I can't understand it. Why won't it just start. I AM SO FREAKIN FRUSTRATED right now.

About a month ago engine stalled out while driving. Had it towed back to my house where I began replacing everything I could think of:
New distributor
New cap
New rotor
New fuel filter
New PVC valve
New EGR valve
New O2 sensor
New IAC valve
New fuel injectors
New spark plugs
New sparkplug wires
At the same time I fixed a leak from the intake manifold.

Now it is all back together and the battery was dead so I got a new one of those.

Finally moment to start the car and it wants to start but just sits there and sputters and sputters and sputters. Then while it is sitting there sputtering a knock occurs.

So I check for error codes, but they are all gone due to the battery change.

I have no clue what to check for next. There is spark occuring and I can hear the fuel pump prime.

Please help me.

Thanks.

James

 

is your distribuator 180 out? Check your firing order, check the battery cable plug-in on your distrib..., if that is loose/unplugged, thats all the engine will do is turn over.

 

Did you check the coil and the pick up coil inside of the distributer? I agree with hydric, it;s very pissible that you got your timing all messed with the distributer cap on incorectly. Don;t feel bad, I've done it before.

 

So I have read some posts and here is what I am thinking about how to reset it. Please let me know if this is right.

1) Pull out sparkplug #1. This is the passenger, closest to the front sparkplug.

2) Pull off the distributor cap.

3) Put the car in neutral

4) Put a thin screwdriver down the sparkplug 1 hole.

5) crank the engine by hand until the screw driver is at it's highest point.

6) Ensure the rotor is turning to the wire for sparkplug #1. If not, reset the distributor.

Done?

What am I doing wrong or forgetting?

Thanks all.

 

What engine is this? #1 is in different positions for different types of engines.

Sounds like you have a 2.8 or 3.1, from saying that it is the forward most cylinder on the passenger side, am I correct?

 

alot of people check to see where top dead center is by taking the #1 plug out and either the screwdriver or they jam a rag or something in tight and when it spits out, thats tdc. I don't, be safer and just take the 4 lil bolts that take off the valve cover and turn the engine over by hand until the lifters are up. That way you know for sure tdc is present.

The #1 cylinder is usually the closet to the front, driver side.

the evens, 1 3 5 7 are driver side of the block, 2 4 6 8 passenger side, thats how I remember but that is if you have a v8. Raven asks a good question

 

I should have specified my engine size: 2.8L V6.

 

i'm pretty sure the #1 is on the passenger side on a v6.

1 3 5 on passenger side of engine, 2 4 6 on driver.

=]

 

yander - Create a signiture for your account so you don;t have to worry about posting all your car specs when you need post a question. It;s much easier that way.

 

state your engine/car/trans combo in the thread, you can't scroll down and read sigs after you click reply, and a few people own more than one car. as for the original question i think trouble shooting would of been a logical first step, but it's too late for logic now. since it stalled hot i'd guess tc lock up switch and after you "repaired" it you messed up timeing at the veay least and maybe more. set the timing or get someone that knows how to set it to do it for you.

 

Yes, that is correct.

 

Would a computer going bad cause this ?

 

So I am an idiot and didn't diagnose the problem, but rather ran right in and started replacing stuff.

So I got the engine able to run when I keep the gas down a little and now am worried about collateral damage by me being stupid and running it without truly identifying the problem.


My timing chain can't be broken because I am still getting spark, but what would it slipping a tooth do? And how the heck could it slip a tooth?

If it did slip a tooth how will I know and what do I need to do to fix this?

Thanks again all.

 

The screwdriver method for finding TDC works 50 % of the time. Remember that you want the compression stroke, and not the exhaust stroke! Easiest way is to put a rag into the #1 plug hole- don't use a paper towel, use a cotton rag. Spin the engine clockwise using the center bolt of the crank pulley. When the rag blows out, you're starting the compression stroke- now, put the screwdriver in, and when the screwdriver stops raising up, that's TDC.

Next- check your balancer (directly behind the crank pulley, it's what the crank pulley bolts to). There will be a mark on the balancer. It should line up with "zero" on the timing tab. (If it's nearby, the balancer ring has slipped, and you need a new balancer.)

Now assuming that you did put the distributor in correctly (as far as using the compression stroke of #1 TDC), here's my wager as to why it won't start up. You said you aligned the rotor with the #1 terminal of the distributor cap? Well, that's 0 degrees spark advance. You'll need to put some advance into the timing to get the car started. Loosen the distributor hold-down bolt. Turn the distributor cap a bit CLOCKWISE. This will position the rotor between the #6 cap terminal and the #1 cap terminal, but closer to the #1 terminal. This puts some advance in the timing.

So, in order of importance

1. Find TDC #1 (front passenger side on a 2.8) of the compression stroke

2. Verify the balancer mark lines up with 0 degrees on timing tab

3. Remove dist cap, verify that rotor points to #1 cap terminal

4. Verify the order of the plug wires on the dist cap is 1-2-3-4-5-6, going clockwise around the top of the cap (as viewed from the outside of the cap)

5. Loosen the distributor hold down bolt (15mm)

6. Spin the distributor a bit clockwise to position the rotor between the #1 and #6 cap terminals, closer to the #1 terminal

7. Tighten the distributor hold down bolt.

8. Try starting the car.

9. If car doesn't start, repeat steps 5-8, each time, spinning the dist cap a slight bit more clockwise.

DON'T turn the dist cap while a friend cranks the engine- good way to get a hell of a shock (I thought I was dead as I fell backwards)

To check your chain slack, with the distributor cap off, try to spin the rotor- see if it moves. If it moves quite a bit, and very easily, your timing chain is loose. How many miles are on the 2.8?

We still need the -year- of your car...? There were different balancers between 85 and 89...

 

Thanks Tom.


The car is a 1989 2.8L V6 with 140,000 miles on it.

The mark on the balancer was nowhere near the 0Degree mark. I ensured that I was using the compression stroke by sticking my finger in there and waiting till I felt compression(blow by). After that I put a phillips screw driver in there to ensure it was at it's highest point.

At that time I checked the mark on the balancer it was way off so, as per chilton I turned the crank by hand(clockwise) until the balancer mark did line up and saw that the screw driver was still going up. When the balancer mark lined up with the 0 degree is about when the screwdriver stopped moving up.

Finally I removed the distributor cap and noticed that the rotor was pointing directly at #1 spot. So now I am confused, should I be turing the rotor counterclockwise to be between the #1 and #6 sparkplug or clockwise to be between #1 and #2?

Thanks again.