12V_classic

Hello everyone! I'm new to this forum and I'm looking for a little help with my RS. I inherited the car years ago from my grandparents so it's sat in a garage for many years (9 to be exact). The car is a 1988 Camaro RS, 2.8L V6 engine, automatic transmission, 28,900 original miles.

Some time ago (about 3 years ago), I got the car out and started driving it every few days. Everything was great for about a week then it started acting up. I was driving it one night and it started sputtering and wanting to die. It also had a severe lack of power. Upon limping it back to my house, I started the diagnosis.

Initially, I thought it was a clogged fuel filter. I replaced that but the problem still persisted. It almost acted like it had a miss so I did some electrical diagnosis. Made sure all the injectors were getting power with a noid light (all 6 had power as they should) so I moved on to the ECU. I noticed there was a burned ground so I replaced the whole ECU and switched over the PROM. Just to make sure, I also switched the spark plugs and checked to make sure each plug was getting spark (all of that checked out flawlessly). Also changed the MAF sensor.

After these replacements, the car actually ran decent but had a slight miss to it still. I noticed that I could fill the car up and then the fuel gauge would slowly trickle down back to E even if the car was 7/8 full (gauge was on E and took it to station to fill up and it held 2.1 gallons). So obviously I know the gauge sending unit is bad.

Later on, I had it pulled out of my garage to let it idle and all of a sudden it just died and wouldn't start. Still to this day (about 6 months later) the car will not start. The only thing it will do is turn over but never actually fire. I can start it and the car will run on starting fluid at idle for 5-10 seconds and die again. As soon as I try to give the car throttle when idling on starting fluid, it will die. My next guess is that it needs a fuel pump but I can hear it running whenever I bump the key.

Can anyone chime in on this subject and lead me in which direction to go?

So far, I've replaced all spark plugs, fuel filter, MAF sensor and ECU. I've checked injector pulse, making sure spark plugs are getting spark and made sure there are no loose/corroded grounds.

Thank you for your help! I'm new to this stuff and I want to get this old car up and running again!

FRMULA88

site unseen my guess is a weak pump, clogged fuel pump sock, clogged fuel lines, clogged fuel pressure regulator, debris in the gas tank or a combination of all the above..

sitting for 9 years with how much gas in the tank and how long did it sit at your grandparents before they gave it to you?

if it run and dies you have a fuel delivery problem plain and simple.

start with this: test the fuel pressure that engine should have a test port on the injector rail..

get the fuel pressure specs for that engine, search on this site or invest in the repair manual for your car.. it will come in handy.

odds are the fuel pressure will be out of spec and goes to zero when you give the car throttle.

check the relay make sure you have don't have corroded or loose wiring.
if all this checks out then its time to

drop the gas tank and proceed to clean the system replace the pump and sock filter the gas tank you can get boiled out to clean it,, or just buy a new one.
clean the fuel lines or replace them replace the inline filter.


keep us posted and good luck.

12V_classic

I'm definitely going to replace the fuel pump and sending unit regardless, along with the sock filter. I'm also going to do some injector resistance testing along with testing fuel rail pressure (I found 38-42psi is what it needs to be key on, engine off) this coming week.

I also have access do a professional injector cleaner that utilizes the Schrader valve on the fuel rail so I'm going to try that too if all the injectors test within spec (I was told 10.4 ohms is what I want to see).

Thanks for the help!

58mark

iTrader: (3)

My guess is the injectors are clogged. Doesn't matter if they are getting power if they have 9 years of varnish inside them

I want to see pictures of this car! sounds great

12V_classic

Going to take them out most likely and get new ones. My dad is a 28-year Honda mechanic and he said that's most likely what he would do. Plus the fuel pump and sending unit will be replaced as well.

Oh and about the pics, the one attached was taken a little while back from when it was still running but had the miss. Another is where it sits now, in the garage being used as a shelf...

12V_classic

Sorry the other one was upside-down! I don't know how hat happened! Must be something with my phone.

58mark

iTrader: (3)

very nice! don't see too many two tone RS's

12V_classic

That's very true. I saw somewhere (I believe it may have been on here) that there were only 7,038 of the RS Camaros made in 1988.

Cuco Witrago

Try unplugging the fuel line that go into the engine bay, they mostly come out around the steering collumn and then where the the fuel filter is (under the drivers side door) take the filter out and get and air compressor and blow air through the line most likely it has some stuff in it. Mine sure did it and it had something similar to yours it wouldnt fire but our problem was the Fuel Sending Unit it had corroded plugins to where the fuel pump connects to it inside. I rescued mine from a ******* over here in Texas he had it rotting away in the middle of his ranch i hope to fix all the rust by April or May.

Cuco Witrago

By the way i meant to say R3d-N3ck

12V_classic

Ok everyone, here's an update.

I've taken the upper intake plenum off and tested the resistance of each injector. The numbers are as follows per cylinder:

#1 = 16.0 ohms
#2 = 15.9 ohms
#3 = 16.1 ohms
#4 = 16.0 ohms
#5 = 15.9 ohms
#6 = 16.1 ohms

I am still yet to check the fuel pressure I tried using an old A/C gauge set but I'm almost positive they are broken. Didn't even get a reading with them with the valves all the way open.

BUT, one thing I did do kind of caught my attention. Before I took off the intake, I pushed down the pin in the fuel rail test port to see if any fuel would come out. And to my surprise, not a single drop came out! When I pushed it, I heard a "glugging" sound back at the tank but no fuel came out.

So I figured I would go back in the car and prime the pump. I bumped the key for 3 full cycles of the pump (from the time I heard it go on until it went off, then I did that again for 3 times). Upon checking the test port again, I got a little fuel this time (just enough to basically wet the threads of the test port) but still nothing what I thought I would see.

Well, that's all I've found out today. I'm still asking around friends and family to find a fuel pressure gauge before I go spend the money on one.

Thanks for the help everyone! This is by far one of the most responsive and helpful forums I am a part of!

12V_classic

Update! I finally got a fuel pressure gauge and checked the pressure. Not good.

After priming and getting the car to run off of starting fluid, the max the gauge ever got to was right at 8-9psi.

Without the car running, I ran the pump through 3 prime cycles (3 bumps of the key until I heard the pump go off each time) and only got the gauge to a max of 5psi.

So is it safe to say that the culprit is a bad fuel pump?

Bobby Suth

iTrader: (2)

theres a small section of black hose made of some kind of foam rubber that conects the fuel pump to the sending unit body.when theres no or little fuel in the tank it rots and splits so the pump runs but will not alow fuel to leave the tank. as long as it sat you need to clean the tank out anyway.shouldnt even start one till tank is cleand and lines are blown out.dropin the tanks not as bad as it sounds.just block it up good.dont wanta get hurt.make sure to unhook the e break cable off the small s hook on passanger side.the trick is getting that rearend down all the way.tires off,car up!READ the book and all the info on TGO.search droping the gas tank

FRMULA88

are you fixing it or making love to it?!

It is much easier to just check the fuel pressure than scew around checking the injectors.

eliminate the obvious / easy before making assumptions.

your fuel pump is shot and or the filter sock, fuel line, & tank are full of gunk.
avoiding the situation is not going to fix it.

A mechanic indentifies and corrects the problem the first time thus saving time & money.

A novice guesses and throws parts at the problem believing eventually he will fix the problem but in reality he is wasting time and money.