hey brothers i have an issue right now,my car won't start it just turns over and it doesn't fire up. like when i keep cranking it will start and die immediatly,then if i get it running it will be running rough and it doesnt go fast,im stumbling and hesitating,when im stoping it idle low to 500 to 600 rpm and almost die. heres what has been done.

1.my distributor is new i had it for 8 months after my bro and i put in the crate motor of october of 2009.

2.i put in the best spark plugs and spark plug wires in october of 09.

what i dont understand is ive been driving the car for the last few months it was perfect,also does anybody know wat are the signs of a bad fuel pump.i been thinking did my fuel pump just go out?

and i had the car for 2 years and i never had the fuel pump changed so i dont know how old the pump is.thank u to anybody.

 

You must use a fuel pressure test gauge connected to the fuel rail to see if the pump pressure is good. There is no other way to tell.

 

for sure thank u

 

A clogged fuel filter will give similar symptoms. I dealt with that many years ago, and replacing it fixed it.
Does sound like a fuel issue for you.

 

LT1 's have many areas that can cause these same symptoms...Narrow it down to fule or electrical:can you hear or feel the pump running? If so it is probably ok. As wires age or get jiggled around it could be a bad connection to a sensor or to the opti.
If you remove the front rubber elbow a bit you can squirt a small amount of fresh, raw fuel into the throttle body and then push the elbow back on the throttle body and try to start it up. If it runs better for a few seconds then it is a fuel related problem...most likely the filter. Good luck. Carefully reattach the rubber elbow these things lose resiliance with age and tear easily.https://www.camaroz28.com/forums/ima...lies/smile.gif

 

What brand is the Opti? Anything other than a genuine GM replacement generally has a very short life?

What are the "best plugs and wires"? I'm curious.

Have you scanned it for codes?

 

hey guys/injuneer im using some platinum plugs, and the wires are good. my mechanic changed my fuel pump that was one of the issues i was having when the car wouldnt start at all, he told me the fuel pressure me was low. im having another problem, it takes me three tries or cranks to get the car fired up, and when it fires up it runs perfect no issues wat so ever,but i had my wife crank up the car as it was cranking i was looking behind the water pump and i see a blue spark coming from the distributor....and i dont see it anymore after the car starts.

is it bad to keep driving the car?when im driving it feels powerful and good,when i use to fire up the car it fired as soon as i turned the key.

 

The next time you attempt to start it when it would normally have the starting issue you spoke of, try this. Turn key on but don't crank the engine for about about 4 or 5 seconds. then turn it back off. Then turn the key on for another 4 or 5 seconds and back off. Do this 5 or 6 times. After the 5th time, crank it up and see if it fires right up.

I suspect your check ball is sticking in the fuel sending unit in the tank and allowing the fuel to drain back toward the tank. Either the mechanic only changed the pump and not the entire sending unit, or he got a hold of a bad assembly. The test above will tell you if that is the case.

 

hey speedy i did wat u told me to do and the car fired up on the 1st attempt,after the key was turned 5-6 times. When i did the turning key attempts again to see if it would start, sumtimes the car would fire up on the 5th to 6th attempt.

what about that spark thats coming out of the the front of the distributor could that be just a bad cap or it could have a small crack on it. Could that crack be an issue on my the car doesnt fire up on the first attempt.

 

when its dark outside i have my wife crank up the engine, im seeing a blue spark in front of the opti is that the reason why my engine isnt firing up on the 1st attempt because my friend told me that is a spark leak causing the engine to not start on the 1st attempt. I would like to know is it ok to still drive the car until i can get it to the mechanic,the car isnt showing any bad signs of stalling or dying its just the starting on the 1st attempt

 

Before you take it to a "mechanic", why not check the fuel pressure. If the pump primes the system to 40psi, and the pressure drops off rapidly when the pump shuts off, its going to be a hard start. But its going to run fine once it starts. The check valve in the pump is a common problem. The fact that it started fine after you turned the key on/off 5 or 6 times would seem to confirm the source of the problem.

I'm still a little puzzled why you consider " im using some platinum plugs, and the wires are good" as being the "the best spark plugs and sprak plug wires"..... but apparently you're convinced they are not part of the arcing problem at the Opti.

 

hey injuneer after i got the car back from my mechanic he told me the fuel pressure was good, before the fuel pump got replaced he said the fuel pressure was too low.thats what he told me what the issue was,so he put in a new fuel pump.but why do i see that blue sparking in front of the distributor as my wife cranks up the motor?can that get answered please

 

He "told you"... so you refuse to check it.

Good luck.....

 

the mechanic is my dads bro so i know he would know the fuel pressure is good,the spark plugs are good and wires,after it starts up its fine all i want is it to fire up like it use to right away on the first start man.

the "arcing" u say is that when u u see the blue lighting coming out,i see that on the cap in front of the distributor. i can tell the the fuel pressure is good because it doesnt feel like dying or its not running rough either!

 

You seem to have a mental block. It is totally possible fo rthe pump to produce good fuel pressure ONCE THE ENGINE STARTS TO RUN. At that point, the check valve that holds the fuel pressure is no longer required, and it doesn't matter if its faulty.

BEFORE THE ENGINE STARTS TO RUN, there may be rapid loss of pressure due to the fuel pump check valve being faulty. It will prevent the engine from starting quickly. You followed Speedy's instructions, turning the key and on off 5-6 times before trying to start the engine, and the engine started immediately. That is a test to see if the loss of fuel pressure BEFORE THE ENGINE STARTS is causing the hard start.

You obviously have two problems. One MAY be the fuel pressure BEFORE the engine starts. But you refuse to check it, because "the mechanic is your dads bro".... but do you know if he even checked the fuel pressure BEFORE the engine started? The arcing is a problem. There should not be arcing at any time. A mild blue "corona" is not unusual however. Arcing when the engine is not under load may be due to faulty wires, faulty plugs, plugs gapped too wide, a cracked cap on the Opti, etc. But those problems will also make the engine run poorly, in addition to making it hard to start.

I'm confused. You came here asking for help, and you're ignoring everything people are telling you, because you already have expert input for your mechanic, who's main qualification seems to be he is your dads bro. Why did you even ask for help, if you alreay know the answer?