<div dir="auto">Not exactly the problem you're having, but maybe something similar. Decades ago when I worked for a Volkswagen dealer, we had a newish car that exhibited a similar electrical problem. The guy would go out to his car, try to crank it up to go to work, and it wouldn't start. He had it towed in three times and all three times they dropped it off the wrecker, it cranked up and drove perfectly. Finally, the fourth time he had the problem, my boss told me to get some tools and drive to the guy's house. I spent about 30 minutes tracing the problem, and finally found it. Underneath the carpet in the trunk of the car there was a wire connection for the fuel pump. A single wire plugged into another single wire inside of plastic connector. That connector was taped to the floor the back of the car. I traced the electrical problem to that point - power ahead of it and not after it. When I peeled the tape back, I found that the wires were plugged in far enough to touch, but not far enough to be permanently connected. <div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">I just pushed the wires together, and everything was fine. No more trouble. Apparently, the wires would retract from one another when it got a little cool, and break the connection to the fuel pump. Putting it on the wrecker and bouncing it to the shop was enough to remake the connection.</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Tue, May 19, 2026, 13:23 john niolon <<a href="mailto:jniolon@att.net">jniolon@att.net</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">Strange automotive electrical problem we need help with…</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">55 chevy automatic with 383 stroker motor, carbed, p/s,p/b,a/c</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">Dakota digital dash system including neutral safety switch and</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">Transmission gear indicator</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><u></u><font face="Calibri"> </font><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">When it is running right, it’s scary strong.<span> </span>Cruises nicely.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><u></u><font face="Calibri"> </font><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">Problem… when driving the engine dies like you cut it off…BUT will start back up</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">Immediately and run perfectly till the next time it does it.<span> </span>Might be 15 minutes…15 days or</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">three month later. Might do it 4 times in a row or once and not repeat.<span> </span>Speed does not effect it. </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">Engine temp does not effect it…<span> </span>does it hot or cold. With the a/c on or off.<span> </span>It does not have a</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">Cutoff switch in the system.<span> </span>Longest period with no failure is 7 months… shortest was 4 minutes.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><u></u><font face="Calibri"> </font><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">When it stalls we checked fuel by looking in the bowl of carb and gas is spraying as it should</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">So we are assuming electrical of some sort.<span> </span>So far we’ve done the following…</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><u></u><font face="Calibri"> </font><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">Replaced battery with new red top optima battery and all new battery cables (2 gauge I think)</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">Replaced all ground cables frame/block… frame/chassis with 2/0 welding cable with new crimped</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">connectors and clean, bare metal attachment points</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">replaced ignition switch (twice… first with import then with oem switch)</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">replaced coil and distributor with MSD system with spark control box, separate coil and distributor…</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">it was taken from running vehicle. It's doing the same thing as the original ignition system.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">Replaced complete wiring harness…headlight to taillight with new Autowire harness…including all</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">Switches and relays. Professionally done.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">Everything else electrical works without a glitch…<span> </span>we are at the wall here…</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><u></u><font face="Calibri"> </font><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">Ideas, suggestions, calculated wild a** guesses welcomed… </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">thanks</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri"></font> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Calibri">john</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN:0in 0in 0pt"><u></u><font face="Calibri"> </font><u></u></p></div></div>_______________________________________________<br>
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