I am getting fuel to the rail but the injectors don't seem to be firing. I have ohm tested the injectors and they were all at 16.8. I tried to check pulse with a test light but wasn't sure if they were pulsing or not. The test light would dim wile cranking and kinda flicker but it flickered so fast that I think it may have just been from the power draw of the motor turning over. I tried unplugging one injector and starting it then plugging that one in and unplugging another with no results.

 

Do you have +12 at the injectors with the key on? Do you have spark? You might try unplugging/re-plugging the distributor connectors. The ECM needs the signal from the dist to know when to fire them. Do you have the VATS security system? That can keep the injectors from firing also.

 

I rented a fuel pressure test kit from autozone before I replaced the fuel pump but returned it already. I'll have to go back and rent it again to check the pressure.

Yes I have spark.

I have already unplugged and replugged the connectors on both the distributor and coil.

Yes the car has VATS and I thought that might have been the problem and tested it earlier today. When I unplugged the connector with the 2 yellow wires under the drivers dash it disabled the starter and the security light no longer came on with the key in the ON position. I have read that those wires are what looks for the resistor in the ignition key. I also tested the resistance of the key and only got 6 ohms. If I'm reading it right the chart in the below link says I should have at least 386 ohms correct?

https://www.thirdgen.org/vats_passkey_system

 

Bump

 

Yes, at least 386 ohms. Do you have more than one key?

 

yes and it was the same... I used the same settings on the multimeter that I used to check the ohms of the injectors.

 

That doesn't make sense. Are you use the meter isn't showing a multiplier (x10, x100, x1000)?

 

I went ahead and just took a couple pictures of my settings and the meter. I dont know a whole lot about it so it probably easiest if I took the pictures. Sorry about the quality I took them with my phone. Yes it is old and dirty but it works great.


My settings





The reading I get from the key

 

In the bottom pic, that's the 20M range (unless that dot is dust), so when it reads "5.91", it's 5.91M or 5910000 ohms. If it read 6 on the 200 ohm scale, it would really be 6 ohms. That's pretty much an "open" circuit which still doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

Sooo, am I doing it wrong? Is there anyway to bypass the VATS other than adding a resistor? I thought it would always disable the injectors and starter but I guess that doesnt mean it could have malfunctioned. Thanks for the help by the way.

 

Look at the second to last picture. That is a dust dot next to the 20MOHMsetting. The meter is set to the 20KOHM scale, which will read from 0 to 20KOHM. The meter is actually reading 5.91KOHM or 5910 ohms.

The meter settings are determined by the notch in the *****, for both the upper and lower *****.

Based on the chart at the link posted above, you need key blank #12. Take it to a locksmith and have him test it if you are not sure how to read the ohmmeter function on your meter.

If you use the search function in the Electronics board, you should find several threads for disabling the VATS system.

Dave

 

Does it have 10 year old gas in the tank?

If yes, replace the gas with new gas. Gas goes bad.

I have small engines which will not run with gas just 1 year old.

 

Ok ill do a search, The only reason I needed to know the ohms for the key was to see if it was still working and to know what resistor I need to disable the VATS system. I should be able to do it now that I know what ohms the key is. Thats some good info, that will help me out alot.







It did have bad gas in it but I drained it and cleaned the tank real good when I dropped it to change the fuel pump. It has about 5 gals of new fresh gas in it.

 

I got an idea on how to test the injectors to see if they are the problem. I got the fuel pressure guage and hooked it up to the schrader valve on the fuel rail and had 43psi with the key in the ON position. Then, I unplugged one injector at a time and put 12v to them. The fuel pressure should bleed off if the injector is working, well I tried it on 4 of them and non of them seemed to be working. So, I guess my injectors are gummed up and will have to be cleanned or replaced.

That all sound about right to you guys?

 

But is there new gas in the fuel lines and at the injectors? Or just in the tank?

Perhaps you could loosen a line and get the new gas up to the injectors?

Then use starting fluid to get it to run a bit and work it the rest of the way to the injectors...

 

I flushed the lines out all the way up to the motor, then I let fuel out of the rail with the schrader valve.

 

Buy a noid lite and plug it into one of the fuel injector connections and see if the injector is getting a signal from the distributor. If not, then the electronic gizmo inside the distributor is bad. You can buy just the electronic gizmo at a good parts store. You do not have to buy a new distributor.

Its all about fuel-- air-- spark. If you are getting all three than it should start. Since you gotta have the air part of this equation, you are down to fuel and spark.