Jaime

It seemed simple enough to me at first but then I read about the spring. Guess I read to much into it.

No I did not as I thought that the coil had fixed the problem. I was actually going to change the ignition switch. In reading the FSM, it said that I needed to use some kind of spring clam, because of a spring that is under high tension. Can you give me some direction as to what they are talking about and how to replace/adjust it.

I have done; Steps 1 thru 5 and step 27 of your tips. Changed the fuel filter. Dropped the tank and tightened the connections to the fuel pump. Found the CPS wire to be melted and bear wire exposed but not touching anything. Changed CPS. Installed new coil. That seemed to have solved the problem for about 2 or 3 days. Other than to just start changing parts, I don't know what else to do.

Hello We'll the coil was not a permanent fix. On Wednesday I had to leave work on an emergency and of course the truck did not start. After about 6 times it finally started. It would crank but not start. Then about half way home it shut off again and then started back up after cycling the key. I have not done anything to it since then as I have been with the wife in the hospital. So does anybody have any other suggestions I can try.

Hello everyone. Well it seems that the coil was the culprit. I went to work and back without it shutting off on me. I'll let you know at the end of the week if I have no more issues. I don't understand how the coil tested good but it is still bad. It must have a short inside or something. I did not replace the coil before because it tested good on three separate occasions hot and cold. I want to thank everyone for all the suggestions given to me.

I went ahead and bought new coil and installed it. I'll let you know tomorrow if it fixed it.

Hello it's me again. This weekend I pulled the tank and tightened the crimps. I also discovered that the CPS wire was melted; but not touching anything and some bare wire showing. I got a new CPS and routed it like the diagram on Crusiers post. Thinking that the CPS was the problem, I stopped there. WRONG!!! It shut down this morning just sitting on the driveway. It also shut off three more time on the way to work. Every time after it shut off, it started back up. The problem is getting worse. It used to shut off only once on the way to work. It shut off 4 times this morning but not at all on the way home. Help I don't know what else to do other than just start buying parts in hopes that I fix the culprit by chance.

I wiggled the green wire coming from what I believe to be the ICM and could not make the tach move. That's the unit under the coil correct? Is there a test I can perform to check it? I am dropping the tank tomorrow to check on the wire that cruiser was talking about and fix the o ring to the pump that I discover is leaking on my last fill up. I am also going to pull the ignition switch and replace it since it is not expensive. I think that I will pull the CPS and visually inspect it or I may just replace it since it will be out anyway.

Well the darn thing shut off me on the way to work again. This time I had to cycle the key 3 time before it would start. Something new occurred when I to started it this evening. I turned the key to the on position but did not crank it. I was waiting for the fuel pump to prime when my tach jumped to about the two bounced a couple of time and then went to zero. This time it did not start on the first crank. It did start on the second crank and ran fine all the way home. I tried to make it happen again but was unsuccessful. What do you think?

OK I jumped the ballast, got it up to temp, let it run for awhile, and it didn't shut off. The big test will be tomorrow. I'll let you know. Thanks again!

Will it be OK to run it with the bypass for a few days?

Well it finally died in a parking lot and not in the middle of traffic. This is what I observed. My volt meter starts at 9 with a red zone to the next line then 14 to the next line and finally 19 at the last line. When it turned off it went to the line after the red mark then past the 9, going downward, for a moment. After that it went back to the line after the red zone. The oil gauge went to zero but slowly. The temp did not move. The fuel did not move The tach went to zero. The radio did not turn off. The lights did not turn off. On a side note. I noticed that when I use my turn signal the volt gauge jumps about 1 or 2 volts. I checked the connectors at the ballast resistor and they seem OK. The brown plastic wiggles, but the metal connector is tight on the post. Now when I touched the white part it was very hot. I mean I could not even touch it. Is that normal?

I just took a peak at the ignition switch. It looks OK to me. I think I'll take it off this weekend to get a better look. I did the test you had me do on the CPS toward the beginning of the post and it tested OK. Yes on the wiggle test. I also slightly pulled, pushed and wiggled on all the connections I could find.

It always starts right up and then run fine for the rest of the trip.

The tack goes to zero, temp stays at normal, and the oil goes to zero. I haven't seen what the volts gage does but I'll check it next time it shuts off. Yes I've done the coil/CM contacts, steps 1 thru 5 and step 27 of your tips along with the extra ground at the taillight that I found. I kind of wish that I had put a thicker wire on that ground.

Hello everyone, The truck turned off on me twice today. In the morning I was almost to work about 7 miles. As I turned a corner it turned off, going from 1st to 2nd. It also shut off on the way home. This time I was at a stop light when it turned off. Both times I just cycled the key and the truck started. The rest of the trip was uneventful. I want to put a new coil and a new ignition switch in it as suggested but would like to preform a test on them before I buy them. Can someone let me know how to test them if possible. Thanks.

Well I eliminated the C101 connection and the factory crimp (or I think it was the factory crimp, I'm not sure) that has 8 wires going to it behind the taillight. I was left with 4 wires on the C101 connection that did not have corresponding wires on the other side of the connecter. Since I don't have an A/C, I am assuming that these wires are for the A/C. These are the colors of the wires I'm talking about: red, gray w/black tracer, and tan w/orange tracer coming from the engine side of the connector. The firewall side is blue w/white tracer. I went for a ride in it, about 30 miles, without it shutting off on me. I'll see what happens this week and let you know.

I did steps 1 thru 5 of your tips. When it started, it would shut off in the morning after about 2 miles down the road. In a panic to get out of the way, I would put it in a lower gear and pop the clutch. Then it would back fire. It happened enough times, that my muffler split. After that, it started shutting off on the way home from work and only about 3/4 of a mile down the road. I did your tips, but it still keeps shutting off. Then it started not wanting to start as normal. It would crank; but not start, and a couple of times white smoke came out of the breather box. Fortunately, that has not happened anymore. The back firing has also stopped since I stopped popping the clutch. What I do now is push the clutch in or take it out of gear. Sometimes it starts after 2 to 3 seconds. Other times I have to cycle the key. The truck runs smooth before and after it shuts down. It almost feels like it is running out of gas at times. I have also changed the fuel filter and gone thru the grounds a second time just to be sure. That is when I discovered that about 3 to 4 wires connect to the ground wire going behind the taillight. Things I plan on doing this weekend is to solder the crimp at the taillight and the c101 connection. Hopefully, I will also be able to drop the tank and check the wire connection that you were talking about. I was actually thinking of replacing the ignition switch if nothing else worked, because I also discovered that I can take the key out of the ignition and the truck will continue to run. As for the coil, can I test it before I change it? I need to buy a soldering iron. What wattage do you recommend? Should it be an iron or a gun? I want to thank all of you for your inputs so far as I would not even know where to begin without them. Thanks!

Actually it has not backfired for awhile now; and the more I think about it, I may have been causing the backfiring because I was putting in a lower gear. It was shutting off at the worst possible time (in the middle of rush hour). So in a panic to get it started or out of the way of traffic, I would put it in a lower gear. Since then, I just take it out of gear and coast to the side of the road. It hasn't backfired since.

Hello again, Well my truck still keeps shutting off. I have been noticing that it tends to shut off during acceleration. If I'm at a light and I take off, I get about 10 feet then it shuts off. Sometimes I can just put it in neutral and it will come back on after a moment or two. Other times I have to cycle the key. It happens in 3rd or 4th as well. I went thru all the grounds again thinking that I missed something. While at the back light ground I decided to pull back the plastic covering and I discovered a common connection for the ground, about 5 inches back, crimped together. It looks like a factory crimp to me and does not look corroded. I tried to post a picture of the connection but it won't take. I think this weekend I am going to buy a soldering iron and solder that connection or should I leave it alone? I also want to drop the tank and check the connection like cruiser said. Can I get any suggestion as to what else to test, sensors and how to check them, other hidden grounds. Getting tired of getting flipped off because they think I'm brake checking them.

Do you think it might be the fuel pump going bad? This past weekend I changed the fuel filter as it has been awhile since I changed it. I also wanted to change the rubber hose that goes from the engine to the metal tubing. But the end that connects to the metal tube down below is crimped to the tube. The NAPA rep said that he didn't carry it but might be able to order it if I had a part number. Does anybody have it?

Well it shut off again on me today. It started fine this morning, went to work about seven miles. About an hour and a half later I had to make a trip about a mile or so. Then it shut off. I got it going again. Then at the next signal it turned off again. Got it going again and was fine the rest of the trip. No problems on the way home. 88whitemanche the white smoke has not occurred again since that one time. I don't hear any popping when I start it other than that one time with the smoke. I'll check the plug wires but the truck runs smooth most of the time so I don't think it's the wires. Cruiser I think that I should be able to do that step and is something that I want to do but do you think that is my problem. This is my only ride and I need to be able to accomplish this in 1 day, so I can have access to another vehicle incase I need it.

Hello everyone, Well I finally got the wife home from the rehab center but then had to keep attending to her as a result of the operation from the cancer. Anyway I finally finished all of cruiser's updates 2 thru 5. Boy what a time I had with the C101 connector. When I did the Ohm test on the TPS, it gave me a reading of 3 Ohms. I don't know if that is considered low or not. But when I wiggled the wires as instructed it never waivered. While there I checked for adjustment. It was off so I adjusted it back to 17 percent. Cruiser in further reading step # 8 is says if I have a resistance of more than 1 Ohm I'll need to do some sensor modifications. As mentioned above I got a reading of 3 Ohms when I went from terminal B to the negative battery post. Can you tell me what sensor modifications I need to do to get it down to 1 Ohm or 3 OK? Another odd thing it started doing before I finished the all the steps was that when I would start it in the morning it either would not start on the first try or it would shut off and I would get white smoke coming out of the air box. But that seems to have gone away. Anyway I'll drive it this week and see what happens. Thanks again everyone for the help so far.

Yes. That was the first ground that I cleaned up. Any other thoughts? I still need to do the big connection but I don't dare do it in the parking lot of the rehab center. The wife goes home Saturday, so I'll do it then. Thanks for your input everyone. Much appreciated!

Hello gentlemen Sorry that I have not gotten back with you on this issue but I got some rather bad news and everything stopped for me. My wife's cancer came back. So I parked the truck used and started using my son's car. So I finally took the truck to the rehab center with me, so I could start on some of cruiser's upgrades. It ran fine for about 2 days, then it stared to act like it was starving for fuel. After awhile it ran fine. I did most of grounds yesterday, saving the big one when I'm at home. Today got it to start but again very rough. Then it shut off and smoke came out of the breather box. Got it going again and it ran smooth all the way to work. Also before I parked it, it backfired so bad that it split the muffler open. Not much just enough to make it rumble.