I have a 1992 camaro rs, with the 6 cyl automatic. it is fuel injected.

A few times in the past weeks, it randomly acts like its vapor locked. When i try and start it, it turns over but nothing more, wont start. The only way to get it to start is to give it a little spray of primer, at which point it will start up and then proceed to run fine for the next few days.

It also does this sometimes at slow speeds or idle, it just cuts out and stalls. i still have lights and power, but no engine. Then when i try and restart it, it turns over but never kicks in and starts. I've tried starting it again right after it stalls, letting it cool down, holding the gas, you name it, all to no avail. What does work, again, is the primer and it starts back up again but usually only to stall shortly after. i've checked for error codes on the side of the road AS it is refusing to start back up again, but got none.

Iits been a long time since it was tuned up, but has new cap/rotor. We've put fuel injector cleaner and dry gas in it. A few weeks back, my alternator went, and this problem started shortly after installing a new alternator, so im wondering if it took something else out with it.

If anyone has any ideas or advice, I'd sincerely appreciate it, we're at our wits end with this one. Thanks!

 

Welcome to the boards
It sounds like you nailed it, you need to tune up the engine. New cap and rotor, new plugs and wires, maybe a new coil as well. Check out the top of the page with the sticky in there you will find a link to TomP's tune up guide. Its very informative and tells you just about everything you'll need to do.

 

Thanks for the reply!

Thing is, from that list, in the last year its had everything but PVC valve ( I'll look up what that even IS in my manual), fuel filter, intake cleaner, TV cable, timing reset and plugs/wires. Would any of these cause my starting problems? And you said maybe a new "coil"...whats that?

I've already got new plugs and aftermarket wires for it. Are the plugs on the 3.1 something I can do in my driveway w/out any special tools?

 

It could be fouled plugs or a dying ignition system. One thing you could do at night is get, and take off one of your spark plug wires and put a paper clip into the boot and keep the clip just above the spark plug and see what kind of spark you get, a bright white one or a dull yellowish or orange spark. You shouldnt have any problems changing your spark plugs in your drive way, you'll need a ratchet, extension, and a 5/8ths spark plug socket, even a swivel probally or at least I like to use one. Just make sure to take off one plug wire at a time, and change a plug and put the wire on. Then off to the next and so on and so forth.

 

85Sport is right on that one. "coil" is referring to the ignition coil, which on your distributor, there is a spark plug wire directly in the center of the cap that is very short and plugs into something that doesn't look like a spark plug, that's your ignition coil. The coil provides power to the distributor, so it can send electricity to the spark plugs, and a dying coil will not yield a very powerful spark with the "paper clip" trick. You said this is intermittent. Tell me, does your ignition key have a chip in it? When it cranks over and doesn't start, is your "security" light on? You could have a VATS (Vehicle Anti Theft System) problem. Your security light in the dash should come on for about 2 seconds and then go out. If it flashes, or stays on steady, then there's a problem with the VATS module reading that chip in your key. Your fuel pump could be starting to die on you too. These are just a couple of worse-case scenarios, it could be something simple like plugs or a coil, but from what you've described, it sounds fuel related. Hope that sheds some light on the situation.

 

When ked85's alt went out, it kept killing the ignition control module. Same with mine, I had to replace it soon after the alt. It is located in the distributor, and requires a 5.5mm (aka 7/32) socket, and whatever to take distrib cap off.

The only plug that is hard to get to on the 3.1l is the pass side front. You will need a 6" extension, swivel, socket, ratchet, and sparkplug gapper tool.

If it cranks, but no fire, it is NOT your vats.

Also, do finish doing whatever is on the TOMP tuneup list. I am sure it will be worth your money.

Welcome to the boards

 

Hi Sara! Welcome to the boards. Sounds like your car has decided it wants to teach you the worderful world of mechanics. Mine started to develop these fun little quirks about 2-3 years ago. But I have learned alot!

I lost my coil very quickly. One day the car would just not fire. There was no spark. I took it to the dealer and they fiddled with the coil and it came back, but died again. This happened a few times for them, so I got a new coil. Coils die in strange ways I have heard. I agree to check the spark as stated above.

Also how long ago did you change the cap and rotor? My car goes thru caps and rotors pretty quick. We change them once every 6 mo or so. Autozone crap! Check your contact points.

My other starting problem was due to cracked injectors. They allowed the fuel to depressurize and run out of the fuel rail and then it would take me holding the key to the cranking position for 10-12 secs...I kid you not...to get it to fire. Took that long for the cars fuel pump to push the fuel up the lines from the tank. Cold weather it was better. Take out your oil dip stick and smell the oil. Does it smell gasy. Sometimes this will tell you if there is a fuel leak. Mine smelled strongly of gas when the fuel pressure regulator blew out and the pressure was so great it blew the nozzles off the injectors.

Once the car is running how does it run? Is there any backfiring or surging at idle. How does it accelerate. The throttle position sensor went out in my car and it was a bear to get started and keep running. It acted like it had bad gas.

On the same note, The distributor could very well need to be rebuilt. Tomp helped alot on that one. My car had a backfire problem we chased for 2 years. 10 degrees of timing would not run the car. It was surging & stalling at idle and would backfire on light throttle. We rebuilt the distributor and it helped, but the shimming of the gear helped the most. With my car it turned out 90% of my problem came from the gear on the end of the distributor. It had too big of a gap & allowed something called "spark scatter". Basically the timing was not correct and was jumping around. This caused my drivablity issues.

I know that was alot of info. I'm hoping something will spark a familiar cord!

 

The fact that primer starts it.....that's odd....sounds like a fuel delivery issue to me like Quick said... If you can get a fuel pressure gauge and test your pressure through the Schrader valve, that might reveal any fuel problems such as leaky injectors, blah blah blah. Can't think right now, sorry!

 

Just what I was thinking, Nixon.

sXebombshell, do you have access to a fuel pressure gauge? They're $30 or so from an autoparts store- you need the high pressure (up to 80PSI) one for fuel injected engines.

 

Forgot about primer starting it.

Sounds like injectors, fuelpump, filter.

The surging/sputter could be same thing, or something else.

redraif, your injectors cracked?? WTF, I never heard of that.

 

Thats what the dealer said. The cases were cracked and were leaking overnight. Who knows. New injectors fixed the problem, so all was good! That was in 99-00! When the nozzles blew off in 02, it had a leak down overnight too! Glad I had just gotten the 19lbers. We got a new adj FPR and swapped in and swapped in the new injectors!

Happy to say my car is finally starting to act like a real car instead of a driving issue! I guess we finally replaced or rebuilt everything! Don't want to jinx it though!

 

I know the feeling of "replaced" everything. However, not all new parts are good!!

 

Amen. Hence the 6 month dist cap and rotor...then the fact that i'm on my 3rd oil pressure sending unit in a year. I blow one up each time I go to the dyno. I guess I'm lucky I don't hit top speed on the road often!

 

I dont have anything here, I'm on campus at school. I'll fire it up this weekend somehow and get it home to my parents (30m) and raid my dads stuff. I'll let you know.
Thanks for all your help, you guys rule.

 

Any time. Never mind helping a sexy bombshell.

 

Always glad to help out