CA20E just dies

Hey guys

Project Tadpole is having some serious issues.

It's an 85 ca20e solid axle car.

The car needs new pretty much everything, so it's no surprise.

But anyway, here's the deal:

Car was running ok ... idling ok, has the 4,000 RPM wall (coils will be swapped out in due time), WOT bog, but other than that, starts on the first crank, and idles very happy.

Car ran fine for 400+ km this weekend. Had the car washed and the motor power washed.

After washing it, it wouldn't start. Wiggled the battery terminal wires, and it came back to life. Drove around all day Sunday after and was fine. Sunday night, went to start, and it fired right up and died.

Kept doing it. Would fire up with a roar, and promptly die, pretty much as soon as you take your foot off the gas.

I know the car is in a sad state to be trouble shooting, but was just hoping someone had a direction to point us.

I know the "start, then die" is indicative of something, but for the life of me I can't remember what,

thanks

Maybe the TPS? My car did kinda the same thing, but I could usually keep it running by very very carefully easing on the throttle. Make sure you didn't get any water in the distributor too... Just throwing a few ideas out, but I'm a machinist, not a mechanic... :laugh: Sorry I can't be of more help...

sounds like water in the distributor to me had this problem with mine once after i degreased the engine and proved to be the problem.

distributor is my first guess too. but it could be any electrical connection. man, NEVER pressure wash your engine.

Yah He got it running yesterday afternoon...it was an electrical connection that had come loose/off...8)

Shoot, I've pressure washed lots of motors, but yeah, on these fuel injected cars there's just a lot of connections, sensors, and places that things can go wrong...

Shoot, I've pressure washed lots of motors, but yeah, on these fuel injected cars there's just a lot of connections, sensors, and places that things can go wrong...
My Celica has more vacuum lines and so on than my 200...Stupid California emissions...:(

Yeah, turned out to be a few dozen bad leads and a leaking primary coil *lol*

I've pressure washed a hundred motors. It's by far the best way to test your electrical system on a new car. But yeah, carby motors do respond a lot better.

Every car that comes into the fold goes straight to the gas station.

Drive it through the car wash and look for leaks. Fill it up to the top, look for leaks, then pressure wash the motor.

Usually means push the leaky car with the leaky gas tank into the sun to dry ... and this one is no exception ;)