this car always ran fine and only has 13k miles, but recently when i start it, it runs normal for 2 seconds and shuts off, and wont start again without resting for a while, it cant be the oil pressure switch, i have oil pressure, and it still wont start with oil pressure switch disconnected. i can see fuel dribbling from injectors. i have replaced the fuel pump, fuel relay, and fuel filter. this seems like a common issue in my searches on this but most threads end with no solution.

all fuses are good and there are no ecm codes, but i heard it could be a bad ecm fuse box in the battery compartment, or an ICM? 

Well, If you have spark consistently, and air intake, then it can only be a fuel issue. Those three things are needed for internal combustion. Is the crossfire still in it?

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Do you have fuel pressure after it shuts down? I would check to make sure the fuel pump relay and the oil pressure sensor switch are both functioning properly. Both of those can shut down the fuel pump.

1973 L-82 4 spd

I checked my 82 shop manual.  Your problem could have many causes but without any diagnostic code it will take some trial/error.  It could be Fuel Pressure Regulator or Fuel Pressure Compensator.  You mention there are no ECM codes, not sure how you determined that but here are a few pages from the manual to diagnose the problem.  hope this helps to track down the problem:

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thanks so much for those diagrams, those are good to have and i will definitely post the solution when i figure it out

i was going to record what the injectors are doing when i try to start it and it actually started. it hasnt run in like two years. i drove it around and it ran fine but next day wont start again. i would think this means its not the fuel delivery or spark or vacuum, but something electronic. the fuel pump relay doesnt always click when i turn key on, only sometimes and i can hear the pump priming

i have oil pressure and i check for codes with the obd thing and it does the blinking for 12 which means no codes, so i assume ecm is good? maybe just corrosion on a connection somewhere?

heres something that stands out to me. there is a loose connector and a white wire that looks like it goes to a resistor or something like someone tryed to bypass something. unless this is factory?

White wire by the distributor is the Tach Filter. If you follow that wire down a little, you should see what looks like a small, round capacitor. It helps keep the tach needle steady. It should not cause a running issue such as you are describing, but have you considered an ignition issue causing the problem? Failing ignition module and/or coil could.

btw...you mention the oil pressure. You should have 2 separate oil pressure sensors. One simply for gauge reading, and the other for the ECM to operate the fuel pump. No oil pressure will kill the fuel pump, the idea is to keep from damaging the engine if oil pressure drops. Just a thought...

Joel Adams
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ok so that white wire is normal, thats good to hear. im looking into the efi conversion but i heard theres a way to bypass the relay with a wire or manual switch but cant find which of the 5 prongs to connect to each other to do this. i want to be sure before i try this so i dont blow up anything 

i will have to check what comes after the three 12 codes

I have the same unused brown female plug on my 82CE.  The white filtering wire joins up at the distributer connector with the white wire from this unused connector.  I am only guessing but this unused connector may be for those with the CB radio option.  I am sure its in the wiring diagram I can check when I have time if its important to you, but for now, your good. 

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Our 82CE

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