So here's my issue. 2 days ago, I started up my 1990 RS 3.1L...it ran great. Well, it's not insured or registered yet, so i only started it in my driveway...well, i ran out of gas and obviously the car shut off. Well, today I got 5 gallons of gas for it and filled it up. I went to start it, but ....nothing. It cranks and cranks but doesnt start.

Parts just replaced today....
Ignition Coil
Cap & Rotor
Ignition Module
Fuel Filter

Ignition timing is perfect, hence it was running fine 2 days ago. Spark plugs are only a month old..fuel pump is working fine and fuel lines have pressure. Fuel injectors are working fine. Air filter is a week old. Spark plug wires are brand new. When I spray starting fluid in the TB, nothing changes. I have good strong spark. What is the problem?? HELP! I think it might be the timing chain, but how could running out of gas cause the timing to be messed up??? PLEASE HELPP!!!!

 

please help! im going to register and insure it this week

 

running out of gas wouldnt hurt timing. when you put the fuel in, did you turn the key to on, then off to prime the fuel lines with fuel? its not 100% necessary but usually helps it start when you run out of fuel. Also, how do you know you have fuel pressure? did you hook up a gauge? How do you know your injectors are firing? If you are spraying starting fluid in the tb, you would probably still get some sort of fire even if the chain was off.

 

check to make sure your pump is priming... you coulda givin that pump a good enuff excuse not to pump anymore (quit working) Oh, also check all ur fuses

 

I am completely stumped. The I changed the fuel filter and pressure came out of the lines. The injectors are working because fuel is getting through the engine because of sudden back fires. When I turn the key, it cranks and once in a while jumps like its just about to start, then just cranks again. The Fuel pump is priming, I hear it. Also, I changed the fuel pump last year. It is pumping fuel. I don't think fuel is the issue. It's either ignition, or timing. I NEED HELP! My dad is yelling at me to get this thing moved!

 

It's a weird coincedence that your ignition would go out right when you ran out of gas. But I suppose anything is possible. Maybe, you really didnt run out of gas, your gauge was reading empty but there was still a little gas, and since it cut out it appeared that you ran out of gas, but something in the ignition system failed. Either way, did you check spark with a tester of sorts? A nice tester is a good thing to have, only a couple bucks. It would be weird for a timing chain to jump or break while idling in a driveway. I can't recall hearing of many timing chain problems myself anyway, theyre usually pretty good unless you beat on the motor. I know mostly of timing belt problems when theyre neglected. If you want to see if its broken, you could pull out the oil cap, look inside at the rockers and watch them move while someone cranks. You can't really check valve timing though without doing some work. My bet is ignition.

 

I'm really stumped right now. I bought new spark plugs just to see. If that's not the problem, then I don't know. But I need to get this thing running this week. So any suggestions would be great. I'll try some more diagnostics tonight. Thanks guys...this is really stressing me out!

 

sit down and shut up and pull your head out of your ***. If we took what you have said seriously then according to you there is no problem and you car works fine, but since that is not the case you are lieing to us.

Check spark. Pull a plug wire off the plug and put a good plug into the plug wire socket. Rest the plug on something metal. And have some one crank the motor. Do you have nice blue spark that occurs at a nice rythem, one that matches the cranking of the motor?

YES OR NO? Today cause i am being a ****, i only accept answers that include the procedure that you followed, to reach that answer.

If yes. Find the timing mark on the balancer and paint it white with white out. Clean off the pointer. Hook up a timing light and un plug the bypass connector. Look at the white sticker under the hood. It will tell you how to set the computer into base timing mode. Now have some one crank the motor while you point the light at the pointer. Is the mark lining up with the pointer on the block? It doesnt have to be dead nuts, just with in a 1/4 inch or so.

Yes or NO?

If yes, you just proved that, you ignition is working and timed right. And since your ignition has a distributor that is driven off the cam, You just proved that you cam is also timed right. Cause if the timing chain jumped, your cam would be off, and if your cam is off, your ignition timing would have to jump as well.

If no. loosen the distributor hold down nut. Spin the dissy and try to get it timed.
Can you get it timed?
If no based off of the circumstances i would say your chain jumped.

If yes. Your problem is not your spark unless the chain jump a entire 180 degrees prefectly. I highly doubt this.




Fuel

find the valve on the fuel rail, the one that you would hook a gauge to. Have some one turn the key from off to run. Depress the valve with a small tool like a pocket screw driver. Fuel should shoot out, it should just about touch the hood. There should be around a teaspoon of fuel that squirts out.

IF no, you fuel system is messed up and needs further diagnosis.

If yes

Turn the key to off. Then turn it to run, after the pump stops, turn the key back off, and wait 15 seconds. Now depress the valve again. take notice at how forcefull it squirts out and how much. Its should be about the same as before. This is your baseline for the next step, it took acount for any leakage that took place in them 15 seconds.


Crawl under the back of the car. Find the connector for the fuel pump. It should be about 6 inches above the pinion of the diff.
Now have some body turn the key from off to run. And then after the pump stops. Unplug the fuel pump connector. Now go up front. Hve your partner crank the motor for 10-15 seconds. After he is done cranking. press the valve on the fuel rail.
There should be less pressure and volume then you baseline.

If there is less then that means that the injectors where firing and injector fuel.

If the pressure and amount is the same as your baseline. then your injectors are not firing and need farther diagnoisis.

Thats all i am telling you for now, any more information and your likely to lie to us again. SO go do that testing, and then tell us the results.

 

I didn't know I was "lying" to you. All I did was tell you what is going with my car. I really don't appreciate you talking to me like that. I'm doing what everyone else does on here and trying to get some help. I thought was the whole point of a message board anyway? I'm not lying to anyone, I don't have time for that crap. I just need to get my car running so I can stop using my dad's car. I can't check the timing with a timing light because the car needs to be running 1,500 RPMs or higher, and in that case the car would need to be running. I cant even get the car to start.

 

he was pretty blunt, but the procedure is a good one to follow for this case

 

If it will not start off starting fluid fuel is probably not the problem. So it could be ignition or something mechanical. But from what you said everything is fine. So the car should run then right? You're probably missing something. You haven't really ansered anyones questions. Do you have a good spark at the plug?

 

Yea see thats the thing you might not think your lieing to us, but if you are not telling us what is realy going on, cause your making assumptions, then you are not telling us the truth, which makes it lieing

So did you check for spark like i said? Are you going to check? I mean if i am wasting your time then i guess i will just hop in my car and go for a drive.

And no you do not need to have the car running to use a timing light. You only need to have spark. Since you will put the computer into base timing mode. The advance stays pretty much fixed weather its cranking at 120 rpms or reving to 5000. The point of hooking up the timing light is to see if the igntion is EVEN CLOSE to being right. You could be off 15 degrees in either direction and still have it start and run.
If the igntion is remotely close then you KNOW the cam chain didnt jump.

 

Well..it was getting spark, I took the plugs out and put them against metal, and I did see spark, that's the reason why I ruled out the spark plugs. But apparently, changing them fixed the problem. I got my car started.