Not to sure whats going on here... back story sumed up is the car was dead in my driveway, turned out to be the pickup coil. I changed that the ign module, cap, rotor, and ignition coil (got a aftermarket blaster one from the fiero store). I adjusted my timing and the car starts and runs fine....for 25 minutes. As soon as I let the idle drop lower to stop the car it just stops. Then it won't start again. untill its cooled down all the way.

Try swapping these two relays (Your car likely has only two here) with each other. They are located in the engine compartment right behind the drrivers seat.



Just unplug the wires from the relays, swap them and plug them back in. If the sockets are looking corroded they need to be cleaned. If the relays are off the bracket and upside down and filling with water then you will most likely have to replace them. 75% chance this will fix your problem.

[This message has been edited by phonedawgz (edited 06-19-2010).]

Thanks, I will try that as soon as I get some time away from working

Let us know if that doesn't fix it.

Well let us know either way

I had the same issues with my 84' 2M4. Never could figure it out just decided I need a 3800 to fix the problem but that is another story in itself.

The fuel pump of Fieros is powered by either of two seperate switches. One is turned on when the oil pressure is above a pressure. The other is by the ECM though a relay. Either will provide power to the fuel pump.

Do this - when your fiero is cold turn OFF the heater blower, the heater to off - the radio to off. Turn the key to on but don't start the car. You SHOULD hear the fuel pump run for two seconds. If you don't hear the whine of the pump you most likely have an issue with the ECM/Relay side of the circuit.

Then try this - crank the engine till the engine starts, let it run for a few seconds and then turn off the car Right after you turn off the car you should still hear the fuel pump run for a second or two. It might be more. The reason I want you to do this is to hear the fuel pump.

Watch this video - right after he turrns the key to on you can hear the fuel pump run for a two seconds. Its at 3:49 - 3:51 in the video. Ignore the rest of the video - I just want you to do this to hear the fuel pump run.

http://www.youtube.com/user...g#p/u/67/sRoSMhEL3Ms

So here are the questions -
1 does the fuel pump run for the two seconds on your car after you turn the key to on but not start it.

2 Does fhe fuel pump run for a few seconds right after you turn off the car right after starting it.

Let us know

[This message has been edited by phonedawgz (edited 06-20-2010).]

I know you changed a bunch of stuff, but this still sounds like a bad pickup coil (of course could also relate to a bad ignition coil or module).

If it is a fuel pump problem, it would be with the pump itself and not the relay - if the relay went out the motor would still run via the oil pressure switch (unless that is bad as well). Throw a fuel pressure gage on and watch your pressure - if it does not drop off, no problem.

I am fairly sure you have an electrical problem, first check your wiring and connectors are tight and clean, if ok, I would be suspecting a bad pickup coil. Note: just because it was new does not always mean it is good.

Good luck

quote Originally posted by ash09: I adjusted my timing and the car starts and runs fine....for 25 minutes. As soon as I let the idle drop lower to stop the car it just stops. Then it won't start again. untill its cooled down all the way.

A possible cause may be the fuelpump going out...after about 10 minutes of warmup, shutoff and if it doesnt start again then this may be the cause..

IF YOUR ECM or RELAY HAS FAILED AND YOU'RE ONLY RUNNING ON THE OIL PRESSURE SWITCH:

1 - You won't get the two second "prime" running of the fuel pump to pressurize the system so the engine starts right away.

2 - After some extended cranking, you will build up enough oil pressure to turn on the fuel pump via the oil pressure switch.

3 - Because when your oil is hot, the oil pressure drops - the amount of extended cranking will increase when the engine is at operating temperature.

4 - IF your engine is so worn as to make the HOT oil pressure drop to below the switch threshold at idle AND your fuel pump is running solely on the oil pressure switch, the engine will shut off at a hot idle. The engine can't be restarted while hot since the oil pressure at cranking speed is no longer enough to turn on the switch. Once the engine is cold you will be back to step 1 - which is the engine will start with an extended cranking.

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I am not saying this IS happening with your car, but I am saying it's likely possibility. A way to test this would be to insert a test light into the fuel pump test point in your ALDL connector (with the other end of your test light grounded). Turn on the key but don't start the engine. Watch to see if you get the two second "prime" from the ECM. No prime would indicate a bad ECM or Relay. Then start the engine. The light should come on sometime IF the engine starts. If the light comes on only after extended cranking that would also indicate a bad ECM or Relay. Then run the engine and wait till it's warm and see if the test light goes out before the engine stops turning. If the light goes out and THEN the engine stops this would also indicate that the reason your engine is stopping is caused by the fuel pump no longer getting voltage. One way to test re-start the engine would be to 'hotwire' power to the ALDL fuel pump test position.

ALDL Connector


Be careful - Yours might be upside down from this picture - Pin G is the fuel pump power test point. The ALDL connector is under the panel with the cigarette lighter in it.

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If however you get the light to light during the 2 second "prime" and the light doesn't turn off untill after the engine quits - then the ECM and Relay ARE doing their job and you don't need to look at them as a cause of this trouble. If the light stays lit untill after the engine dies then you also don't have to worry about the oil pressure switch as a cause.

[This message has been edited by phonedawgz (edited 06-20-2010).]

Well my car broke down on the side of the road and I had to have it towed, it ended up at the pontiac dealer. man they took me for a ride....
I told them all the work that I did they checked it out reset the timing and said I had a few loose wires, charged me $152. I drove home...broke down again. got a tow back to the dealer (for free from them luckily) they went back in...told me I had a bad pick up coil. I got there today to pick the car up and they had the brand new ignition module that I instaled to give to me, they said thats the problem. I said great so my bill is low considering how easy it is to get that in and out. Nope no such luck there. aparently they decided to take my distributor out to test the pick up coil first. I have no idea why they took it out to test it. there is no need for that. so add $240 on to the previous bill and thats what it took to change a ignition module that I could have done in 20 minutes if I had the car at my place. I did take the module to advance to have it tested and it failed all three tests. Thats alot of money spent for a brand new bad part!

quote Originally posted by ash09: Well my car broke down on the side of the road and I had to have it towed, it ended up at the pontiac dealer. man they took me for a ride....

worst repair i have ever had was at the pontiac dealer.
will never go there again

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I'm the original owner of a white ' 84 2M4 purchased Dec 10, 1983 from Pontiac. Always garaged, no rust, 4-wheel drifts are fun!

Well at least let's hope that's the end of that problem.