Checking an ignition module...

I recently purchased an 01' Grand Am SE 2.4L with 102k Miles on it.

About a week after the purchase... driving along I experienced an engine shut down. No electrical problems, the engine simply died. It's died a few times on me coasting into stop lights and will not crank for 15minutes or so once i drive it somewhere and park it for a few hours. My first thoughts were fuel pressure / filter / pump, and Im still not sure if its not the pump, but I spoke with a GM cert. mechanic today and he speculated that it was the ignition module.

To test this, he recommended carrying a few gallons of water around with me and, when the car doesn't want to crank, to pour it over the coil/plug/module cover on the engine. I am wandering, is there any more of a sure-fire way to test the ignition module without straight up replacing it.

I know similar problems have been posted before, and i've read most of those posts... I appologize if I missed the answer to my own question.

-- Jason

i think the ignition module/coils are under the top engine cover. I'm sure it can be tested with a voltage/ohms meter, but I'm not sure on the specs. Check back I'm sure someone knows exactly how.

Aye, the coils, ignition module, and plugs are located under the top engine cover. Everything is pretty easy to get to involving the module... just 4 bolts, then 7 smaller bolts to get it off... so thats not a huge deal. I just need some way to test it and make sure thats my problem.

I have a few questions that your mechanic did not answer. First, did the security light come on just before the car died? Second, this sounds more like a crank position problem than an ignition module problem, did he mention anything about that? Third, does the car run ok when it is running or do you have a miss or a hesitation problem? Finally, are you getting any kind of check engine light?

There are no engine lights and the car runs perfectly when its running. The mech. didn't mention anything about the crank position.