92 escort gt,1.8,randomly dies

[jetta4j]

hello,my escort will just die sometimes,very randomly...any ideas?sorry so vague,not much else to say.replaced coil,didnt fix...any help would be great...thnx

[chrisanthony]

yea my 96 lx, sometimes dies for no appearent reason and the mechanics cant tell why. It usually dies on the stop lights, then have to start it up again, then i can drive off. I've replaced the pcv valve and the elbow on top the manifold. It might be due to some kind of vacuum leak. Hopefully the other forum members can provide more.

[mightymoose_22]

You will need to provide more info about when and how it happens. Does it just die? Does it shudder, sputter, or make any effort to keep running?

My first guess is a vacuum leak.. Use a vacuum gauge to test the system and see if you can isolate a leak.

That said, if it is dying at high rpm as you are cruising down the highway, it probably isn't vacuum.... but I really doubt that is how it is happening.

We need more info.

[lougheed]

My 91 GT did the same thing at stops and just ran bad, I replaced the spark plug wires and it worked fine. 75K miles later same thing, I stopped at the traffic light, car died. Started, drove home, and found the same thing the wire insulation on the section going through the valve cover was craked and the spark was arcing to the valve cover. You can hear it if you listen.

[zzyzzx2]

I am also guessing a vacuum leak. Get a MityVac and check everything.