I own a 1992 z28 350 25th. anniversary Camaro and ive spent tons of money and now it wont start i think its the fuel pump or fuses or whatever i just cant figure it out and when my car does run it has a dead miss in it meaning heads or something. I was wondering if there is anyone in the houston area willing to help me figure out all these problems i dont have thousands of dollars to pay a mechanic. My goal is to attend the Super Chevy show in baytown Texas on sept. 29-30 it will be the first time i've missed this show in 10 years anyone willing to help a fellow 3rd. gen. enthusiasts?

 

A dead miss does not mean heads. It can be caused by a number of fairly minor issues. I am not in your area. We quite often help members diagnose their own vehicles but we need alot more information that what you've given.

 

start by checking you have ignition spark and fuel pressure, then use a multi meter to check the ohms resistance on the injectors and use the multi meter to check all fuses,that you have 12 volts at the coil, then if it gets started Id suggest posting your fuel pressure, and what your timings set at, then pull the plugs and post clear pictures of each label each plug as to cylinder, do a compression test on each cylinder while the plugs are out and pull trouble codes.
if you get it running pull each plug wire in sequence then replace it(wear insulated gloves) and it should start running rough as each is temp removed, if theres little or no change that cylinders not firing,
post the cylinder compression readings along with clear pictures of each spark plug
if you take a step by step and logical approach you can locate and isolate then correct the problem.

 

Ok today i had all the spark plugs, wires, cap and rotor replaced all fuse's checked all vaccum lines replaced everything i can think of without getting into the motor i still have a dead miss like its running on 7 and i set the timing back to stock eventhough i usually run it 8 degrees advance for more power. im not really sure how to do a compression test like grumpyvette suggested but ive done everything else.

 

Grumpyvette has detailed a basic power balance test, removing one plug wire at a time to look for a drop in idle. This is the key to finding your bad cylinder. Points to remember for performing this test on an EFI motor are first, disconnect the IAC so that it won't compensate for the drop in idle and foul your results. Second, to help you remove the wires more easily. It's often helpful to loosen all the wires first so that they just lay on the plug. This makes them easier to remove during the test. Perform the test on a cold engine, rather than after it has run for several minutes. This will help prevent burns. Insulated gloves are one method for preventing electric shock when handling the wires. I use a pair of spark plug wire pliers that I outfitted with a ground strap.

When you do perform the compression test, after pinpointing the weak cylinder, hold the throttle fully open when cranking to get the best readings.