help!!!! I have a 1992 rs Camaro 5.0 tbi,,I have spark, I have fuel, and my compression is 120...but the car wont fire up ????Even tried a little spray of either....nothing...cranks good...Any ideas??? Replaced fuel pump ,and sparkplugsAdded fresh 93 octane fuel ??Nothin..

 

I am thinking it might be a bad ignition module ?but im not sure..

 

wow no responses????

 

My 90 had a similar issue only during a cold start and would eventually fire if I held the pedal down. After warm up, starting was not a problem. I did find a vacuum leak on the EGR solenoid but not sure if it was the problem causing the valves in the TB to stay closed when cold.

 

if you have air, fuel, compression, and spark at the right time then it would start (if it is not flooding or starving) ... i would check the timing and vaccum hoses to start with

 

You say you have fuel, spark, and compression.

First Guess: Fouled spark plugs. (Even though you say they've been replaced.)

Next questions will be:
HOW did you test for spark?
HOW did you test for "fuel"?


120 psi compression is low, but it should run. I've seen cylinders with 80 psi compression that ran.

 

With a bad ICM you wouldn't get any spark. Have you ohmed your injectors. Should be in the 1.1 - 1.3 range. Take a look at the spray pattern. Should be a conical shape instead of just dripping. If your have good spark, good fuel, and compression then it should attempt to start. Also did you also change the fuel filter and is the timing set correctly?

 

Answer Schurkey's questions first

i too would check timing, even with spark, if its not firing at the correct time, your not going to fire as Barlow said

my next question would be, what all has been done to the car to justify spending money on 93 octane for an L03? was the timing advanced by more than 4*? has the ignition system been upgraded with aftermarket parts? any motor work done?

 

quick easy old test , starting fluid

It it does try and start, you know its fuel.

If it won't even pop off starting fluid, you know the spark is bad.

a timing light can be helpful, figure out I had a half bad pick up coil once, each plug only sparked half the time, looked like I had spark but wans't good.

 

turns out it was the ignition module...and from over thirteen years of sitting in storage some really bad gas!!!

 

so it is alive again? ... congrats if it is

 

NEVER ever ever ever ever ever ever ever use ether to try and start an engine. You WILL destroy it, maybe not today or tomorrow but the day will come where you are changing a motor because you shattered a piston with ether. Grab a can of carb cleaner or flammable brake parts cleaner or better yet a little squirt bottle with some gas.

Now if you have an old 2 stroke detroit diesel you are trying to start or a super single tire you are trying to seat the bead on go ahead and reach for the can of ether, otherwise keep it out of the shop, there are many much better and less volatile products to use.

Rant Done