Well I can finally say that my 16v has finally developed a bug. I am looking for a little feedback to track it down.

This is a '96 16v so I would believe that it is ODB1. What happens is that it will come off a load sputter and die. Occasionally if I work the throttle just right I can keep it running. The worse problem is that when it dies it doesn't want to start again. It just cranks and cranks and cranks. If I let it sit for a while, it has a rough sputtering start with a lot of black smoke (obviously a lot extra fuel). What compounds this is that it does this intermittenly so, I have no luck it tracking the issue down.

I have replaced all of the fliuds and filters recently (It was already due). The fuel pump is still working fine. I will pull the plugs this afternoon to check them. I am hoping that they are just fouled. All the plugs, the cap, rotor and wires are only about a year old so I don't suspect them. The exhaust is the same age so I am not expecting an issue with the cat.

Outside of the Comp. or the igniter I am not sure where to look.

Any Ideas?

ECM?? 

Idle Switch or Vehicle Speed Sensor maybe. Got a Check Engine Light? Does the speedo work OK?

Idle Switch or Vehicle Speed Sensor maybe. Got a Check Engine Light? Does the speedo work OK?

No check engine light comes on. And the speedo is working perfectly. I did forget to specify that this is the motor in my Sammi (so the gauge was converted) but, everything has been working beautifully since the install about a year and a half ago.

The idle switch I could understand I will have to test it (after I find it). How would the VSS affect how the engine runs?