Test drove and it stalled. How do I troubleshoot problem?

[jiveslaw]

I'm in the market for my first DeLorean purchase. I found one near me with 13k miles for $59k. You have to give it some gas when starting it and then keep revving the engine for about a minute before it will idle. Then it stalled while I was driving slow and took my foot off the gas. I was able to start it back up again after a few attempts. The car is in good condition otherwise, but I'm not sure what my next steps should be to troubleshoot this issue and understand how expensive and intensive this repair could be to get it running smoothly. Thanks for any help!

[82DMC12]

It's almost certainly a fuel problem, probably something in the control pressure circuit. The very first thing to do would be to get a k-jetronic specific fuel pressure gauge put on the car. Check the primary pressure and make sure the control pressure is following the pressure temperature chart in the workshop manual.

Next thing I would do, since you probably aren't too familiar with the engine yet, is to hook up a smoke machine and check for vacuum leaks. I inject smoke into the black hose that connects the black air filter box to the top of the oil filler cap. You will have to seal the air meter plate with a latex balloon or large nitrile glove, otherwise you will lose all your smoke through the air meter flap. If you get that sealed off, you should be able to fill the engine with smoke until the only place it escapes from is the oil dipstick tube.

Anywhere else smoke is escaping needs to be fixed.

After that, confirm the routing of all the vacuum hoses according to the chart on the underside of the engine cover.

Good luck!

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[Bitsyncmaster]

It could be just simple adjustments. Where are you located. Maybe a current owner knowledgeable with K-jet can get you running quickly.

[jiveslaw]

It could be just simple adjustments. Where are you located. Maybe a current owner knowledgeable with K-jet can get you running quickly.

Thanks. I'm in Idaho, specifically the Boise area. I don't personally know any other DeLorean owners but would love to connect with any in Idaho.

[Helirich]

So did you already buy the car or are you still deciding? Like others said, it?s probably not that big a deal, but if you havnt bought it yet, you could tell the seller to get it fixed and it?s sold. Or knock some off the price. For 60k, it should run better than that. I garentee there are some upgrades you are going to do on a 13,000 mile car. I know 13k sounds great, but it usually means it hasn?t been kept up to driving condition.

[82DMC12]

Good point. Fact is, for $60K the car should be running perfectly and driveable.

If it's not even running right, who knows what else is wrong and you can assume the seller is overestimating the market.

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[David T]

There are a few systems that affect the idle and cold start. Not uncommon for something to not be working right, most mechanics do not understand how to properly service a PRV with K-Jet. Probably need some parts to fix vacuum leaks etc, definitely need to make adjustments. If you can't find anyone nearby we can guide you along as to what to do and how to fix it. The bigger things you MUST examine include the frame for rust, especially the front end and engine cradle, blown head gaskets (oil in the water, water in the oil, or gasses bubbling in the header tank). Consider the stalling an opportunity to negotiate the price. For $60K I would expect the car to drive without stalling. Look for dents in the S/S, see if the doors will stay all the way open (weak struts, not expensive to fix) damage to the glass (expensive) wear to the interior like a cracked binnacle, etc. Check the date codes on the tires (over 7 years and they got to go!). Everything is fixable but it all adds up. To drive the car in the meantime bump up the idle speed by turning the screw for the throttle arm so it doesn't stall so much. Maybe some fresh fuel would help if the stuff in the car is old and stale. When you drive it, it should shift well, go straight, not shake and stop smooth and straight. If an automatic, check the dipstick, the level should be good, the fluid not smell burnt or feel gritty. Good luck! if you are really serious about buying a Delorean a good reference is James's Espey's book. You can order it from DMCH.