It started fine, but was running kind of rough, idling slower than normal. I thought it was just cold, sometimes it needs to be warmed up. I let it go a minute or so, then started out.
It ran okay, occasionally getting kind of ragged, though, behaving just like it had before when I had an air flow meter go bad. I got a used one that was just fine...but now it looks like it's gone bad.
I stopped in a parking lot and took a look, it seemed okay, nothing was obviously wrong, and I turned the idle up a bit. But I didn't make it out of the parking lot. The thing died and wouldn't start again. It took a whole lot of tries to get it going again. I've read a few old posts talking about cars having to cool down before they'd start again, and dying when they get warm...this sounds like what I've got, but otherwise it is behaving almost exactly like when the air flow meter was bad before (just worse).
What makes me more strongly suspect that it's the air flow meter, is that when I took the thing off, it would start whether it had time to cool or not (and then of course subsequently die as soon as it hit about 1500 rpm).
This happened before when I KNOW the only problem was the air flow meter.
Also, when I had the ignition switch turned on, but the engine not running, and I pushed on the air flow meter vane, I could hear fuel flowing, so I know it's not a problem with actually delivering the fuel.
AND when I push on the vane on this one, it moves freely for a couple of degrees before I feel any resistance (unlike my bad one, or the one I have off an 81 ZX, which offer even resistance.)
So, what do you think, am I right in assuming it's the contemptable air flow meter, or should I have someone more knowledgeable take a look before I go and buy a new or remanufactured one?