My friend has a 1989 Camaro RS with the 2.8 V-6. He was going down the interstate and it just cut off as if turned the key. we have replaced the coil, Checked the pick up coil, and checked for spark at the number one cly. and the coil and got nothing. it will turn over but not start

 

That VATS crap I keep hearing about?

 

WHAT

 

No it's not VATS, it wouldn't even crank if it was VATS. Have you checked the fuel pressure?

 

It is geting fuel. Just not spark from the coil. whats VATS?

 

He just inforned me that just before it died it quit going, but the engine was running. When he poped the hood the detent cable was stuck out aand would not go back.

 

Hm, sounds like something in the transmission arena. If the detent cable is all the way out, I would have the transmission checked out. The spring in that is supposed to pull the cable back in could have broke, other things in the trans itself, or the cable could be frayed so it can't pull itself back in (had the last one happen myself). All in all, dosn't sound too good.

Almost sounds like the ecu thinks the transmission isn't in Park or Neutral. Yet, hard to say hence I'm not sure if it will even crank if it thinks it's out of gear.

-Dan

 

I had an 89 rs with vats problem. My 92 also

 

The engine is cranking over. but will not fire. there is no spark from the coil. We found the VATS fuse and took it out then turned the key and got nothing, not VATS. We checked the Ditst. and the tabs our hiting each other so is there a posable that the pick up coil is grunding itself out. Thanks.

 

Check one of your spark plugs, its possible that it could have failed due to the coil being messed up.

 

Engine wouldn't have shut off if it was vats or the trans tv cable (misnamed as a detent cable). You said you replaced the spark coil and pick-up coil- did you also replace the ignition module? If not, you should. Check also for +12 on the pink/black wire of the gray ignition coil- unplug connector, turn key to "on", check for 12 volts. The whole ignition system powers up from that one wire.

What tabs are hitting on the distributor? The fixed outer "fingers" are hitting the middle (shaft mounted) magnet? How the heck did that happen? Yeah, that's a problem. Get a valve feeler gauge ($5 at any parts store), pick a thin gauged slider out of the gauge, and adjust the air gap between all fingers (pole pieces) and the shaft-mounted magnet (reluctor) so they're the same. Might have to pull the dist to get your best adjustment.

The pickup coil won't ground itself out. It senses magnetic pulses "felt" by the pole pieces as the reluctor spins. You can feel the same thing when you remove the dist and spin the gear (after adjusting the air gap). You'll feel the magnetic pulses as you turn the gear, it'll feel like something invisible is resisting the gear from turning.

Then check timing.

You might have to unplug the cold start injector's wire harness to be able to lift the distributor out.