Car stutters and then shuts off after driving 5 or 10 miles?

Tiny
GARY JOHNS
  • MEMBER
  • 1983 DODGE ARIES
  • 2.2L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 24,500 MILES
My car listed above has under 35,000 original miles. It was stored for 30 years before I bought it from an estate. I replaced the gas tank, fuel pump, fuel filter, carb, and cleaned the fuel line. It starts and runs great but after driving a short distance the car begins stuttering before stalling out so I can pull off the road before it stalls and then wait for about a minute or so before it will start back up like normal. I can then drive it again, but it will repeat the stalling process as described. I pulled the plugs, cleaned and re-gapped them even though they did not show any issues. When it is not stuttering, it seems to accelerate and run smoothly. The check engine light has not come on and I have tried loosening and removing the gas cap but that has not made a difference. I have not looked into the electrical as of yet as I usually only drive about 5 miles to the gym or grocery store, so this generally does not happen unless I try to go a longer distance.
Sunday, October 20th, 2024 AT 7:45 AM

3 Replies

Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 47,630 POSTS
Yep, these cars had a problem with the engine control module in the box on the driver's side of the engine compartment. It was difficult to find back in the day which is probably why they parked it. They call it a power module. I would check the electrical connector for corrosion. Check out the images (below). Please let us know what happens. You might be able to find a used one on eBay.
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Sunday, October 20th, 2024 AT 12:52 PM
Tiny
GARY JOHNS
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
The eBay power module arrived this afternoon. I was able to install it and take a 10 mile test drive with no stuttering or stalling. The engine seemed to respond more responsively than it had been doing with the old module. I plan to take a longer test drive tomorrow as it is rush hour now. I will post another response after the next drive if there still appears to be a problem but for now, I am hopeful the replacement has improved the reliability of this 83 Aries. Thank you for your input.
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Monday, October 28th, 2024 AT 2:32 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 47,630 POSTS
No problem, I hope we got it fixed, this brings back good memories for me.
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Tuesday, October 29th, 2024 AT 10:47 AM

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