My turn for a "no Start" thread....

[Hans]

I'm stumped here, I've got a no-start going on now here.

I've got spark. Fuel pump is running, and fuel comes out the filter. Starter spins it all nice and good.
No trouble codes at all. coil tested ok.

But she won't kick off and run. When it originally died, it acted like fuel starvation.

I also swapped around the fuel injection relays, problem didn't change at all. Fuses all appear good.
What's next to check?

-Hans

[Stmpede]

Do you have spark at the plugs or just at the coil? Are you getting pulses at the fuel injectors?

[Hans]

I checked for spark at the plugs, so I know it's getting that far.

Havent figured out yet how to test if the injectors are getting a pulse or not.

-Hans

[Stmpede]

Just disconnect one and put a multimeter on it...thats the easiest way.

[JBfoot]

Try a computer reset.

[Hans]

Looks like it's not a fuel problem. Plus are all wet, multimeter goes bonkers when testing at the injector lead, and dribbling some fuel down the trumpets didn't do anything either.

Starting to suspect weak spark again.

[Joeplumbo]

Hello,
Had a similar problem...turned out to be a bad rotor...was LR genuine but aftermarket was the cure.

Best Regards,

Joe P

[tomaco1]

Looks like it's not a fuel problem. Plus are all wet, multimeter goes bonkers when testing at the injector lead, and dribbling some fuel down the trumpets didn't do anything either.

Starting to suspect weak spark again.Hey Hans,
I am of no help with the no start situation, but I was wondering if I could check out your rollbar/w-bar setup on your truck, if its the one i've seen around town, I think it is a SW. I'm in Bohemia, and I ride my bike through Islip all the time, I see your truck all the time. I'd be happy to lend you a hand while I was there, granted an unskilled hand, but I could turn the key, or hold a wrench.
Sorry to hijack
Thanks,
Tom

[Hans]

Tom;

That's no problem at all if you want to take a look at it. Mine was originally a soft top, but looks to have been converted properly to the SW setup and has the W-bar and everything in it. Just don't mind the mess, every time I try to fix up something cosmetic..... something mechanical breaks. I also took the roof rack off a couple weeks ago too.

I work in Bohemia, live in Islip. You been seeing it at work, at home, or on the road?

-Hans

[jimngo]

Hans, did you have any problems leading up to the no-start?

[Hans]

Whoops, thought I had that part in here. Guess when I redid the original post I took it out.

When the problem originally came up, I had driven home from work just fine. Went in the house, grabbed a book to bring to the library, and off I went. Acted a bit odd leaving the driveway, but didn't pay much attention to it. I get to the library (1/2 mile or so away), and it kept wanting to stall at idle. Had to restart it a few times, and keep the RPM up to keep it running. I limped it home, and it hasn't started since.

I did find that little silver can attached to the coil was disconnected, but reconnecting didn't help. I'm still not really sure what that thing is.

-Hans

[jimngo]

Mine did some similar things last year, but I was always able to eventually get it restarted just by waiting for it to cool down enough. But I never had a cold start problem until I blew my coil so I think the source of your no-start problem could be different than mine. Nonetheless what I did was install the ignition module relocation kit and reset the base idle. I also replaced the fuel injection & ECU relays. All that seemed to cure my ills but I don't know which of those things was the ultimate cure. I have since swapped out the relocation kit for a Mallory Unilite and I have the kit for sale if you think that the ignition module is your problem.

I'm going to throw out a few other guesses that come to mind. Throttle position sensor, cap/rotor, coil, fuel filter, ECU.

A couple more questions: When you went into the house, did you live the truck running, on but not running, or turn it off altogether? Was your coil ever too hot to touch?

[Hans]

No, I didn't leave it running while I went into the house. I was probably home for about 5 minutes. The coil hadn't seemed hot at any point, and no obvious heat damage.

I have a GM HEI module I am going to swap in tomorrow to see if that helps. Coil tested ok with an ohmeter

I pulled off the output for the fuel filter, and it's not blocked. I swapped the relays around, and the problem didn't change. Heck, I dribbled some gas down the trumpets, and not a puff from it. So it's got to be an ignition issue.

-Hans

[Hans]

Module swapped. No change, though I did get a couple spots where it was trying to fire off.

-Hans

[JBfoot]

Hans,
You are much more experienced than me with these beasts, so take this with a grain of salt...the last time I was pulling my hair out with a "no start" problem out of the blue, I reset the computer and haven't looked back. If you haven't done that yet, humor me.
Good luck!
Joe B

[Hans]

I did try the computer reset already, no go on that one either :-(

[Stmpede]

This doesn't make sense, you have fuel and spark? Are you sure you have enough fuel? Maybe the pump is dying. Stick a gauge on it and check the pressure.

[Hans]

I guess that's possible. I may have both fuel and spark, but one of the two I don't have enough of. Wierd as wierd. I'm off to go buy some starter fluid, see if spraying it in gets anything to fire off.

-Hans

Follow-up Post:

And if a jolt of starting fluid down all 8 trumpets doesn't get it to do anything..... it ain't fuel.

[Hans]

New coil, and it's showing signs of life. I may have the timing 180 off though..... but it's sputtering again finally. Flooded as a mofo, so I pulled most of the plus and the upper plenum, let it air out overnight, and try again in the morning.

-Hans

[Hans]

and I got a few sputters, then back to dead again. I can only imagine how much fuel is in the cats and oil at this point.

[Hans]

Service manual is basically no help here either. It keeps referring to "See ETM A1"

What the hell is ETM A1, and where do I find it?

[Hans]

Still no luck here, blech.

Rigged up an LED to test the injectors, and they are firing. I'm getting spark. Tried tricking the coolant sensor to keep it in a proper running temperature range. Starting to suspect the fuel pump, but having a beast of a time getting the right fittings together to test the pressure.

-Hans

[DJ Menasco]

Are the plugs consistantly fowled? That is, have you replaced them only to find them fowled again?

While this is proabably left field, and a bit beyond my ken, have you considered your PCV system? Perhaps your PCV is crammed with particulates and thus, allowing the engine to run too rich, flooding the system and fowling the plugs.

DJ

[Hans]

Plugs, up until recently, have been looking normal whenever I pull them. Even now, they aren't carbon fouled at all, but just look damp.

I also got a pressure gauge onto the fuel pump finally, and it's pushing 50psi no problem. Clamped down on the return line of the regulator to make sure the rail was getting enough of that pressure, and still no good.

Follow-up Post:

Well, I THINK I found it. It's always the fairly new parts, isn't it? I went back to check the spark again, and while I had it earlier I didn't anymore. Went back and started all the ignition tests again. Spark from the coil to the block, yes! Really strong too. Spark from the plug wire to the block? Not anymore! Pulled the cap, did the coil wire over the rotor test, and she's sparkin away like she's NOT supposed to. Guess the rotor was slowly failing on me, and is just fried now. Grab a new one tomorrow and see how she goes.

-Hans

[Hans]

And she runs now. Must have been flooded all to hell too. Didn't fire off when I first put the new rotor in, but I let it sit a week and it fired up right away when I got back. She's pretty sluggish right now, and I get some burbling out of the exhaust when I let off the throttle, but it's progress. I just need to let it run for about an hour I think, to burn all that extra fuel out of the cats. One way or another though, the hard part is done.