What else is there to check?
 

My car decided to break on me this past Sunday and hasn't started since. See I cleaned under the hood with a rag and spray bottle after I put on some new valvecovers and it worked fine. Then after driving around for a little while I could smell something burning. Turns out a little bit of oil was spraying on my headers in the back of the motor by the number 8 cylinder. I then figured out the oil was there because I didn't put the breather in right on the valvecover so a little bit was getting on the header and burning.

Just to make sure I had solved the oil problem I sprayed the header and area where the oil was and washed it with the hose. I even used it very low so that it wouldn't get to the opti or PCM. Keep in mind I had the car running while I rinsed off the oil plus I was rinsing towards the very back of the block. Anyway it stayed running and when I was done I shut off the water and my brother who was in the car shut off the car thinking we were done. I had him restart it so I could see if oil was coming from anywhere else, it started fine and so I looked around to see if it was leaking still. I saw nothing so I shut the hood and he thought we were done so he shut off the car again. Once again I told him to restart it so I could drive it around and it could dry completely. This is when it didn't start. It would just crank and crank and crank.

So that bring us to today. I was finally off of work so I was pulling plugs and checking for fire. All the plugs fired, the coil fires, and there is fuel pressure. I don't have a gauge for fuel pressure, I just relieved the pressure at the Schrader valve, then turned the key so I could hear the fuel pump prime, once it stopped I went back to the Schrader valve and relieved the pressure again and fuel spurted out. The car just cranks over and over and it sounds like it is on the brink of starting but never does. I have the MSD opti and it has never given me problems! Plus as I mentioned it is firing. What else can I check?

Hmmmm?

Unhook the maf so it puts the car into dummy mode and see if you can get it to fire up. What else can you tell me? Is the security light on or and ses or anything?

I have tried unplugging the MAF but still got nothing. The Security light is NOT on. The SES light was on before it stopped working but now it isn't. I have no way to scan it either since it is OBD I.

Try this. While your buddy cranks the car use a mech stethascope or a long screw driver to be sure the injectors are working. You should be able to hear them clicking. If they are not clicking then we can go from there. Until then I am not really sure were to go. Maybe use Shbox.com's guide to testing the ICM. I hate to have people do it but in your case I will. Try hitting the car with some starting fluid to see if it will start.

Oh ya. Most auto stores will let you barrow a scanner so you can pull the codes. It would also really help to know what your fuel pressure is at, not just that it has pressure.

Ok I still haven't had time to check fuel pressure but tomorrow for sure.

Anyway it started yesterday out of no where! It cranked like 2 times then fired up without hesitation! I drove it around for about 30 minutes without any stumbles. I parked it and went to work in my truck because I didn't want to risk it breaking in the parking lot. Well after work I'm all giddy like a school girl to drive my car again and low and behold it just cranks and cranks. Just like it has been doing all week it just turns over and over. This is sooo frustrating.

if you have or go get a repair manual.it will explain how to jump off your diog. port. and then you will have your trouble codes.hopefully leading you to the problem.

Just checked fuel pressure and it stayed a constant 42psi. Which is good. I tried listening to the injectors to see if they are clicking on and off but couldn't hear them over the car cranking. I'm about to take the ICM and coil to get tested just as insurance.

Both the coil and ICM tested good.

Well I got some starting fluid, sprayed it in there and it started right up! I then took it out and drove for about an hour with out anything out of the ordinary. When I got home and shut her off I tried again to start her up...nothing just the car turning over and over like it has been doing for the past week.

I suspect the fuel pump. I just went through a similar situation. When car was cold, car would start normally. Let it run long enough for the fuel pump to get hot and it wouldn't start just crank. When everything cooled down again, car would start. Had normal fuel pressure when cold, but when hot fuel pressure took a big drop.

LOL. Man our cars can be a real pain. Its crazy how that works isn't it. Well that tells us that it is not the ignition and the injectors are working. I would look at the MAP next and be sure the cennection for the opti is is free of corrosion. Was there any missing or stumbling when you were driving the car? Oh and one more thing to check. Next time you start the car crack the throttle just alittle and see if it cranks.

Well the car still doesn't start after sitting for a few hours/days either! I can hear the fuel pump come on and off when I turn the key.

Also when the car was idling it would idle a little high. While I was looking at it I decided to unplug the MAF and MAP sensors. One at a time I unplugged them and they both caused the car's idle to drop. If they were bad wouldn't the idle stay the same? As for the opti I put in a new MSD opti back in August with new coil, plugs, and wires. So the connection is good because the harness is built into the MSD unit and the plug in is at the top of the intake manifold and it looks good. When I drove around it didn't miss or anything, I even did a few WOT runs from 1st to 3rd. I also have tried to smash on the gas when cranking it and it still doesn't start without the starting fluid.

NO if the MAF and MAP are bad they are still giving a reading maybe just not the right reading. Un plug the maf after you get it started but use the throttle to keep it running if you can. It should stablize. When was the last time you you check the fuel filter? Also you never posted about the pressure. What is it at at idle? should be around 36-37 psi.