I don't understand what is wrong with my car.
If you read my other posts, it started out w/ a no start condition, and extreamly rich. Well, after removing all the plugs (brand new - no miles on them) AGAIN and cleaning them, I got it to start up and run pretty smooth last week. I come to start it today, and only 4 cylinders are firing, very rough, smoking like hell. I try it again, and it goes to 3, then 1 tries, then nothing. the car is flooding out, like its a friggin carb! I don't get what it dumping so much fuel into the cylinder! I mean, so much that the plugs are dripping w/ gas when I take them out. I can shake them out and have nice dropplets of raw gas on my driveway. It's a TPI system, I've never seen one flood this bad. Can't be leaky injectors...all of them can't go bad at once. Ignition is putting out nice blue spark (DUI distributor). timing hasn't change since I got it running just a few days before. Its just like flooding a carb. None of the cylinders kick over at all.

I am stumped. I don't get what will do this to a TPI. On my old IROC, I had all sorts of issues, but never one as severe as this.

If you have any ideas why the car is flooding, please share. Possibly faulty ECM?

What controles fuel flow from a TPI? what sensors does the ECM look to for info to adjust the mix?

 

how about a plugged /obstructed/ broke fuel pressure regulator? Such that the normal pressure (45?) is now full pressure (60?) if thats the case, the fuel pressure would be strong enough to keep the pintle in the injector from reseating after being moved the first time. Which would lead to full enrichment.

Just an idea.

Clayton

 

Fuel pressure check was good. 42 PSI, which is normal for me. Spark check showed blue spark in sync w/ the cylinder compressing. Took the cap off, no major buildip or damage. Did the resistance check for the coil and the ground of the cap, all checked out. Could it be the ignition module? the only thing I didn't check (since I got to pull the damn distributor out to do it). I am stumped.
The only thing that seems to give it a little more "umph" is to pull the plugs and put in a fresh one. Damaged plug wires? Wouldn't make since, all of them couldn't go bad at once.

Any other ideas? I'm just about out. This is sooo strange.

 

Blue spark sounds kind of weak to me. It should be purple, and able to jump at least ¼", and probably 1/16" in diameter.

Start looking real hard at the ignition system.

The plugs will always be soaked with gas in a no-start condition if the ignition system is at fault.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

Just replaced the ignition module, no change. Still won't start. Did a complete ignition system check. Everything was good on the meter, and no visiual issues.

Just cranks and tries every once in a while. This is so wierd.

 

This makes absolutely no sense. There is fuel, there is spark, air and timming. Not even a hint of starting. I've been through the distributor twice. fuel pump is working, 42psi to the rail. Fuel is definetly in the cylinders. turning over at normal speed (other than the + terminal of the starter glowing red hot, have to check that..ugg..more crap wrong). This is driving me nuts. I am to the point that its not even really worth my time to get it running, rather strip the parts off and recoupe atleast some of the cash I got in it. Car was to be sold 3 days from now, and was running good untill this morning. I don't see how, since NOTHING changed, it can just decide to stop working.
Oh well, it's either strip it or torch it for fun.

 

BBT,

Refresh my old memory - what year is your engine? If you have a pre-1989 model, you should still have the cold start valve (ninth injector). If the cold start control is failing, of the cold start injector is leaking, you could be getting the very rich condition.

Just a thought...

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Later,
Vader
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"I'm'a do Things My Way - It's My way or the Highway."
Adobe Acrobat Reader

 

The block is from an 84 vette. The bottom end displaces 396 cubes. The TPI unit is from an 89/90 350. The heads are non-centerbolt. I didn't ever see a 9th injector on the manifold anywhere...
Its so weird, because it ran a few days before (rather well infact) but then it just dies when I try to start it again. When I got it running the other day, it was still doing the start n' stop deal... where you would crank for less than a second and it would fire up to 1500 RPM, then die. Crank again for 6 seconds and it would start.

Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. I can't think of anything else.

 

It sounds like you might have a quad driver problem with your ECM. You might have the ground side grounding one bank of injectors, and keeping the injectors wide open instead of pulseing. I have seen this a couple times, and raw gas would actually come out the tailpipe.

Best thing to do is to get an injector pulse tester,or use a DVM and see if the injectors are actually pulseing.. Or if the car is running decent, tap on the ECM and see if the problem happens. Sometimes you will set codes also.

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http://members.home.net/regulators/kevg.html
-=ICON Motorsports=-

[This message has been edited by Kevin G (edited March 20, 2001).]

 

Black Bow Tie,

Look, I'm in a very similar situation to yours. I'm not going to be any help to you as far as ideas go, but can understand how frustrating things can get.

I've often found that when I'm angry or tired, or in a big hurry, I'll make a very minor mistake that will come back to haunt me and I can't find it. The thing that is frustrating about these types of mistakes is that you are prone to making them over and over again.

Just keep your cool, ask as many people as you can, and surely the problem will turn up. I think the last repsonse sounds like an approach that hasn't been considered, so who knows. GOOD LUCK.