You don't need a code reader to get codes. A paper clip will work fine (do a search). I am starting to wonder about your ESC module. Do a search on how to test it. There not cheap, so you'll want to test it first. Hopefully you'll get some codes that will tell us something. One other thing, lets make sure your timing chain didnt brake. Take your dist. cap off, crank the engine over and see if the rotor is turning.

 

checked it out.. the rotor turns.. so no broken timing chain.
i will try to get codes tomorrow. thanks for the help.

 

i went to the garage and put a paper clip into the top two pins on the far right of the ALDL connector like i had read about on another thread. the difference being that for some reason my ignition switch won't go into the accy. position.. and that's what the post said to do. BUT i turned the key into the 'on' position and did not get anything flashing at me.. nothing. i heard some morse code sounds coming from the engine compartment.. and that's it.

another question: i was told that if i use an ohm meter on the pickup coil and it registered ohms it is good, and if don't get any.. it's bad. well.. no ohms. was i informed correctly?? should i replace??

 

I gotta stop getting up this early. Anywho, When getting codes, you should turn the key on. At the very least you should always a get a code 12. You got the right pin holes (far upper right). Make sure the paper clip is in all the way. Do you have VATS on your car? (Anti-Theft System)
https://www.thirdgen.org/vats_passkey_system
https://www.thirdgen.org/vats

I'll go out to my garage and get the specs for the coil later. Waiting for the sun to come up, I am afraid of the dark.

 

i am almost positive that the car doesn't have vats. and i am also pretty sure that i had the paper clip in pretty good since i was hearing all of the clicking noises.. my"good deal" is turning into serious lemon. i will get it going though. i don't give up that easy.

 

so.. i think i'm going to replace the pickup coil and the cap/rotor and see what happens. i am praying to god that the ecm isn't junk. i find it hard to believe that it only had 30 second of life left in it after i bought it. that would be my luck though. i guess if all else fails.. throw more parts at it and i'll either fix the problem or i'll have a brand spankin' new 1987 iroc in about 6 months.

 

So when you try to retrieve trouble codes the engine light is not flashing at all. I don't know if that means the computer is bad or not. I would guess that a bad ground, bad connection or a broken wire somewhere in your ignition system would cause it.

 

found that where the pickup coil plugs into the module one of the wires had gotten pushed back in the plug.. so it wasn't making a connection. now the car tries to start but i'm pretty much back where i started. a buddy of mine pulled a vac line from the throttle body and was able to spray carb cleaner in the hole and keep the car running. we had the fuel pump hooked up to run constanly and it still did it.. i don't think it's a pump problem. i believe it's whatever tells the injectors to fire isn't doing its job. however, when we checked it last week they were getting a signal to fire.. i am lost ideas???????????

 

Take the injectors out make sure there is no gunk built up inside them. Also, now that ya got your wires back in order see if you can retrieve any codes now, or at least a code 12.

 

i tried getting codes earlier and got nothing. i started thinking "what if the bulbs burnt out??" i opened up the gages and sure enough someone had broken the ses light! well.. the thing was broken off in the socket and so far back in that little compartment that i decided to pull the gage cluster out a little so i could get to the back of it. in order to do that i dropped the steering column to give myself enough room. put a new bulb in and it started flashing 12's at me.. that's all. i put the column back up and tried the key.. NOTHING.. as in nothing at all. no crank, no radio.. no power. WHAT IN THE HECK COULD BE WRONG NOW??? i almost wonder if it's the ignition switch.

...help.

 

You probably blew a fuse.

 

yeah.. it's got to be something simple. this thing is starting to really frustrate me though.

 

Dude, your not alone. Me and my dad have been trying too figure out why his F150 wont start for about a Month now. We have tested and replaced everything. He gave up today, and we hauled to the local garage. Darn Fords.
Check those injectors. Last time I let my car sit for a few years the injector were gunked up. So check that out. You may want to check your cold start injector, if that is possible.

 

so, i went out to the garage to mess with it some more.. i messed around wiggling and making sure the connections under the dash were good. i didn't notice anything out of place.. but when i tried the key again i had power. THANK GOD! BUT.. i still have the problem of it not wanting to stay running. i am going to bed. screw it.

thanks a lot for the help! i will definately check out the injectors.

 

Sleep is good. Sounds like a plan

 

I have rarely ever heard of an ecm going bad. If it is a 165 MAF ecm or a 7730 Ecm you can pick up both of them at a Salvage yard fairly cheap or at most Autoparts stores. I wish I lived a little closer, I would give you a hand to bring her back to life. I just got back for Fort Riley, KS a couple of weeks ago.

 

i appreciate the thought, 'ibmtech'..

 

ok.. since i replaced the bulb for the ses it flashes 12's at me. BUT when i try to start the car the ses light goes on and stays on when the key is in the on position. wouldn't that mean that it picking up something wrong with the system? do i need to somehow "clear" it? i am confused as to why it would stay on but not give me a code for a problem..

 

You will always get an engine light when the car is not running with the key on or when cranking the engine over. So you don't need to worry about that.

 

sweet.. thanks bigj350.

 

Are you making any progress?

 

Another problem you might think about, With OBD-I computers if you disconnect the battery at any given time, All your codes will be deleted until the system runs properly and picks up another code. If you disconnect the power then that code will be erased again. Unless you have a hard code the intermittent code will be gone. Just something to think about.

 

i was wondering.. immediately after i replaced the ignition module it started up and ran for 30 seconds.. i am sure it died and wouldn't restart because of the bad connection from the pickup coil to the module. even though i had o'reilly check the module.. i wonder if it's bad. that was the ONLY time it actually ran and i DID buy the cheap one. it just seems odd to me that it started when i replaced it.. you know??

 

Have you messed with the injectors yet? If you have not done so already, check your plug gap. Should be .035. Do you know how to check the timing chain for slack by watching the rotor? Has the dist. been out, could it be a tooth off or 180 degrees off?

 

ok.. so i've been doing some of the body work on the car and had given up on getting it running until later. i had not tried to start it in a week or so and when i was inside the car tinkering today i decided to put the key in and see what would happen.. it started right up! it ran crappy and the tach was all over the place but it was running! i let it die and tried starting it again a few more times.. always the same thing.. it would start right up and as long as i was dancing on the gas pedal it would stay running. it would even idle for a while. SO i went to o'reillys and bought some fuel injector cleaner and dumped some in the tank. i also bought a new cap and rotor and put those on the car. now i am back to square one.. it tries to start but then just dies.

i am thinking this could be one of two things:

1)cold start injector ( kind of a guess.. but today was one of the hottest days we have had this year.. does that matter??)
2) the magnet inside the distributor (the fact that the tach was EVERYWHERE makes me think this )

ideas?? do you guys think i am on the right track?

 

I'd say no on the Cold Start Injector. The tach jumping is wierd...

I'd unplug the ECM timing control wire and see if it will idle. Then get a timing light on it! You can feather the throttle to keep it running from under the hood. Timing should be set at 6 degs. with the wire disconnected and should be steady +/- 1 deg.

 

I have a similar problem with my 85 T/A (305 TPI) at first I couldnt get it to run at all then I dropped the fuel tank and OMG what I found at the bottom of the tank!! It had sat for three years and the goop on the bottom was about an inch thick!!! It had surrounded the pickup screen and was clogging it up. I replaced the pump and screen (and the fuel level sender since I was there) flushed out the lines, replaced the fuel filter, had the injectors cleaned and it started right up. The fact that you arent getting codes tells me either fuel or throttle pos. sensor or Iac valve. Did you check your tps with a voltmeter yet?

 

Oh, also, adding fuel and fuel injector cleaner to a dirty tank will stir up the dirt allowing it to get to the pump and the fuel filter.

 

i have not checked the tps.. where is it and how do i check it?? sorry if i sound dumb but i am new to third gens. thanks..

 

Go here and read.

https://www.thirdgen.org/technical-articles

 

A injector driver can be intermittent. Also if you ECM is seeing full throttle at the TPS it will think it is in clear flood mode and will not add any fuel. I think you can disconnect the TPS and see if it still does it. Look at the A-3 chart here and go from start to finish.

http://www.chevythunder.com/ses_chart_a3a.htm

 

i was telling one of the guys at o'reillys that the good thing about my camaro is that it needs a lot of body work.. so when i get tired of trying to get it running i can take take a break and work on the body.. kind of funny. trying to stay positive i guess.

 

i was just out in the garage tinkering with the car.. i pulled off the air cleaner assembly and i was going to try to start the car and see if i could smell gas in the throttle body.. the damned thing started right up!! and stayed running pretty smoothly the whole time. it was idling at like 1500rpm and bouncing just a little. i shut it off and it started up again! i could have let it run forever (without dancing on the gas pedal!) but i don't have much gas in it and the fans need to be rewired (someone butchered the wiring). i am pleasantly baffled at the moment.. hopefully it will stay this way.

any ideas on what may be going on with it?? why all of the sudden it wants to run? it's weird.

 

well.. i unplugged a connection earlier on the passenger side of the throttle body and plugged it back in.. i am guessing there was a bad connection or something because now it starts and runs every time without fail.. YA!
Thanks to everyone on here for the help!!

 

Me and a friend did a head and cam swap on his TPI, and when we finished, it wasn't starting. We were freaked obviously. Turns out we didn't have the MAP vacuum supply plugged in. I can't remeber if we checked spark or not. I don't know if it would effect that. But I'd check that the vacuum supply and wiring harness to it are good. It is located in engine compartment either on the passengers cowl, or next to the brake booster. Here's a pic of what it looks like. http://chevythunder.com/TPI_Speed_De...MAP_sensor.jpg
Good Luck.

****Never mind, glad to hear you got it going! Didn't see you got it figured.

 

[quote=greatpumpkin_68;3761176]well.. i unplugged a connection earlier on the passenger side of the throttle body and plugged it back

I think thats about where the TPS is.

 

just to finalize this thread i wanted to let you guys know that i FINALLY got the car running. it turned out to be a faulty oil pressure switch. thanks to everyone on here for trying to help me out. much appreciated.