So I recently had bought a 1994 Chevy Camaro z28 Lt1, and have had issues getting it to start. To start there was wiring issues in the harness under the hood above the engine, which we soldered back together which causes the engine to crank, but no start.

Then we replaced the ICM and ignition coil, but not much changed, although the car did sound like it wanted to start just wasn’t getting enough. We then replaced all the fuses in the dash and under the hood, which caused the radiator fans to turn on and the security light to turn as well for only five seconds before turning back off, both of which are things that wasn’t happening before.

THEN we decided to check the fuel pump to see if it wasn’t getting any gas to the engine, which we noticed once the car is in accessory mode the pump makes no sound, indicating that it isn’t priming. We soldered the wires for that which were previously just twisted and capped, and still just a strong crank no start.

throughout all of this, our brand new battery dies within a few cranks, causing us to have to jump it to even attempt to get it started. We don’t know if the the brand new battery we put in is draining or is possibly just filled with bad cells, both of which are possibilities.

I do know and have been told that it could be the distributor that is causing the car to not start, but that along with parts will cost me well over $1000, something I don’t want to do until we have no other choice. Is there anything that I could be missing? I will send pictures or videos if anyone needs me to better get an idea of what is going on.

 

Have you checked the fuel pressure?

Do you have spark at the plugs when the starter is cranking the engine?

Have you used a ‘noid light to check for the ground signal that fires each injector in sequence?

When the starter is cranking the engine, does the tach needle move upward ABOUT (not necessarily exactly) 200 RPM?

The fuel pump does not run in the “ACCY” (counter clockwise) position. That's for the radio, power windows, etc. When you turn the key clockwise from “off” to “run” position, the fuel pump should prime for 2 seconds and shut off. When you turn the key farther, to “start”, the fuel pump will not restart until:
1) the PCM receives the low resolution signal from the optical cam position sensor in the Optispark distributor, and
2) the PCM receives the “fuel enable” signal from the PASS-Key II (VATS) system theft deterrent module (TDM).

In addition to watching the tach needle, here’s a way to determine whether the PCM and ignition control module (ICM) are receiving the cam position signals from the Opti:

4th Gen LT1 F-body Tech Articles

Have you scanned the PCM for codes (OBD-1)? There is a code set if the PCM is not receiving the “fuel enable” signal. Is the “SES” light on? Is the “SECURITY” light on?

It's a lot less expensive to systematically diagnose the problem than it is to randomly play “parts replacement roulette”.