Maybe you guys can help me. Went outside this morning for work, car would crank fine, i heard the pump come on, but would not fire. Well, actually started to fire, and then died.

Tried to start it again, just lots of fast cranking.

Decided to leave it alone cause i was already late for work, took my truck, so no big deal there.

Come home after work, fuel pump is coming on, cranks normal, but still no go. Try this a few more times and it starts . It runs for about 10 seconds and dies.

It starts up like normal on the next crank, runs like normal, i let it warm up to a normal temp, put it in drive, and it dies. Start it up again, get halfway down my driveway and it dies again. I start it one more time, runs fine, everything is normal. And this time i take it all over town with no ill effects. I even stop to turn it off, and it fires back up.


Just ran out there again, and it fires up like brand new. Any ideas? The car had been sitting since friday night, but geez, that was only 2 days.

I assume it is not fuel, i could hear the pump come on every time, and it is only about 2 years old. I guess i shoudl start checking spark first. but how do i do that now that it is running?


Any hellp would be much appreciated.

Tim

 

Get a paper clip and take off one spark plug wire and put it in the wire and hold it up the tip of the spark plug, look at what kind of spark you get.

 

You can do a spark test with a paperclip??? Damn.. Just keep your fingers away from that spark..bet that 38,000 volts (doubt it's that much if it's original coil) probably makes for one hell of a shock! Good thing amperage is low....

By the way, if you're a wimp like me, they sell spark testers with an adjustable spark jump length on them...I believe they have them for about $7 at Discount Auto Parts (sometimes called Advance Auto Parts)

 

OKay, update

It would not start this morning, fuel pump was kicking on, no fire. I will try to check the spark tonight.,

ANy other ideas, or anyone else have the same problem?

 

That *twitch* spark *twitch* really *twitch* has *twitch* more *twitch* than *twitch* enough *twitch* amperage *twitch*.

I've been zorted by HEI spark *through* a plug jacket. Even that hurt. Alot.

Save your cardiac system. Scrap the paper clip test. The bolts on your strut tower make great grounds. Grab a spare plug, pull a wire off a plug on the motor, plug in the spare, and rest the threads against a strut tower bolt. Start it, hop out, check the spark! Easy, no? It'll run like dirt, tho.. and if you can't get it started, just get the next person wandering by walking their dog to give you a hand and crank it for a few seconds

If there's no spark or very dull spark (dark orange and/or intermittent), suspect the ignition coil first.

 

CORRECTION
PUT THE SPARK PLUG WIRE TO SOMETHING METAL ON THE BLOCK
last thing you need is 40000 volts goin to your hand, that hurts lemme tell you
check the coil? if it hasnt been replaced, time for a new one, good place to start. look on your wires? any why streaks means its arching out, might need new wires.
check your relays and selenoids too.

sounds like the coil. but dont check spark plug wires with a paperclip, hold it to something metal on the block, and dont hold it by the bottom of the boot, hold it by the top of the boot.

edit: pull the 90* boots off the dist. cap and hold them slightly above the firing "nipple" only like half an inch, you will hear the clicks and pops and see a blue spark...

 

Thanks for all the replies, it seems everyone is leaning toward it being my coil. I hope thats all it is. I think i will check the spark tonight, and hook up my fp guage. Keep the ideas coming, thanks again.

 

Just bumping this up, in case anyone has any other ideas

 

while your at it check your timing, adjust that correctly, like 12*, 14 at the most. just a reminder haha

 

Ha ha...yeah wouldn't it be funny if the timing was just off...say set for a V8 at 6 degrees.. I've heard of people doing that before.. Must be hell for the car to run like that...

This thread's 'DUH' statement: Don't forget..if you do up your timing, don't forget to up your octane too..don't try to run 14 degrees on **** gas!

 

i hear that
i did work on one girls iroc, the timing was at 0. ant that a bitch, upped it to 6, DAMN what a difference. timing will do that, if its to lean or to rich itll make it run like crap.

 

Ha ha....0..wow man...6 degrees is a hell of a difference. Beat this...my Mustang, when I checked the timing for the first time after I got it...it's a 5.0 HO by the way....it read 18 degrees of base timing. After nearly crapping my pants, and then thanking *** that I decided to put premium octane in and that it DIDN'T blow anything up, I knocked it back down to 14 degrees and later 10 degrees (stock) so I can run crap gas. By the way...that sucker didn't even ping at all with 18 degrees of base! I've never seen anything like it in my life....BUT it was running rich as hell with 4 shorted fuel injectors and a bad coolant temp sensor...9.5 mpg city with the only mods being intake (upper and lower Cobra manifolds), exhaust (headers, X pipe, flowmasters) , and a 4.10 rear.

 

ya know what sucks...the distrubutor has a pin on them that goes to the bottom of your oil pan so when the distributor spins, the pump pumps oil. wouldnt that have been a bitch if you burnt that out hahaha
you got REAAAAAAL lucky bro haha

 

Believe me, I know I got real lucky! *** knows how long the previous owner drove around with 18 degrees of base timing too..probably a month or so. He told me he put premium in it so I figured I'd continue the tradition until I checked the timing out and had it tuned up....let's just say my face after I let that timing light blink was:

 

Okay, another update for any interested. I checked the spark using the screw driver method mentioned here.

Pulled a plug wire, put the screw driver in the end, and then layed the screw driver across something so it would arc.

Well, i got a spark, but a barely visible dark orange spark, and it was very inconsistent. So, i think my coil is bad for sure. I will hopefully get it done tonight.


I suppose my timing could be off also, how do i check that without a timing light. All my tools are still packed since i lost my garage space.


Any ideas?

 

Gap is an important factor of that spark's brightness, too.. tis why I reccomend the spare plug method.. you want to see your spark with a stock gap. I don't know how much air that spark had to jump with your method, but chances are it's a miracle it was even making it.

 

ANY spark color besides bright white is underpowered. Orange is severely weak. Bad coil for sure, unless your coil wire is just totally fried. But like was just said, I'd get one of those little $7 tester things...lets you get the perfect gap length every time...really can't beat it for $7. And if you had the sucker try to jump the spark too far it'd show up all weak for sure...

And checking timing without a light? That's starting the car, driving it, and saying 'hmm...feels a few degrees down'. No way to check it without a light man.

 

The gap was barely big enough to allow the cover of my check book through. I wanted to make sure it was not like 8 inches away. Was that close enough?

I thought that about the timing, guess i will have to dig out my light.

 

A fully loaded check book is way too thick =\

Stock plug gap on these motors, if I recall, is .035"

EDIT ----

Oh, the *cover* of your check book. Sounds alot better.. or worse for your coil.. I'd still do the plug test tho.

Worse case, MSD stock replacement GM remote mount coils are about 50 bucks at most retailers.

 

to check the timing without a gun, turn it to the left untill it starts to ping, then back of alil bit. or you can do it by ear, whenever it sounds good, keep it there. go for a drive and youll know soon enough.

i thought it was coil, get an MSD or somethin.

 

Okay, thanks for all the help, it turns out it was the coil. I got a new one in, i dont have it mounted yet though.

I just hooked a new one up to see if it would run, and it ran fine. Now the mounting part looks a little more complicated. I can either cut those straps, or remove the bracket holding it.

It looks like i will have to remove my egr valve to get the bracket off.

What have you guys done with yours? I think i am going to move everything i have to, and remove the bracket.

If anyone knows an easier way, lets hear it.


Thanks again for all the help.

 

I removed the erg, and the bracket, then drilled out the pop rivits, then painted bracket, then mounted new coil with provided screws/nuts/washers.


I am noticing/reading alot that where these v6 coils are mounted, take alot of heat. If you are creative and can make a shield, I suggest it.

 

Will i have to replace the egr gasket when i remove it? I just wanna make sure i have everything before i start

 

If you can buy just the gasket, go for it.

If you have to buy whole intake gasket, I wouldn't. I re-used my gasket.

 

those factory rivets are really soft...either use a dremel and grind them off or just pop them out with a screwdriver (pry on them behind the straps). i wouldn't mess with pulling everything off. i had very similar problems with mine a few weeks ago...i put a msd coil in it and it runs great now.