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I searched the forums but didn't happen across anyone that seemed to be having quite the same problem as I'm having. I have a '91 GL with a swap from a '91 XR2 that had about 133K at the time. I did the swap myself a year ago and up until the past month or two it has run great. However, about a month ago I came out of a store and when I tried to start my car it would only crank over. I tried three times and let it sit for a minute or two and tried again, at which point it started right up as normal. That was the first time it had ever done that so I didn't think much of it. It was probably a few weeks later that it did it again. Just as before, I let it sit for a few minutes and it started up again.
The next time however, I was in the grocery store parking lot for half an hour trying to get it to start, which it didn't. I left the car overnight and the next morning came out and it still would do nothing but crank over. I could hear my fuel pump relay clicking and the pump itself running. I pulled the #1 spark plug (which didn't look flooded) and since I was by myself, I grounded it on the intake tube where I could see it from inside while I cranked the engine, to see if it was getting spark. When I did that the car fired right up as normal...on three cylinders. I shut it off, replaced the plug and wire, started it up and it ran fine. It did this exact thing another time not too long afterwards. Last week I was in a parking lot and it happened again. I was probably out there for 10 minutes combing over my engine bay. I checked to see if my wire connections were all snug and I pulled the coil wire, made sure it was clean and dry, expanded the tangs on it and installed it securely back into place and it started up. I proceeded to drive a few minutes down the road, shut it off for about 5 minutes, came out and it wouldn't start. I tried the exact same thing that I had done only 15 minutes earlier and it didn't work but after waiting 5-10 minutes, I cranked it and it started.
After the most recent occurrence (which fortunately transpired in the driveway), I checked to see if I was getting fuel to the rail, which it was. Then, I had someone crank it over and discovered it wasn't getting spark. I grounded the coil wire and the coil wasn't firing. Up until this point I had replaced all 4 plugs and gapped them. I also replaced the cap and rotor. After discovering that the coil wasn't firing, I bought a used one from the junkyard, along with a knock box from a low mileage XR2. When I installed the coil it still didn't start. When I installed the knock box the car started, though not instantly. I shut it off and restarted it several times and it seemed fine. Just to test it though, I reinstalled the old parts and sure enough it started fine.
I hope I've described this in enough detail. One thing I'll mention is that even though it randomly won't start, it has never cut off on me while idling or driving. As of this morning, I've been driving it a little for the past 2 days and so far it has been fine.
The next time however, I was in the grocery store parking lot for half an hour trying to get it to start, which it didn't. I left the car overnight and the next morning came out and it still would do nothing but crank over. I could hear my fuel pump relay clicking and the pump itself running. I pulled the #1 spark plug (which didn't look flooded) and since I was by myself, I grounded it on the intake tube where I could see it from inside while I cranked the engine, to see if it was getting spark. When I did that the car fired right up as normal...on three cylinders. I shut it off, replaced the plug and wire, started it up and it ran fine. It did this exact thing another time not too long afterwards. Last week I was in a parking lot and it happened again. I was probably out there for 10 minutes combing over my engine bay. I checked to see if my wire connections were all snug and I pulled the coil wire, made sure it was clean and dry, expanded the tangs on it and installed it securely back into place and it started up. I proceeded to drive a few minutes down the road, shut it off for about 5 minutes, came out and it wouldn't start. I tried the exact same thing that I had done only 15 minutes earlier and it didn't work but after waiting 5-10 minutes, I cranked it and it started.
After the most recent occurrence (which fortunately transpired in the driveway), I checked to see if I was getting fuel to the rail, which it was. Then, I had someone crank it over and discovered it wasn't getting spark. I grounded the coil wire and the coil wasn't firing. Up until this point I had replaced all 4 plugs and gapped them. I also replaced the cap and rotor. After discovering that the coil wasn't firing, I bought a used one from the junkyard, along with a knock box from a low mileage XR2. When I installed the coil it still didn't start. When I installed the knock box the car started, though not instantly. I shut it off and restarted it several times and it seemed fine. Just to test it though, I reinstalled the old parts and sure enough it started fine.
I hope I've described this in enough detail. One thing I'll mention is that even though it randomly won't start, it has never cut off on me while idling or driving. As of this morning, I've been driving it a little for the past 2 days and so far it has been fine.
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