Car is an 84 w/ a carbed 350 and 5 speed. I was driving the car for a while and the "check engine" light comes on, but if i shut it off for a10-15 minutes the light goes away then comes back on after driving for a bit. Then i came to start it to go for my e-test and it wouldn't start at all. I let it sit for 10 minutes then it started. Would overheating cause the CEL and thenon-start?

The battery is low but not the problem just to rule that out,

Thanks

 

The light will shut off and come back on after the ignition is turned off. It will go off and on while driving. Check and see what the code is. What ever is bad may be why its not starting.

 

The no start only happened once in about 10-12 starts, i've never owned a carbed car before so this is all kind of new to me. I will be taking the car into a shop to try and pass my e-test, it failed the idle HC test (almost twice the limit) so i'll have them check it out. I need to pump the gas once or twice when i start it, unless it's still hot but if i remember correctly that's normal for a carbed car (correct me if i'm wrong)

 

it MAY be a problem with your starter overheating. Does it do anything when you turn the key? or just, sit there? The only reason i say it is because you wait 10 or 15 min then it starts, thats about all the longer it would take for the starter to cool down to a point where it will work again.

 

When it didn't start, the engine was turning over and kinda sputtering like it wanted to start (while i was pumping the gas) but it just wouldn't. Then i lifted the hood, tried to get a boost, looked over some connections, let it sit a bit and it started.

 

Bad post. disregard.

 

its not uncommon for a starter to be too hot to work properly. My buddy has an 84 z28 and he had the same problem. All the did was he made his own heatshield and put it in between the exhaust and the starter and he hasnt had that problem since.

 

you could have another issue but if a carbed engine overheats enough it can cause it not to start, i cant think of the term off the top of my head, but if you get either your fuel hot enough or enough hot air in your fuel line itll temporarly cut off your fuel supply, if your pump to carb line runs close enough to the block(if seen them run between the block and water pump for instance) they can heat up pretty easily, but its not something that will happen just from running the engine(unless u got it running in between the exhaust manifold) its usually only something that happens from actual overheating. but i agree i would look at the starter first.

as far as the check engine light, it could be related it might not be, im not sure i would even trust it anymore with a engine swap unless u know it was done correctly.

 

As stated above, excessive heat can mess with the starter, and cause vapor lock. Ahot engine that is shut off can make enough heath to vaporize gasoline in the fuel lines, and carburetor bowl, which makes for real bad starting, especially if using amechanical pumpwhich sucks gasoline from the tank at the end of a long fuel line, instead of an electrical pump which pushes the gas from inside the tank. Gasoline pumps are not very good at pumping vapor.

 

Still never addressed the Check Engine light. Whats code should he look forward to if its vapor lock?