Engine keeps shuting down

[Possum]

Hello, hello. This question is in regard to my uncles 1985 Grand national. I will try to include any info that I have. From what I was told the engine runs well until it doesn't. He said that you will be driving down the road and the engine will just shut off. Sometimes it starts right back up, other times it it will take 20 minutes or more for the engine to restart. Then, sometimes it will go a week or more without an issue. These problems started back in 1999 and the car has been sitting since 2000. Now my cousin and I are restoring it for him and trying to get it running good.

When my cousin tried starting it today(first time since 2000) it fired up, ran for a few seconds, died and know it won't fire at all. The power wire going to the fuel pump is only getting 6.7V with the key on and a new battery that has 12.7V at the posts. Before trying to start the engine it got a couple of spoonfuls of oil in each cylinder, new spark plugs, new battery and new gas.

So my question is, what's up with that?

 

[whitehot1]

Has the car been sitting outside all these years exposed to the elements or garaged?

There are some good information and a good troubleshooting tree in this link below.

www.vortexbuicks-etc.com

I could guess at what the problem is but thats all it would be without actually being there to hear,see the car.

Good luck and ask more questions if you get stuck on something.

 

[SHADOWII]

vortexbuicks is the best advice. It sounds like the ign, module which seems to be a problem to locate these days. Might consider the TR-6 as a replacement if it's w/in your budget and the module proves to be bad.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

An obvious issue that needs attention, first: 6.7V @ the fuel pump.

 

[Possum]

I helped them with some diagnosis today(thanks for the information) and it was bleak. After some troubleshooting with the fuse panel and fuel pump relay, we decided to drop the fuel tank and check the pump directly. Turns out that the relay and pump were both shot and when I cleaned the tank off I found 3 smallish holes that were real leakers once I cleaned the gunk off of them. As to be expected with a car that has been sitting in a field for 15 years, there are more things wrong then right.