Ok my third gen friends my 1992 camaro RS heritage 25th anniversary edition car is being quite the problem maker for me and i need help once again. I have had service engine light on pulled the code manually and code read was EGR. I have replaced all the vacuum lines and all the gaskets down through the intake manifold. worked and ran good for a bit. Rechecked the work and found the bolts/nuts were not all tight on the EGR ........once tightened the drag/tow feeling the car had went away. Driving for a week only back and forth to work was fine no problems. did some in town errands and the engine just died. dash lights and all flashed and blinked. stopped and started to restart and engine would lope/surge/hunt and when put in gear die. let it sit a bit longer and started fine ran smooth dropped on gear and had no power. felt like there was a drag on the engine and the tranny would not shift unless i let up on the gas. slow slow drive home until about 10 miles away and engine started cutting out and backfired a few times. RPMs on the way would not drop under 2.5g and the temp ran warmer than usual at 220 (never red lined) about 6 miles from home died completely and would not restart at all. engine would crank over but not fire. everything i know points to timing i.e. distributer rotor cap and so on. guess i am asking for more insight from you out here that have more experience than what i have. i am very frustrated and just want my lady to run right. any questions you need for more information from me please ask and i will do my best to answer. Tired of chasing what seems like a ghost problem in my car

 

Hard to say. Ghost problems are almost always electrical in nature. That could mean ignition (just a shot distributor or coil) or electrical as in a fuel pump that's shot. Or just a ground that's not connected/corroded.

Will it fire up on starting fluid? If so, the ignition system is probably OK.

My experience with TBI engines is that the fuel pump can be dying for a while before you notice it. Next thing you know it will only idle in neutral, dying when you try to put any load on it. Then it won't start at all.

 

I don't know if it will fire up using starting fluid yet as I have not yet tried to.. The other thing I forgot to mention was that other codes pulled were Code 44 and 45 (lean and rich exhaust) I am at my wits end with this white lady of mine. Thank you for the help and will let you know on any progress or changes in status. Thank you again

 

I know it has been awhile since i posted the problems I am having and here is what I have found and done. The timing is set correctly. Injectors have pulse, fuel pressure is correct and getting to the fuel rail, there is spark, replaced the oil pressure sending gauge. Everything that is required for the engine to run checks out. I am still at the same point the engine cranks over and not fire to run. I have a VATS system in the car and have done some reading on it. Does anyone have any experience with this system? and if so, could this be part of what is ailing my car?? Can it be reset or bypassed? any help and all insights are greatly appreciated

 

If you have spark, fuel, compression and timing the motor will fire.


1. You said you checked spark, how? What color was the spark? Did you just see one spark or did you keep cranking?

2. What's your fuel pressure? You said it's getting to the rails but are the injectors working properly? Did you try spraying some starting fluid in there?

3. You obviously have compression so I wouldn't worry about that.

4. Are you positive on the distributor timing? Set the motor to #1 TDC and look at where the rotor is. Should be slightly advanced from #1 wire.

 

You won't have pulsing at the injectors if the VATS is interfering, it also won't crank at all. Lean AND rich sounds like fuel pressure or injector problems to me. I suggest taking an ohm reading of each injector and report the results.

 

When you checked the timing did you do so with the timing wire disconnected? If not, it will be VERY retarded from where it needs to be while starting/running.

 

The color of the spark was yellow on cylinders 1 & 6. I kept cranking and the spark was there as I cranked. Don't think the battery was fully charged, but it was enough to crank over the engine. I don't have a fuel pressure gauge. Put some gas in the throttle body, engine did not start. The fuel pump relay is ok. Also, I can hear the fuel pump turn on and then shut off after a few seconds.

 

Strong spark should be blue. Consider you may have some ignition issues. How long since you've replaced plugs/wires/cap/rotor? I doubt this is the cause of the no start but you'll want to do a full tune up.

As you crank, SPRAY starting fluid from an aerosol can into the throttle body. The fluid must be aerated.

I'm betting your injectors aren't firing. You can also detach an injector from the intake but attached to the rail, keep it plugged in. Crank the motor. It should eject some fuel.

If you spray in starting fluid and it starts that's your problem. If it starts with the fluid next verify if injectors are firing or not.