1989 Sunbird that will just die while driving

[HeyTomToyota]

My Girlfriend's son has an 89 Sunbird 2.0L EFI. It starts and runs fine, but without any warning it will just "die". I am guessing it is fuel, because when it "dies" you can crank and crank and it won't start. If you wait about a half hour, it will crank right up and run fine.

During the times it won't start, if you turn the key on, but not to start, you will hear, what I think, is the fuel pump run for about 4 seconds and stop. Does this sound like a fuel pump that is overheating?

I am not familar with GM's. Is the fuel pump electric? Where is it located? Sorry to sound dumb.

[GTP Dad]

The fuel pump is electric and this does sound like an overheating fuel pump. The car is an 89 and if you haven't changed the pump recently I would change the pump and the filter.

[HeyTomToyota]

Problem solved... after talking to many folks, even the guy at the parts store, they all told me this year sunbird and caviler had this symptom of stalling and then would start back up after about a 15 to 30 minute cool down. They all recommended the electronic module inside the distributor was getting hot and stopping spark. The parts store even told me how to diagnosis before installing the part. They were right. When the car would not start, you could confirm that spark was coming from the coil to the distributor, but none of the spark plugs had spark, so the failure was at the distributor. After replacing the electronic module for $35.00, the car will now run hours without stalling.

[GTP Dad]

Thanks for posting that information, I am sure it will be helpful to a lot of folks. Obviously the parts store had delt with this problem before since they were so familiar with how to repair it.

[HeyTomToyota]

No problem... Hope it will help someone else with a Sunbird or Cavalier (spelled it right this time). Now on to solve the speedometer error problem so he will know how fast he is really going. (started a new thread on that one!)

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