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Car getting fuel and fire but wont start

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Old Jan 11, 2001 | 04:17 PM
  #1  
LmpBzkt's Avatar
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Car getting fuel and fire but wont start

I have a 1990 Pontiac Sunbird( I know this is not 3rd gen related but I have gotten answers for all my other questions so this is the only place I could think to turn) It is automatic transmission with a 2.0 with throttle body injection. The car was running but I shut it off and came back 10 minutes later and the car would turn over but wouldn't start. I checked to see if it was getting fire by grounding the spark plugs on the head while trying to crank and it was. It is also getting fuel. The timing belt is not stripped or broke. I am all out of ideas. If you know any possible solutions of what it could be please let me know.
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Old Jan 11, 2001 | 04:38 PM
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From: Longview, Tx
My friend had the same problem in his 88 Sunbird......I know that doesn't help you, but....

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Old Jan 11, 2001 | 04:47 PM
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From: waterford, CT 06385
Start by pulling a sparkplug, ground the body of it and see if it sparks. If it seems OK, i suggest checking the cam timing, it may have jumped a tooth.
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Old Jan 11, 2001 | 05:15 PM
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Originally posted by LmpBzkt:
I checked to see if it was getting fire by grounding the spark plugs on the head while trying to crank and it was.
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Old Jan 11, 2001 | 08:17 PM
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From: waterford, CT 06385
Sorry, been a long day and i didnt read carefully! Definately check the cam timing then.
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Old Jan 11, 2001 | 08:51 PM
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From: Tomball, TX
Car: 89 TTA
Engine: Turbo 3.8
Transmission: 200R4
I don't know much about the sunfire engine. You may want to check all your electrical sensors and connectors to make sure they are not rusted or corroded. My 305 TBI had spark and fuel but wouldn't start. Turned out to be the coolant temperature sensor; rusted as hell! Good luck finding the prob.
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Old Jan 11, 2001 | 09:31 PM
  #7  
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Mr. Durst,

Open the throttle fully while cranking the engine to help clear excess fuel from the chambers. It's possible that the injector leaked down and flooded the engine. If that's the case, you might be able to clear the excess fuel and admit enough fresh air to get it to fire by holding the throttle open fully. When you do this at cranking, the PCM will shut off fuel pulses to help clear a flooded engine.

If you don't get so much as a "pop" when doing this, you might have to remove some plugs to check for fuel fouling. If the plugs are soaked, replace them. If not, crank the engine over a few revs with the plugs removed, then install them again.

Try starting again. If the engine still refuses to fire, check the ignition and valve timing. If the timing belt may have slipped (the 2.0 has a HTD belt, the 2.2 has a chain). If the ignition or valve timing are late, the belt has probably slipped and should be replaced.

Incidentally, Mr. Durst, I'm not surprized you're having trouble. You do have a reputation as one who can "Break Stuff"...

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