As some of you might have heard, the day my CHC headers arrived in the mail, my car broke down. This weekend, I hope to fix it.

I am 99% sure that the problem is the engine not getting fuel. Turns and turns but....

Before I replace the fuel pump, I want to make a list of all the things to check beforehand...I know the fuel pump fuse is good, but thats the only thing I have checked. If you guys could help me make a list of the things I need to look at, I'll get this thing fixed and get my headers on as soon as possible and let you know how that goes.

Jason

 

First, check and see if the fuel pump actually has power going to it with a volt meter. Then you would probably want to see if the fuel pump is actually doing anything or not. If it is, then it could be that the Fuel Pressure Regulator is not building any fuel pressure, but allowing all the pumped fuel to return to the tank. A really professional shop will have a flow meter that they can hook up where your filter is. They can not only tell you if the pump is pumping or not, but if it is flowing enough and with enough pressure for proper operation. There is a shop that I use sometimes around here that can do this. It may save you some time to have it checked that way. If you do have to replace the pump, go on and put the V8 pump in there. That is about the only replacement made anyway, and it will be an upgrade for the 6.

 

Also make sure the car is getting spark. A no spark condition would cause it to crank and crank and crank.

Check ignition module, ignition coil and pickup coil inside the distributor.

 

I need to check the filter too (just remembered)

WHile I was driving on the interstate (short trip) a few hours earlier, It shut off while I was braking on an exit, but then I stopped it and cranked it back up. Later that night it wouldnt start again.

Could something be clogging my filter? Where is it at? (The fuel system is about the only thing I've never worked on on this car)

 

Fuel filter is in back, right next to the tank on the "floor board" under the car.

You can also check and see if you are getting pressure at the schrader valve up on the engine.


Sounds like your on the right track.

Just for giggles, if you havent reset the battery, check and see if their is a code. I had a sensor go out, no SES light, but had a code other then 12.

 

I had to get a new friggin battery just to go through this...it wasn't turning at all at first

 

I have a feeling it could have something to do with spark...haven't really thought about that.

Something in my ignition was going bad a couple months prior, so we just ran a remote starter into the car; thats how I've been starting it. That still makes it turn over; the key, however, still does nothing (except it has to be turned forward for me to use the remote starter.

 

To check spark, could I just take out one of the spark plugs, leave it hooked to the wire, and try to crank it and look and see if it produces a spark?

 

Ok, about to show my stupidity here.

In my tail tail repair books, it says that the mpfi v6 and the v8 use the same pressure.

But I search online and it does show 2 diff pumps.

So what is the difference?? I take it the v8 one will not blow the regulator on the v6.


So I'm tad here

 

I think its like the difference between V6 and V8 injectors; both work, but get the V8 ones if you can.

How should I jack up the car? I wish I could drive it up on my ramps.

 

How do I do this? If there is pressure, does it mean my pump is good?

 

89dude, you need a fuel pressure tester tool. I bought mine at autozone, think it will cost you around a 20 spot to get it.

Screw it on, turn key to "radio on" postion, (fuel pump kicks in their) and then go check the guage, should be between 41-47. If not the pump will be bad.


Anyone correct me if I'm wrong their, I only used it once when I thought I had a bad fuel pump in mine, and it was the ECT sensor.

 

this is the first thing i would do. put a flat head screw driver in one of the spark boots and touch it with part of the strut tower brace that is metal. have someone try to start the car if it sparks you have spark if not replace you ignition module, not your coil just yet. module cost like 25 bucks at autozone and go inside your distributor. if you still have no spark check to see if you are gettig anyting out of your coil that hooks to the top of the distributor but doesn't go to any of the plugs(only one). when you turn your key on to two clicks you should here the fuel pump turn on the shut off, if you don't hear that then your pump is bad. your fuel pressure regultor only works if you get the pump to work. if your pump is working and you have spark you should have green for go, but if not then i would check yo regulator and or some kind of restriction in the fual lines like a backed up ffual filter. hope this helps

 

You are right about the fuel pressure being the same for the MPFI V6 and the Tuned Port V8. I have researched this, and GM had three different fuel pumps that they put into the firebirds and camaros. There is a pump that only goes to 15 or 16 PSI, and is used on the Throttle Body V8 only. There is a smaller high pressure (45-50 psi) pump that is used on the V6 fuel injected cars, and a larger high pressure pump for the 305 and 350 tuned port cars. Most parts houses only have one pump for all of the high pressure fuel injected engines, though. The V8 pump will work in the V6 engine, and you won't have to ever worry about fuel starvation. Actually, to upgrade the fuel delivery system in a V6 for a supercharger or a heavy nitrous shot or something, we only need to swap to the V8 fuel pump, and probably bigger injectors.

 

This morning, just for the heck of it, I tried cranking it, and for a brief moment, it actually cranked up and everything worked, then suddenly it shut off.

I'm going to go buy a volt meter and a fuel pressure guage and start looking at this stuff.

Thanks a bunch.

 

must be a fuel problem. somewhere you engine is starving for fuel. i would check the filter, pump, and regulator. if it started you can skip the elctronic part of the diasgnosing i metioned because firing up means yo have spark.

 

I got one, where do i screw it in?

 

Revelation

We tried cranking it up one more time before hooking up the tester, and this time we could smell fuel. So, we unhooked one of the spark plugs and tried to crank the engine.

It wasn't producing a spark. didn't even get warm. But, it was not soaked in gasoline, either.

My dad pulled the wire off the coil (at least I think that's what it was) and there was some corrosion.

Now what should I do?

 

Ok, sorry made ya go buy a fuel pressure tester. However, they do and will come in handy. The place you screw it on two is on the fuel rail, right infront of the distrib. I would still go and test it.


Sounds like you need new sp wires. And check cap/rotor while at it. Inspect the coil terminal. If it looks funky, replace the coil too.

 

THis test made no spark.

if you still have no spark check to see if you are gettig anyting out of your coil that hooks to the top of the distributor but doesn't go to any of the plugs(only one).

I think this might be what I saw, the one by itself had some corrosion.

 

ok i'm now confused. i thought you said you got the car to turn over and run but then died. if that is true then you have spark. if it satill isn't sparking then i would replaced your ignition module and ignition coil. they are like 25.00 a piece but i would replace the coil first. 9 time out of 10 that's the answer. let me know what happens. do you hear the fuel pump kick on with two clicks on the ignition switch????? if so then you have goodfuel pressure. there aren't many things in the way besides the filter and dampener in the lines.

 

i'm sorry not the coil the module. the module goes into the dstributor with the whte litheum grease like stuff on it. my brother on his 88 iroc was driving down the road and the car just stopped. it would turn over and the fuel ressure was fine. we replaced the ignition module and bingo it started right up. i've only seen a couple cases where that wasn't the case. one was the ignition coil along with the module then it fired up, and the other was the whole distributor was shot and not getting any spark. how many miles do you have on this car? was it in a flood or had any damage with another car to it to let rain water down the cowl of the hood into the distributor??? over time condensation gets in there and can rust out some parts. Ked85 i believe has a distibutor rebuild article that really works well.

 

The very first time I cranked it today, it ran for a second. It was later on that we tried again and wouldn't crank, but then we smelled fuel.

So it was sparking this morning, but I don't think it is now. I am going to check both the fuel pressure tomorrow, and I might do the ignition module to. What the hell, might as well do some spark plug wires too.

By the time I get the headers on (if ever) this car will rock.

 

Not trying to get you to spend more $, but do you have a haynes manual for your car. They have a great trouble shooting section in it. And I belive it will tell you in more detail how to check the fuel pressure.
Also has ways to test some of the igntion parts.

If inside a wire was corroded, esp the coil wire. I would start their and work my way around.

These cars do have a tendencie to have bad pumps. But before you go to that hassle, check the pressure first.

 

Dead head pressure for both pumps, v6 mpfi and v8 tpi, is 60 PSI. But the v8 one is a higher volume pump than the v6. A guy on the TPI board found this out a year or so ago; he listed volume numbers, but I can't find where I saved the file, and the message is gone

 

i have a 3.1v6 with 177,000 miles on the car. THE HOLE CAR IS ORIGINAL!!!! that includes the fuel system, ignition, and mostly everything else except for ES sway bar bushings. i Just put a new engine in it because my past one had 2 loud engine taps. i find it hard to see it being bad unless the previous owner really romped on the car and drained the tank to the max before filling everytime. less fuel in the tank means the pump can get hotter and thus creating more strain on it.

 

As a broke *** college student, I have done this quite a few times.

My Haynes manual isn't too great for diagnostics, but there is test to can do to see that the pump is coming on with the ALDL, and it did make a gurgle, so I'm thinking that's probably not it after all.

I'm thinking of changing the coil, module, and wires write off the bat. I am also gonna look into KED's distributor rebuild.