Hey guys, quick question for you. 84 T/A, CC Qjet with cap in coil dizzy.

Since the weather has gotten warmer, my Firebird has gotten harder and harder to start. When I leave it over night and come out in the morning, I'll turn the key on to prime the fuel pump, pump the gas once and turn the key to start. It'll fire, then die immediately. Then it'll just crank and crank and crank before eventually firing over and starting. Took over a minute of cranking this morning to start. While it's doing this, sometimes it will shudder as it "tries" to fire, but just stumbles and goes back to cranking. When it catches, it fires up immediately, but...getting it to fire is the hard part. Once started it runs and idles fine, no issues. I was wondering if any of you had any ideas on where to look? Would this be a timing issue? Thanks for any assistance!

 

Good day, I am having the exact same problem, I just changed my injectors with remaned bosch III, car idles great and has sooo much more power than before, just having the same issue with starting

I notice it doesnt start after running, after it warms up, I drove it this morning 30 min to work, shut car off and tried to start, just cranks, after 30 min, tried again and car cranked longer than normal, but fired up. Shut it off and try to start, no go

before injector swap the car started right away, it ran like crap, but it started, now it will start after sitting, cranks longer than normal, but must sit and cool before starting again -- also I can hear fuel pump prime when i first turn key, i checked fuel pressure after swap and it was good, or was told in another post it was good.

car is a 88 trans am GTA, 305 TPI, 5 speed

could it be ignition control module?

 

Sounds like a timing issue to me, I been working with timing, a few things but timing being off can make you miss forever... or fire off the first crank if timed right. If you aren't too far off time which you shouldn't be if it is starting at all unplug the EST wire which on my car is on the passenger side it's a single wire "Brown with a black stripe" the color faded some so almost looks like a white/brown lol but with a black stripe... then Loosen your Distributor I believe 14mm then rotate it while someone tries to start it till you get it to fire up, then put it in gear hold the break and make sure it sounds like it isn't missing etc... lock it down plug up the EST and hopefully that'll solve your issue.

 

yours sounds like a ICM mine went out on me the other day which is why I had to start working on me, ICM, Plugs, Wires fixed my issue. I found it after tossing parts at it, went with Ignition Coil, Pickup Coil, Button, Cap, ICM - Which ICM got it running, Plugs and Wires finished it off and made it run smooth.

 

many thanks, guess i know what i am doing this weekend, replacing the ICM

is there a test I can do with the ICM still in the car to confirm it is the problem?

time to search for instructions on how to do the swap

 

New ICM installed and issue continues, car only starts when it wants, cranks long time b4 starting

any other ideas I can look into?

 

An update on mine, it was the module in the distributor. Swapped it out and now it's running and starting fine.

Lakeport,

Spark, Fuel and air are needed for ignition. Pretty sure we can rule out air. Make sure you're timing is ok and that you have good fuel pressure. I'd also swap the coil and double check your plugs. what do they look like? Clean, black and oily? Charred/burnt looking?

 

New plugs installed with new injectors, fuel pressure with key in on position goes up to 45 psi, after 30 min still had 30 psi, did a leak down ttest after injectors installed.

did some testing last night, the coil does not have the original mount, noticed that it moves when engine is cranking, and if you hold it in place car will crank 2 seconds and then fire up, i am stopping tonight and getting a new coil on way home from work, hopefully this will solve the startn problem

 

update

replaced coil and still havn long crank hard to start, what should i check?

 

Have you replaced the module that sits under the rotor of your distributor? It's got electrical connectors off both ends and a round resistor or RFI lead attached to it. That provides power to the coil. That's what went bad on mine.

 

If it is the Ignition Control Module, then yes, i replaced it

 

So your spark is good, because it runs once started. No spark = no run at all. You're airfilter isn't clogged, so you have enough air. Your fuel is good, because you say it's got good fuel pressure and it runs well once started. Starting to go back towrds timing as indicated earlier.

OK. Once you get it running, have you checked the timing? Factory setting is 6* btdc with the four wire connector on the distributor disconnected. Check your timing and get back with us. If you want, use the proceedure maxjivi05 mentioned, so far as diconnecting the distributor. I'd just pull the ECM fuse, but that's how I do it. At idle, timing light on the marker, should be reading 6* btdc (above the 0) or close to 6*. I'm starting to think this will be way off. Too advanced/retarded and the spark will be well off the fuel and it won't start.

 

thank you for the help, I will try this on the weekend and post update early next week, many thanks to all again