hey guys,
i'm having a real tough time getting my camaro started; it's a 305 tpi. it needed a new starter so i unplugged the battery, installed the new starter, went to start it up and it just cranked. i tried shooting some starter fluid through the intake and it would start for half a second and then die. it ran before i replaced the starter, so is this a computer related issue or does this sound more like something else? the computer has a performance chip, and then engine is supercharged (just for some more background info).
kevin

 

well if it got fire with starting fluid, then its a fuel delivery issue.(sounds dumb, but are you sure it has fuel in the tank?) lol you can start with something as simple as taking the gas cap off, have someone cycle the key, and listen for the fuel pump to energize. if you do hear it, then move on to testing fuel pressure.....if you dont hear it then that does not neccesarily mean that it is not energizing, but from my experience, you will usually be able to hear it. either way i would move on to fuel pressure next. post with the results and we can go from there

 

lol yeah there's fuel in the tank. i can hear the fuel pump cycle, and the fuel rail has a gauge on it and it reads around 50psi if i remember. the fuel pressure holds and doesn't show any signs of a bad pressure regulator. i checked the oil and it's milky as all hell, i thought it might be a head gasket but a buddy of mine said it could be a result of a botched porting job. i'm waiting to hear back from him and if i can't get anywhere i'm just gonna put a "for sale" sign in the window.

 

thats weird lol i would bust out the noid lights, check for injectors firing. dont give up on her yet man lol let me know what you find out

 

i had it towed to my school today and i talked to my teacher. we did a pressure test on the cooling system and it actually showed no leaks. so some how there's coolant getting into the crank case from a nonexisting leak and we've pretty much ruled out any kind of crack because the cooling system still holds pressure! i'm pretty much stumped on this one so i'm in the process of tearing down the intake and i'm just checking gaskets along the way to look for leaks. if i can't find anything i'll get the heads checked and anything other than that i'm really not willing to do lol.

 

you got a pic of the supercharger. what kind?

 

hey someone correct me if im wrong, but if you pressure test the system, then how do you know its not leaking in the engine or behind the thermostat. cuz if its cold, shouldnt the thermostat block any pressure from going past it to pressurize the block and heads? im not sure, so like i said, correct me if im wrong.

 

the pressure travels through the lower radiator hose and pressurizes the rest of the system as well as through the top hose.

and as for the pic: https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...w-camaros.html

they're in this thread.

 

i checked the oil and it's milky as all hell,

Ummmm Hello, you got coolant in your engine.......NOT GOOD! And you should kick your teach in the head for doing a pressure test and pushing more coolant into the engine.

Sorry Kid, this really sucks....I know, happened to me 7 yrs ago...leaky intake gasket!

 

How long did you test for 2 mins, 5 mins, or 20 mins?

 

If it is leaking into to the engine, the pressure on the test gauge will drop slowly. Trust Me, its leaking.....he just hasn't found the source yet!

It could be leaking at different temps. Sometimes leaks could happen when engine is cold, and other times when its hot. Remember, metel expands and contracts at different rates and temps, causing the cracks in the gaskets to open and closeup!

 

lol no ****, i know i have coolant in the engine. i did the pressure test on the cooling system for about 5 mins, and it went down from 10 psi to about 8 psi. not fast enough to be alarmed, but slow enough to second guess the quality of the tester it self. so i am in the process of doing gaskets on the top end and i'll see what kind of results i can get. and as for doing the pressure test, it's necessary to find out where the leak could be. yes there's coolant in the engine but no it won't start, remember this is a "no start situation" thread. my teacher is doing his best to teach me diagnosis skills for my future trade.