I have been down this road before on two different vans. Ran the hall
sensor test on both - and on one van a bad coil was identified. On the
other it was the hall sensor itself. The symptoms today are identical. I
just didn't have the tool box with me to do the test. Not that it
mattered. I didn't have a spare coil or hall sender with me! LOL! I'll
check it tomorrow after the weather clears.

John

On 6/3/2014 6:03 PM, mark drillock wrote:
> I just had a kind of similar problem on an 87, but mine would sometimes
> just die as I was driving. It started with just a brief sensation of
> loss of power, almost like I imagined it. Maybe just once every time I
> was out driving for a while. Then one day the brief loss became a
> noticeable jerk with a drop in the tach reading. Finally, I was in a
> quiet neighborhood, came to a stop sign, and it just died. Crank,
> crank... nothing. Fuel pump running each time key was turned on. I was
> very near my brothers house and I called him to come help me push it
> over to the curb. I opened the lid and looked things over, didn't see
> anything. I had him crank it while I pulled the center lead from the
> dizzy cap to check for spark. Good strong sparks. He said, "put your
> spare ECU in and stop messing around". I did so and it started right up.
> Great I thought, glad that's fixed. Nope. Next day I am headed for a
> doctor's appointment, about 3 blocks from home it just dies as I am
> driving, again no tach, even in gear and rolling with the key still on
> engine turning. My wife comes to get me and I grab a different van and
> race off. Back from the doc I go to the van. Crank, crank, no start. I
> plug in another spare ECU. No go. I hook up my wiring bypass tool even
> though I don't expect it to help, since the fuel pump cycles with each
> key on like it should. Nope, doesn't help. As I am unplugging the bypass
> tool I spot a bare spot on one of the 3 hall wires, right at the level
> where it rubs against the metal cap shield that many wbx dizzy have. I
> push the wires away from metal rim. Try the key, fires right up! Great I
> thought, glad that's fixed. I get it home and fix the damaged wire
> properly. Seems ok but I feel a slight jerk sometimes that I hope I am
> imagining. I get a spare dizzy ready and stash it in the back. A week
> later, another trip to the doc. On the freeway almost there it cuts out
> same way as before. I coast over to the side and it jumps back to life.
> I press on to an exit. It dies at the light. Starts again, I pull into a
> lot, and open her up. Time for the spare dizzy. It's ready to go, with
> timing clamp already on it, swap takes about 3 minutes and no need to
> check timing since the clamp sets the timing. Fires right up and on my
> way. That was a week ago. I have been driving it a lot and no issues
> since the dizzy swap.
> Glad that's fixed.....
>
> Mark
>
>
> JRodgers wrote:
>> Yargh! Here we go again - me and my vans.
>>
>> Ok. The situation. Very hot day. Parked in the Wally world parking lot
>> and went inside. Came back out, key in the ignition, ignition on - check
>> idiot lights,  listen for fuel pump to pressurize the fuel system, key
>> to start position.........
>>
>> Grind, Grind, Grind......Nothing!
>>
>> Key off. Wait a few -- then re-cycle.......Grind, Grind, Grind.
>>
>> Tried a third time - same-o, same-o! Grind, Grind, Grind.
>>
>> Key, off - then back to "On". Race to the rear, pop the hatch, open
>> engine bay, crack the bolt on the fuel "T" on to p of the engine. Lot's
>> of fuel. Tightened the bolt. Turned off ignition, Closed it all up,
>> looked for loose wires. Nada!
>>
>> Being by myself, I could not very well turn the engine to check for
>> spark at plugs nor coil.
>>
>> Let it sit for an hour while I went and had a Subway Sandwich for lunch.
>> Then back at it.
>>
>> Key in, turn on, lights and pump, key to ignition ---------
>>
>> Fired right up. Drove home.
>>
>> Question: how the devil do you hunt for something as intermittent as
>> that.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> John
>>
>