My buddies 96 TA wont start. It will turn over and try to fire, but it just wont. If he gives it gas while it is cranking, it will sometimes start to run (smells really rich) but then die out after a few seconds. The fuel pump comes on and it sounds strong, but we have yet to test the fuel pressure (we will later when we can get a gauge)

The coil is throwing out some spark. Its kinda yellow though and doesn't look real strong. Its supposed to be a bright blue, correct? I replaced the coil and ICM with some spares I have that I am 99% sure are good, and no change.

Ive read that one way to test the opti is to check for fuel injector pulse on the negative wire when the car is cranking. One time when I was checking for pulse, the car started to run and there was pulse, but after that when he just cranked it, I saw no pulse. That leads me to think its the opti.

The car had been running fine prior to this, but now it just wont start. Ideas?

 

If you think it might be the opti check for spark at the spark plug.

(pull the wire off the plug and put it close to a ground or just be a man and stick your finger on it)

Check your fuel presure as you said and then check your air intake (make sure its not clogged)

From their ppl here might be able to help you more

 

Well I imgaine the plugs will get some spark, since the car will sometimes run really rough for 1-2 seconds. To me, the spark coming out of the coil looked weak, so I bet the plugs have a really weak spark also.

Ill check the fuel pressure tonight when I get a chance. I can smell fuel when the car cranks and turns over, so I know it has to have "some."

 

clean the connector that goes on the coil if it don't help the coil may have a few shorted windings inside so try replacing it.

If you smell gas when it runs you might have a stuck injector just dumping fuel into the engine.

 

I tried putting on a spare coil that I had, and it didn't seem to help.

The car doesn't have cats, so it always smelled strong when he first started it. I don't know if its just normal or if its really rich. How would I check for a stuck injector?

Im still hung up on the no injector pulse though, the optical sensor is supposed to control that, right? Ive read from a few different sources that when you hold a test light to the ground wire leading to the injector, its supposed to pulse when you crank the engine.

Thanks for the help so far guys

 

Hmm wow im finding all sorts of information

He says that a few days ago he got code P0132 and p0152 which are "high voltage" codes for the o2's. Says the car was running fine, so he deleted the codes and they havn't came back since. I searched those a bit and it seems to be either wiring/o2 issues or maybe an extreme rich condition.....I wonder if that could be related at all to this. Maybe the fuel pressure regulator is stuck open or somthing? Hell I don't know

Ideals? lol

 

ooook well....

We got a fuel pressure gauge. We couldn't even get it to read 10psi. When I first put it on, a lot of fuel seemed to squirt out. I got it threaded and we turned on the key. It only said about 3 or 4 psi. I took it off thinking I didn't have it threaded on good and I tried it again. Then it was the same, or maybe even less... I cycled the key on and off and it didn't help at all. The max it went to was 5 psi.

We're baffled. Ive had a pump go bad on me before in an LT1 and all it did was it just took a while to start...if I cycled the key on and off it would eventually build up pressure and go. On my friends car, I can hear the pump come on fine.

Ideas? Comments? Suggestions?

 

i've seen the flexible hose connecting the fuel pump to the sender assembly spring a leak..this could account for good fuel pump sound but low pressure.

check your fuel filter? long shot but maybe.

I have some fuel line shut off vales that work with the LT1s nylon quick connect fuel lines.

I place a valve on the inlet and outlet of fuel rail, I can hook a gauge before the valve, and shut off the valve and try to dead head the pump. you can trouble shoot down to which fuel system conponent is failing.

Your internal flexible line broke
fuel filters so plugged it wont flow
regulator is dumping all fuel back to return

most likely: pump is a dud and just not up to it anymore.

good luck

 

Ok ill look into a few things. We'll also check on the off chance that maybe the gas gauge is broken and its out of fuel.....

I appriciate the help guys!

EDIT: I guess if you think about it, the gauge never even shot up and lost pressure, it just went to 3-4 and stayed. So I don't think its loosing pressure. Its just not getting any at all.

 

just dont fill your tank.

its murphy's law fuel pumps go out with full tank of gas.

 

Just an update of sorts...

We hooked up the gauge again. Still only had about 3-4 psi. I cycled the key on and off about 3 billion times and it went up to 10 psi. I tried starting the car and it started and stalled like it always has. I did get it to run if I kept my foot in the pedal, but as soon as it would idle it would stall again. While it was running, the PSI was at a whopping 11.

It doesn't seem like it is losing pressure, its just like it never has pressure to begin with.

Racetronix time?

 

Sounds like it is time for a new pump, Did you try the filter first? Most likly not your problem but it would be an easy and cheap fix