I just started having issues with my car wanting to start. it starts eventually but takes a while to start and only does it when the motor is cold. When its been ran and has warmed up, itll fire right up. My dad sad ignition module so i replaced that. stll did it. Then he said he read that the fuel pressure regulator was the problem. replaced that..however the new spring was shorter than the one i removed but used the new one anyway. still does it. but after that it has sputtered and died twice after it cranked for a while. btw..this just all of a sudden started doing this friday morning. ran perfect thursday night and before. i have a whole list ofnew parts on it like, cap, rotor, plugs, wires, coil, starter, 02 sensor, oil pressure sending unit and now ignition module and fuel pressure regulator. the only mods ive done to the motor is put on an open element filter and remove the smog stuff and removed the charcoal canister but that has all been off for over a year. i am not getting any check engine lights either. also checked timing and its 3 deg btdc. i also noticed though when i took the gas cap off there wasnt any pressure released from there. dont know if thats a problem or not. i watched the injectors when i did the cold start and fuel was coming out the entire time it cranked over. i have no clue where to go from here and any help would be appreciated. and the fuel pump primes everytime i turn the key over as well. and the fuel filter has been replaced as well.

 

The coolant temp sensor might be out of spec. You you an ohm meter to test it, google 'gm coolant temp sensor resistence' for the values/temp. The resistence changes as it warms up.

 

went to leave for work this morning and it didnt start at all. pulled #1 spark plug and plugged the wire in it and set it aside to check for spark and got nothing. no spark. tried it twice with nothing. the only thing i havent replace ignition wise is the pick-up. will the CTS cause this problem as well?? that would make sence if it still started but i have no spark now. im going to go out and check all fuses, grounds, wires to make sure they are all good.

 

Cts wont cause that, take a test light & check for steady power on one side of the coil & flashing power on the other side. Do this when its acting up.

 

how do i do this by myself? i can turn the key on and check the constant side but not the flashing side as the key needs to be turned over correct?

 

Yes, it needs to be cranking. Get some jumper wires w/ aligator clips to extend the wiring in to view.

 

im not too electronicially inclined. not helpless but still need help from time to time. so youre talking about checking the 2 plug in connector slots and not the coil wire then?

 

could be pick-up. chech for spark @ the coil. just to make sure you have no spark. than check the reference signal. the ECM just grounds the coil to make it fire and it takes this info from the pick-up and the ICM. I had a sick pick up coil and ICM on mine and I just decided to replace the entire distributor. it was worth it once i i figured the time it would take me to break down the distributor it was worth it to pay the 100 bucks for a new once from autozone

 

what all is involved in replacing the pick up?? and what is the ICM? ignition control module??

 

so i checked the wires coming from the ignition module going into the coil and i have a constant power on one red/pink wire for one connector and no intermittent power on the other. so im assuming this means that the pickup isnt sending a signal to the module and so on. so i bouth the pickup and was getting ready to change it but it started raining. so when the rain quits ill go attemp to replace it. Oreillys told me that it can be done with the distributor still in the car so im going that route as i have never taken out a distributor before and dont want to risk not putting it back in the same location.

 

A diagram always helps.

 

the wires coming from the ICM to the coil are dead. not getting power or pulsing power at all. The other set of wires going to the coil i have a constand 12v power supply. when the motor is turning over im not getting the pulsing power. so am i safe to assume its the coil pickup? how do i replace it? ive been told it will come off from the top but i tried to pry it up but i dont want to break anything. any picks or writeups on how to replace this? ive searched everyhwere and have found nothing solid.

 

You have to pull the distributor to change it, turn the motor over til the rotor is pointing at the firewall, make a mark on it. Loosen the hold down bolt enough to slide the clamp off the dist. base, pull up, the rotor will turn about 45* so keep that in mind when reinstalling it. Plus you have to line up the oil pump drive, use a long screw driver.
You'll need a timing light to set the timing, follow the instructions on the emissions label, sometime you have to turn the dist. alittle to get it started.

 

OK. So heres the deal. i took the distributor out, having never done this before, and made sure i marked everything. i got the roll pin out and shaft off and the pickup was just about toast! the copper wires were showing and everything so i thought this had to be my problem. put it all back together and dropped it back in the car and hooked everything back up and went to start it and nothing. would just crank. so at this point i knew the pickup and ICM were brand new. only other thing was the coil, but its a MSD thats about 9 months old. decided to go get a $20 coil for my car frm oreillys and installed it and it fired right up first crank. i also checked my timing and it was right on the money. so shes running like a top now and im glad this ordeal is over. thanks to the 2 guys that helped me out in this thread. really appreciate it!

 

funny. i have an msd coil as well. and somethimes when i start my car i have a miss that goes away when cold. maybe its time for me to make a change there as well.

 

i cant say for sure but im wondering if that coil wasnt too much for the pickup. idk but with the coil only being 9 months old im taking it back and getting a new one at least. the should have at least a 1 yr warranty on them. at least id have a backup now..