Ok, I got my car back in April. I took out all the fluids, radiator, and battery around July and left them out. I got my car painted last month, around the 25th or so I got it back. Before I took the battery and stuff out, it would start up no problem and it ran ok. It needed a tune up but that was about it.

So I get the car back on the 25th and I install everything back in. I had it towed to the body shop and back btw. Anyways, I installed everything back in and now the darn thing isn't running. Here's what I have done to it.

I have replaced the distributor cap and the rotor since they had a lot of carbon buildup on them. I got new spark plugs and spark plug wires but haven't installed them yet, I might this weekend. It still wouldn't start.

When I say it wouldn't start, it would crank and crank but never really fire up. I got it to fire up. There was one point a week ago that it started up for a few seconds but then promply died on me. It will basically crank to no end.

Ok, so after replacing the distributor cap and rotor, it still didn't start. I had spark, so I looked towards the fuel. I had someone crank the engine and try to give it a little gas and I noticed that I was barely getting any fuel at all going into the engine.. So earlier this week I went out and bought a new fuel filter. I replaced that today after draining my tank. Put fresh gas into the tank and tried to start her again. Still no start and this time there is absolutely no fuel coming out at all.

I can hear the fuel pump prime the system when I turn the key to ACC. All of my fuses and relays are good, I've triple checked them. One thing I have noticed is that my SES light will remain constant when I turn the key, there's no blinking or anything. I will try and pull codes tomorrow to see if I get anything. I will also undo the fuel filter and have someone turn the key to ACC to see if the fuel pump actually pumps fuel through the line.

I'm kinda at a loss as to what the problem would be. It's possible the fuel pump is shot but I won't know for sure until tomorrow, but given the last time my car was started up it ran fine. The body shop I took it to to get painted didnt touch a thing on the engine, plus the fact it had no battery and radiator so they couldn't have messed with the engine.

Anyone have any advice? BTW, this is a 305 TBI, if you didnt know already.

 

****. TBI. If it was TPI, I'd say just check the test valve on the fuel rail for pressure. There's gatta be something like that for TBI. I don't have my chilton on hand though, but it does sound like it's your pump or your injectors. Spark is there, fuel isn't. And the filter is new. Only other thing is maybe the paint shop managed to bend one of the metal lines? Worth a check.

Oh, another thought, maybe your timing is WAAAY off? If you just did the cap and rotor it should be fine, but.... You never know. *shrugs*

 

While I was underneath my car today I didn't see anything wrong with the lines, nor have I seen any in my engine. The thing that throws me off about it all is that it started up fine before I took the battery and radiator out and now it won't start at all. One would think it was something I did but it doesn't seem to be the case.

 

Hmm. Some stuff doesn't like being dried out. But check for fuel pressure first. Might just be an injector that went bad. I think the TBI has two injectors on it though.... I could be mistaken. Good luck.

 

Ya, it has 2 injectors. If the pressure test I do tomorrow turns out ok then I figure it has to be the injectors. Hopefully there is a way to save them rather than having to buy new ones, but we will see.

 

ok, I disconnected the fuel line at the filter then had someone turn thekey to ACC and the pump is definately working, there's fuel flowing through the lines. Now to check the injectors

 

One other thing I should point out. My SES light stays on when I have the ignition to the ACC position and doesn't turn off. I checked and there are no codes, it just blinks Code 12 all the time and nothing else. When I turn the key to ACC the SES light just turns on and doesn't go out, nothing like it turns off for 1/2 a second and then turns back on. Is that normal at all?