When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I was out poking around under the hood and ran across some melted connectors on this unit mounted on the firewall, but I don't know what it is. Obviously melted is bad, but what is it, and could it cause the truck to cut out?
...
On the electronic side, another known problem is the dist. pick up...... Mine has gone bad twice.
Edit to add, there is no ignition control module..... Just the computer on the passenger fender.
Somebody else mentioned the distributor pickup to me. Is that the same as the rotor, or is it something else? I replaced the rotor, cap, wires, and plugs a couple of years ago (which doesn't mean something hasn't failed already, but...).
[QUOTE=jml74;3488605]Somebody else mentioned the distributor pickup to me. Is that the same as the rotor, or is it something else? I replaced the rotor, cap, wires, and plugs a couple of years ago (which doesn't mean something hasn't failed already, but...).[/QUOTE]
Update: I replaced the ignition coil, distributor pickup coil, and PCM (probably not terribly likely that it was bad, but for $100 I figured it was worth it) and the difference is noticeable. It will actually push me back in the seat coming off of the line now; I wasn't expecting it and nearly cracked my head on the back window. I haven't driven it enough yet to be fully comfortable that I squashed whatever was causing it to die, but it's running so much better now that I'm much more confident in it.
Update: I replaced the ignition coil, distributor pickup coil, and PCM (probably not terribly likely that it was bad, but for $100 I figured it was worth it) and the difference is noticeable. It will actually push me back in the seat coming off of the line now; I wasn't expecting it and nearly cracked my head on the back window. I haven't driven it enough yet to be fully comfortable that I squashed whatever was causing it to die, but it's running so much better now that I'm much more confident in it.
What your problem was, was most likely a heat soak issue. Coils fail very rarely. I think I've replaced two over the last 50+ years that actually failed. I've replaced them with hotter ones, but rarely a failed one. The pickup coil is the most likely culprit from heat soak as it's inside the distributor and doesn't get air flow over it. Heat soak is when you have a microscopic crack in an electrical component and when it warms up, the crack expands and opens the circuit.
Let the truck idle for a while. If your a/c is working, run that too. Let the truck sit and get good and hot under the hood. Obviously, leave the hood closed. With it not moving, you'll have little air flow and if it's going to fail, this will cause it. I'm thinking you've hit the nail on the head, with a 20 pound sledge. Glad you missed your thumb.
I'm thinking you've hit the nail on the head, with a 20 pound sledge. Glad you missed your thumb.
The first time it cut out was kind of a funny story when it was all said and done. The second time it cut out it was a real PITA and I'm lucky the truck didn't get obliterated when I couldn't quite make it all the way off of the road, so anything that could reasonably contribute to the issue was getting replaced (plus the ignition coil was only like $15). The heat soak test is a good suggestion, though. Hopefully I don't end up finding out that it's actually a wiring issue...
I haven't driven it enough yet to be fully comfortable that I squashed whatever was causing it to die, but it's running so much better now that I'm much more confident in it.
