(sort of long)

I picked up an '89 RS Camaro w/ V6 2.8L multi-port EFI yesterday, w/ 123,xxx miles (daily driver).
It doesn't run now, however I trust the previous owner to not have intentionally given me a lemon. He said it was running as of 3 weeks ago.

Here's the problem, the last owner thought he'd run it out of gas. He said that he put 4 gallons of gas in it and tried to restart it.
NO dice, it will only stay running as long as ether is in the throttle body... it sounds good while it's running; no misses, sounds normal.
It'll spit and sputter and ALMOST try to start w/ no ether, but won't start/stay running not even close.

DAY 1 - I get it home:
I immediately change inline fuel filter. I can hear the fuel pump kicking in every time I power the ignition switch, which is a good sign.

I go out and buy 5 gallons of gas and attempt to get some fuel in the tank (maybe the last guy didn't have enough in there)... well after 2.5 gallons, the tank is completely full... hmmmmm, that's a bad sign.

I know there's a bunch of fuel pressure, due to manually releasing the fuel on the fuel rail w/ a nail head when someone's turning the key... the gas shoots all the way up to the hood and all over the place. That tells me that it's getting fuel & fuel pressure, however I don't have a fuel gauge to tell exactly how much fuel pressure.

It runs and sounds fine as long as there's ether in the throttle body/plenum, no misses, etc.

My question:
Is there another reason why this engine won't start? Maybe a MAF sensor or O2 sensor problem? Does this sound like a timing chain issue ?

Can I put it on a "code machine" even though it doesn't run at this time?

Any help will be appreciated, as I don't know much about troubleshooting EFI cars.

Please email me at: 70camaro@ureach.com -OR- post reply here.

Thanks

 

Mine did the same thing when it was a v-6...turned out to be the ignition modual under the distributor cap...depending on the milage of your car, you may just want to rebuild the distributor, Thats what I ended up doing.

"It runs and sounds fine as long as there's ether in the throttle body/plenum, no misses, etc."

Missed that part. So, put a fuel pressure gauge on it and get a true reading..definatley a fuel delivery problem!

 

start with the basices. A/F mixture, fire, and compression. if you have that you're a long way towards getting it started. try trouble shooting it and see what you find. i wouldn't worry too much about anything controled by the ecm. if it makes you fell better go ahead and scan it for any stored coeds. doesn't need to run to do that.

 

OK,
I just went out and paper-clipped some codes:
12
34

I know that the #12 code just means that the diagnostic sequence is working. What does the #34 mean?

As far as the basics...
I know that I'm getting spark from the coil to the plugs and I know that there's fuel getting to the fuel rail.

The car DOES run w/ ether in the plenum, so... is it clogged injectors ?

 

CLogged injectors are a possibility, but not a likely scenario since it was supposedly running recently. It's more likely you have inadequate fuel pressure or a different problem. You really should get a fuel pressure reading at the rails so you're not chasing non-existant problems.

It's also possible that you have inoperative injectors caused by either a wiring problem, blown INJ fuse(s), or defective ECM. The ECM is the LAST thing I'd check. Lack of power to the injectors or wiring harness problems would be more likely.

Your '89 may have Multec injectors, which are notorious for solenoid coil failures. Shorting injector coils eat fuses, and render the whole system inoperative. Verify power from the INJ fuses, and replace any blown fuses. If the fuse blows as soon sa you try to start the engine, remove the electrical connectors from all the injectors. Try starting again. If the fuse(s) doesn't blow, conect an injector and try again. Connect another injector and continue this until you blow a fuse, which would indicate the last injector you connected is defective (shorted). It's more common than you might think.

 

A friend is coming over tomorrow w/ a fuel pressure gauge and a set of injectors from a running 2.8L that he had sitting around.

Thanks for the replies all !!:hail:

 

And while you're waiting, you can check the INJ1 and INJ2 fuses in the interior fuse panel, just to be certain.