my `92 firebird will turn over but will not start..i
have replaced the rotor in the distributer,the coil,and the fuel filter.sometimes it will start and sometimes it won`t.....????
whats next??oh and you can hear the fuel pump prime,so it has to be an electrical problem.so whats next the pickup coil?????

 

Billy is this your twin ?

I would try that next man , but I could be wrong .

 

have you inspected you plugs and wires? Does it sound like you are getting a good crank or does it sound kinda weak? Also it's good to check and makes sure that you are getting a good spark. It should be white not blue. If you are getting good spark the next thing to check is good fuel presure. The pump can prime, but if the presure is not enough it won't start.

 

the plugs and wires are good.it turns over strong,but there is no fire..i started it up 20 minutes ago and killed it and it wouldn`t start again..

 

Check for code 54.

I'd check fuel pressure with a gauge. Approx. 40-46 psi and it should hold after the pump shuts off.

 

This is my uncle...He just accidentally forgot a C in there. I figured he'd get more responses from my name. And yes, this is my old 92. I'm not sure what's wrong, I'm not able to go see the car to look at it, please help him like you would me.

 

Dennis, have you checked to see if you're actually even getting a spark to the plugs?

My other uncle told him it might be the distributor, but i'm not so sure....

 

TTT

 

If you hold the gas pedal just down a little bit does it start? Don't hold it down to far no more then about 1/4 of the way. If it starts while doing this let off the gas. If it dies it is most likely your EGR valve. You can also test the EGR valve by disconecting the EGR tube from the intake. If it is stuck open it will keep the car from starting. All though I would first check to make sure your plugs are getting good spark if you haven't all ready.

The EGR can go south and not set a code. The car needs to run for 7 - 10 min before it will light the SES light. On my '92 RS mine died in this fasion. I got in it one morning and it wouldn't start. The 3.1L have the digital EGR valves I have no idea if they can be cleaned out or not. I just replaced mine and every hting was fine. Only problem is that they are expensive. I was qouted $200 for a new one. So I went to a scrap yard that pulls and tests them for half the price.

If you supect the EGR I have seen blow a part pictures of them, but the gaskets need to be replace if you try and pull it apart to clean them. The gaskets are dealer parts only. The gasket on the intake is reusable. A little parts cleaner and a soft bristle brush should clean it right up.

My chiltons book says that it is no servicable, other then replacing it.

 

I go for fuel pressure.
Gauge it for real answer.

 

how about checking the ignition module/codes?

side track: before I took apart my motor, it would crank, just not start. Ignition module tested good, guess the motor just crapped out.

 

I was thinking of those same things too! (fuel pressure & EGR valve) How does the pump sound when it primes? When my first fuel pump died, the steady hummmm turned into a sickly "gurgle". When my second pump died, the hum was a HUM! It sounded like I trapped a beehive in my gas tank.

The timing might've gotten over-advanced; that'll prevent it from starting, too.

Did the car gradually die, or did it just act up like this all of a sudden? Or, was it parked for a long time (weeks/months)? Maybe the gas is dead. Try making a few trips to a gas station with a gas can to mix some good gas with the dead stuff.

 

Any update? How did it go?

 

i took the distributer out and replaced the pickup coil ,when i put the dist. back together, i noticed that i was harder to spin around.so i am debating on puting it back in .i dont want to damage the gears on the back of my cam shaft,because of a stiff distributer......oh,and there was no spark. that was the first thing i checked before i got a new coil,rotor and had my module checked.

 

Did you clean shaft?
Brake cleaner on sand paper, may even have to "file" slightly.
Regrease, axle grease stick back together.
NEW COIL TIME!

 

He already bought a new coil. THe one on there SHOULD have been good, but it could have gone bad. What else would cause absolutely no spark?

 

Make sure the poles are not hiting the pickup coil. If they are bend them out slightly. All though the stiffness you may be feeling could just be the new pickup coil. When I rebuilt my distributor I could feel the difference when I tried to spin it. You can really feel the magnetic force of the pickup coil.

 

So, my question goes unanswered...

Did this happen all of a sudden? Or was the car acting up before?

The distributor should spin somewhat easily. BitchinRS has a good point, the pole pieces should not be hitting the reluctor. When you spin the distributor, you should feel "pulses", caused not by the coil, but the force of the reluctor on the pole pieces. If you didn't touch the pole pieces at all, then something's definately wrong. Try Karl's idea. Also, you removed the distributor gear when you rebuilt the distributor, and NOT the reluctor (magnetic disk), right? If you removed the magnetic disk from the top of the shaft, I wonder if it's possible to "press" the disk back on so far that it creates an interference between the bottom of the reluctor and the top of the distributor housing.

When you turn the key from "off" to "run" (the position right before "crank"), does the SES light come on, like it should? If not, your computer might not be getting any power. I have a feeling it is, though, because you say you hear the fuel pump kicking in. If you had no computer power, the fuel pump wouldn't be priming the system.

Absolutely no spark could also be caused by a lack of voltage to the spark coil. The whole ignition system gets power from the ignition switch. Here's some info from an old post of mine:

Here's another "old bit" from me:

Now, you could also try the "wiggle" test. Try wiggling the harness wires (NOT the spark plug wires!) while someone tries cranking the engine. By doing this, you might cause a bad wire to make contact for a bit.

 

IF the magnetic metal ring is broken, it will also not run!

 

ok fellas first i want to thank my nephew B.J.and the rest of you for your tips and tricks............ok i put a diffrent distributer in and now its running great .!!!!!!!!!!!for a 6cyl.......once again thanx to all.

 

I'm so relieved you got it fixed. I didn't thik it was the distributor though....hmm....oh well, live and learn.

 

Cool, Glade to here you got it running!!

 

Congrats!

 

it was the module, wasn't it

cool runnings to ya

 

It's funny that the original module tested out okay! I know usually a bad module will "Die" when the car gets hot, and work fine again when the car's cool, so a module test doesn't always work. But to test "good" and not start-when-cold is odd.

 

it was the pick up coil.