another ignition question

typhoon-crazy

New member
replaced my cap and rotor today and when i jump on it i still get my tach jumping all over the place and then eventually its shifts. but it isnt a smooth rpm increase like its supposed to be. besides my coil or sparkplug wires what else could my problem be?
 

smeagol

Active member
plugs

i'll wager that it's wires though

bad wire
cracked wire
burnt wire
bad connection at cap/rotor or plug

if you have a wire close to a manifold or downpipe, it's toast, and you'll have to throw it out

if you have a boot clost to or touching a manifold it's junk too
 

typhoon-crazy

New member
the plugs are new, and i thought the wires were good wires. i saw someone on here had the same problem and when they replaced there fuel filter it fixed its. does that sound right to anyone?
 

Sy769

Donating Member
typhoon-crazy said:
the plugs are new, and i thought the wires were good wires. i saw someone on here had the same problem and when they replaced there fuel filter it fixed its. does that sound right to anyone?

IS the RPM jumping all over the place following the tach??

IF it is just the tach needle bouncing around randomly then check what Brian said. Fuel filter won't affect the "tach flutter". I had a new set of Taylors that had one bad wire. Ohmeter check revealed no continuity through that wire.
 

smeagol

Active member
typhoon-crazy said:
it also kinda feels like the ultimate chip is making my ignition do that to control boost.... but then again i dont know :-?

Chip won't give you tach flutter, but problems will. Do you have the chip installed correctly?

Do the stock chip with 2 bar, see if it goes away if you at all suspect the chip.

it is really easy to burn a wire, or have a poor connection, or have the rotor not pushed down far enough, or crack a plug, or run too large a gap...

many ignition issues can be present very easily.
 

GM TURBO

Sell Out
Kinda sounds like "Doctor, it hurts when I do this."

Doc says "Don't do that."

I'll wager a guess that the factory wire holders weren't used and you have the plug wire, nearest the downpipe, arching to it.
 

TurboManiacal

Donating Member
Replace them...if it doesn't solve the problem...keep the old wires as possible "Good" and when your truck does run right you have a backup set to test.
 

InvisiBill

Active member
What everyone else said. A jumpy tach is usually a sign of ignition problems. The reason you're not getting much in the way of other solutions is that we've already been there and seen it a bunch of times. Unless you just replaced all the "consumable" ignition parts within the last week, that's probably where your problem is. Many times bad parts "look" ok. These trucks are really picky about ignition. If anything looks less than perfect, you should probably change it.

I generally replace spark more often than the other parts, due to being right there in the combustion chamber, which I figure is a bit hard on them. But if I'm having problems, I replace the cap & rotor, wires, and plugs all at once. You'll usually end up changing all of them anyway while you're trying to track the problem down, so it just saves time to do it all at once. If you still have problems, it is possible to get defective parts. I'd try another set just to make sure, before deciding the problem is your uber-expensive flux capacitor or something. Also, make sure everything is done right. Those caps have been known to go on crooked and other little stuff like that.

Get a scantool if you don't have one. That's the only way to know for sure what the chip is telling your truck to do... I don't think it'll kill RPMs like that, but if you have some other problem, the ECM can make the engine run funny in an attempt to avoid damage.

My S-10's fuel filter got so clogged it wouldn't run. It'll act the same as if you're running out of gas. In effect, the same thing is happening; the engine just isn't getting fuel. It'll spit and sputter, espcially under lots of throttle (when it wants more gas but can't get it). It probably isn't your fuel filter, but you should probably change it just to be sure. It's a relatively painless procedure, unless you've just gouged your hands up changing ignition stuff (gasoline + open wounds = OUCH!).
 

typhoon-crazy

New member
cool im going to change my plug wires and fuel filter then at the same time i put on the atr heat exchanger.(i figure ill have a good part of the truck apart anyways. how hard is the fuel filter to get to??
 

InvisiBill

Active member
It's inside the frame rail (shaped like a U on its side, with the opening toward the center of the truck) on the driver side, about where the cab and bed meet. Just get down there on your back and you should see it. My biggest problem was the limited room for getting the two wrenches on...
 
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