everything off til it cooled off. Worth a look. Easy way to test is to get one that you know works and swap it out. You will know thats it if it does'nt cut out again

Answer 8

i work in that field and we had a toyata do that to me and it was the fuel pump sometime like a starter, thing will let you know when it is on its last leg any more ? just ask

Answer 9

its hard to say with out seeing it, the best thing to do is take it to a diffrent shop and let them look at it. good luck

Answer 10

Sure doesn't sound like plugs especially if they'd just been replaced.