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Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

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Old Oct 13, 2009 | 06:33 PM
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Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

Im new to this model camaro and to tbi. I bought a 92 RS the guy who i bought it off of said he was having problems with it when he parked it. It wont hold a idle and when u rev it it stumbles and trys to die. You can feather the gas and bring the rev's up and it'll try to hold a idle but slowly it'll die. So far ive changed the fuel filter, cut the cat off, and changin the spark plugs tommorow. I looked at the injectors and there spraying gas out but dont know for sure if its enuf yet. Where is a good place in the fuel line to check the fuel pressure? Any ideas would be greatly apperciated
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Old Oct 13, 2009 | 08:08 PM
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From: canada
Car: 84 trans am
Engine: 305 carb
Transmission: 700r4
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Re: Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

check the map sensor
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Old Oct 13, 2009 | 08:47 PM
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Re: Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

Originally Posted by joseph80
Im new to this model camaro and to tbi. I bought a 92 RS the guy who i bought it off of said he was having problems with it when he parked it. It wont hold a idle and when u rev it it stumbles and trys to die. You can feather the gas and bring the rev's up and it'll try to hold a idle but slowly it'll die. So far ive changed the fuel filter, cut the cat off, and changin the spark plugs tommorow. I looked at the injectors and there spraying gas out but dont know for sure if its enuf yet. Where is a good place in the fuel line to check the fuel pressure? Any ideas would be greatly apperciated

You can rent an Actron fuel pressure tester at autozoneand it connects to you fuel lines along the driver side (right next to the exhaust manifolds along the frame rail). If you see anything less than 9PSI (give or take a PSI) you pump is dying. Chances are this is the case. TBI pumps have the habit of slowly dying, just enough to make the engine struggle.
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Old Oct 14, 2009 | 12:19 AM
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From: Cary, North Carolina
Car: 1992 RS
Engine: Carbed 350
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.42 posi
Re: Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

Is the SES light on? Have you pulled codes?
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Old Oct 14, 2009 | 06:52 AM
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Re: Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

Is there a way to check the MAP sensor??

Im goin to try to get a fuel pressure reading later today

no haven't checked codes dont have a code checker, so far after i cut the cat off the SES light has went off
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Old Oct 14, 2009 | 07:10 AM
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Re: Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

Originally Posted by joseph80
Is there a way to check the MAP sensor??

Im goin to try to get a fuel pressure reading later today

no haven't checked codes dont have a code checker, so far after i cut the cat off the SES light has went off
You don't need a code reader. Just follow these steps.

https://www.thirdgen.org/service-eng...ht-error-codes
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Old Oct 14, 2009 | 11:47 AM
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From: Cary, North Carolina
Car: 1992 RS
Engine: Carbed 350
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Re: Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

Originally Posted by Ozz1967
You don't need a code reader. Just follow these steps.

https://www.thirdgen.org/service-eng...ht-error-codes

EVERYONE has a code reader! It's a peperclip!
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Old Oct 14, 2009 | 04:38 PM
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Re: Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

Did not know that, thats awesome. Im all about sum shade tree mechanicing. Soon as it quits rainin ill check it and let u know
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Old Oct 14, 2009 | 07:35 PM
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Re: Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

well i dont have a autozone around here just a advanced auto and they dont have a fuel pressure gauge that adapts to my fuel lines, so i figure ill just buy a fuel pump and go ahead and change it, figure i can save a few bux since it'll probably have to be changed anyway
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Old Oct 14, 2009 | 08:22 PM
  #10  
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From: Cary, North Carolina
Car: 1992 RS
Engine: Carbed 350
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.42 posi
Re: Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

OK ...
1) not that I don't like Advance for certain stuff, but as much of a pain as a fuel pump is to swap, I'd NOT get one from Advance - get a Napa or Carquest part
2) before I'd do a fuel pump swap, I'd spend $15 on a 2 ft chunk of rubber fuel injection hose, a few barbed fittings that will screw into the TBI and the supply line, and a $10 fuel pressure guage. Remove the hardline from the TBI and put in the rubber line, with the pressure guage inline on the rubber hose with a few muffler clamps to hold it all together.
3) Also check the fuse beside the battery - it's tucked in the fenderwell. If it's blown, the the Oil Pressure Sending Unit isn't getting any power to supply the fuel pump with power.

The OPSU runs the pump with a direct connection from the battery IF there is oil pressure. If that battery fuse is blown, then no power to OPSU, thus no pump running.

There are 2 theories on this - 1) the OPSU wiring is a backup for the fuel pump in case the ECM is not supplying power to the pump through the relay, and 2) the OPSU supplies ALL the power to the pump during operation, and that the ECM only supplies the initial 'priming' power through the relay to 'prime' the system for startup, and that the OPSU system is a safety system designed to cut the car off in the evnt that low or no oil pressure is detected.

Regardless - the OPSU is designed to run the fuel pump, and that fuse being blown will stop it from functioning. ALSO - if you subscribe to the 2nd theory, replacing the OPSU for $30 is a helluva lot easier than replacing the fuel pump, and worth a shot before dropping the rear axle, exhaust, and tank to replace a fuel pump. The OPSU is located above your oil filter on the block, and has a 3 wire connector going to it - the smaller wire is for the oil pressure guage, the larger two supply the power to the fuel pump - one wire comes from battery and will have 12+ always (assuming that fuse is not blown), other wire runs to the pump.

Try some of that before you drop the tank - cause replacing fuel pump is not a fun job!
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Old Oct 14, 2009 | 09:35 PM
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Re: Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

very much information for newbies, im one and i feel welcome
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Old Oct 15, 2009 | 05:13 PM
  #12  
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Re: Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

I found a fuel pressure gauge on ebay im buying so i'll check it before i get into all that.

I tryed to read the codes and the 6 and 12 pin didnt work but the 5 and 6 pin did but it just kept flashing 3 times, once then a pause then 2 times fast, wat does that mean?
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Old Oct 16, 2009 | 05:15 PM
  #13  
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Re: Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

Anybody know what im doing wrong to get the codes?
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Old Oct 16, 2009 | 05:51 PM
  #14  
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From: Fairhope, AL
Car: 89RS(other cars & pics in vBgarage)
Engine: LO3, 305 TBI Mildly Modified
Transmission: BakerBuilt 700R4 w/B&M Megashifter
Axle/Gears: 3.23 Auburn Pro Series LSD
Re: Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

once and then 2 flash is a code 12, meaning the SES seystem is working
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Old Oct 16, 2009 | 05:57 PM
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Re: Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

Any updates?
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Old Oct 16, 2009 | 06:04 PM
  #16  
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From: South Dakota
Car: 91 Firebird
Engine: 350 tbi
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Re: Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

i had a similar problem with my firebird and it was caused by two plug wires being swapped around, it also showed a code 32 at the time so i gave it a tune up, got all the wires in order and it was good to go
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Old Oct 17, 2009 | 06:45 AM
  #17  
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Re: Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

so if im getting a code 12 guess that means its not picking anything up??

ive went back over the fuel system to check for leaks and such and there arent any so ive decided to just changed the fuel put cause when i prime it and keep pumpin the gas itll run but soon as i quit it dies and the exhaust smells like its runnin lean
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Old Oct 18, 2009 | 12:12 PM
  #18  
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Re: Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

Alright well yesterday i tore into changing the fuel pump, when i got it out i noticed the rubber piece that connects the pump to the fuel line had a cut in it. So i figure that was the problem i went ahead and changed the pump and everything and the car started up just fine. Took it down the road and it was still sputtering and backfireing and trying to die but i still havent been able to get a pipe welded up where i cut the catalitic cut off so that mite be it.
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Old Oct 19, 2009 | 07:02 PM
  #19  
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Re: Newbie needs motor help 305 tbi

So now the problem im having is it will idle strong and i can rev the motor and its fine as long as its in park, but when i shift into drive or reverse it'll bog down and try to die. Wat could be causeing that??
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