Car will not stay running?

GimmeTheSpeed

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Hey guys, got into the car... turned the ignition and it fired right up, but than instantly died out.... tried again, it started ok... but then instantly died out... it will start, and will only stay running as long as I'm giving it plenty of gas.... as soon as I let off it goes capooooot! half tank of gas in there right now, also brand new battery and alternator about 2 months back. Any ideas? Fuel pump? thanks a bunch
 

JonB

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An Alarm Fault is the likley culprit when it "runs out of gas" after startup. The alarm activation actually cuts out the fuel. But the statement that 'lots of gas' keeps it running makes me think otherwise.

Did you try arming / disarming the alarm? the 96 has no alarm reset switch like later years....Is the new battery charged up ? Some charging problem caused the alternator/battery swap, right.

You have NO EMAIL ADDRESS posted, so I cannot dialoge w/ you....
 

Janni

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Ground wire mucking with TPS or idle air intake thingie. (Sorry - Tom does this stuff for me....)

My 1996 wouldn't stay running, had to keep throttle HIGH - even at stoplights. No check engine light. It was a ground wire. Not uncommon on non-metal bodied cars to have to add a ground periodically. Added one wire - car ran flawlessly - instantly.

Check grounds on those 2 things.
 

SYNFULL

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Also check your fuel pump relay. (I don't really know how to check it- I just bought a new one for $20). Mine was bad and a similar thing was happening to me.
Gary
 

bwhitmore

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Hey bud,

Sounds like the alarm control module to me. This exact same thing happened to me at Reno last summer. I would fire the car up, and then it would quit immediately. It did this about three times and then nothing after that. It would just crank but it wouldn't fire. It turned out to be the alarm control module, like what Jon B mentioned. The module is just a small plug-in box beneath the steering wheel but it controls a lot of stuff, like the alarm, the door locks, and most importantly, the fuel pump. One tell tale sign is when you stick the key in and turn it to the "on" position do you hear the fuel pump buzzing in the back of the car? If you don't you aren't getting any fuel to the motor and soon you won't even be able to fire the car up.

Did you try to jump start your car in the last three months or so, before putting in a new battery? I did, and I have a feeling I burnt up the module doing it, trying to jump start a Viper can do a lot of damage, but it wasn't until about three months later did the module actually completely go out on me and it stranded me at Hot August Nights.

The module is actually not a hard fix, it is about $200 and it just bungies up under the steering wheel compartment. But if it isn't this it could be your fuel pump going out, which means they have to drop your fuel tank...
 
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GimmeTheSpeed

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LITERALLY have a flat bed scheduled to come by and pick the Viper up and bring it to the shop to replace the "thought to be" fuel pump. My money was on it, and everyone that I talked to said FP. But MoparMan hit it... I disconnected the 3 packs on the PCM, and then let it sit for a good 30min... put it together and cranked it... I was absolutely expecting it to just chug and not fire up.... but boy oh boy! it woke up like a sleeping beast! scared me a bit actually. lol... rip'd on, and it idled like a monster... now it's 1:30am, so the cam, headers, exhaust no cats isn't music to my neighbors ears right now... so I will have to confirm it's officially ok in the morning... but the reset PCM seems to have tentatively done the trick. Thanks guys.
 

MoparMan

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Glad you got her fired back up. If you want, you can just pull the positive battery cable instead of messing with the 3 connectors to the PCM. I've had to do this with my car twice now. Our Viper tech feels that I have a faulty alarm module(?) and wants to replace it next time the car is in.
 
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