Help - My Car Won't Start

[brcorp]

OK, I know this has been asked before and I've searched the archives but I've come up dry.

Over the last couple of months my 1987 has been progressively running worse and now it will not run at all. It started with stalling when it was cold, it would cut out like the spark or fuel had been terminated as I was driving. Then it would start right back up and keep on going. Then a couple of weeks ago it started running really rough - stalling, cold or warmed up.

Now the car will not start and stay running. I replaced the plugs today and it started, ran a couple of minutes, then died; now it will not start again. When it ran, it really ran rough at low rpms and seemed to be really rich.

It has good consistent compression. The DME relay, ICV, cap and rotor, battery and head temp sensor are all new. O2 sensor has about 1000 miles, fuel filter has about 2500 miles and the tank is about 1/2 full of Chevron.

The computer was swapped into another car and that car started right up and ran fine. Swapped the test computer into my car and it still did not start. Also tried a third DME relay. BTW, thanks to Barpette for coming to my house and letting me try his computer and spare DME relay.

Here are some random details:
Has SPARK to distributor.
Jumped fuel pump fuse and pump comes on.
Tested Coil .... OK
Have 12V to coil.
Checked and cleaned all grounds.
Re-seated all connectors.
Electrically tested (Pump/ECM) relays for click and conductivity appear to be OK.
Reference sensors are about 1000 ohms
Plug wires all test good

So now what - I'm running out of ideas.

[cdrik915]

I suppose you've got an issue on the DME relay , under the driver seat , this part permits to do working fuel pump and computer.
Try to change it.

[brcorp]

Originally Posted by cdrik915

I suppose you've got an issue on the DME relay , under the driver seat , this part permits to do working fuel pump and computer.
Try to change it.

Thanks for the reply - I've tried three different DME relays, two of them new.

[FenderGuy]

Have you checked the fuel filter? I don't how the carreras run , but it sounds like what my SC did when i first got it, i had a dirty fuel filter and replaced and the car ran fine after that

[brcorp]

Originally Posted by FenderGuy

Have you checked the fuel filter? I don't how the carreras run , but it sounds like what my SC did when i first got it, i had a dirty fuel filter and replaced and the car ran fine after that

Thanks for the reply. The fuel filter has about 2500 miles on it, should I still suspect it?

[3.2 CAB]

Hi, sorry to hear about the problem. I had a similar issue before on my 3.2. I had removed the fuel rails and installed new fuel injector o-rings. After I got everything back together, It fired right up, but ran like crap, and would not stay running, unless you gave it more gas. Even with more gas, it was still running crappy. I shut it off and started looking around for the possible problems. I found that I had knocked the big crossover vacuum line loose from the "Y" shaped tee, on the drivers side of the engine almost against the firewall. After I found this, put hose clamps on all of the fittings that go to that "Y" shaped tee. Then the engine fired right up and ran great, once again. Your problem sounds very similar to this problem that I had. Have you checked all of the vacuum lines, to make sure they are all intact or if any of them are cracked and leaking? Good luck!!

[stlrj]

"Plug wires all test good"

How did you test them?

[brcorp]

Originally Posted by stlrj

"Plug wires all test good"

How did you test them?

Tested with a multi-meter. All were less than 3000 ohms (2800 ~ 3000 ohms) with the exception of the coil wire which registered no resistance.

I checked all the sensors at the ECU connector per the Bentley manual, everything was in spec.

I went back and checked the coil again, the primary resistance (terminals 1 / 15) is 1.2 ohms and the secondary resistance (terminals 4 / 15) is 5830 ohms. The primary is out of spec. Is this enough to cause a no start condition? I have a MSD Blaster 8202 coil would this be an acceptable replacement?

I'm getting a signal to the coil. Verified by a test light to the negative coil terminal which pulses when trying to start the car.

Thanks,

[pozee]

If it idles rough then shuts off - Check your vacuum hoses as noted previously.

If it shuts off like you turned the key off and you have checked everything you have noted, check the dist. cap. In fact, replace it. Then try it and see what happens.

[stlrj]

[QUOTE=brcorp;3681512]Tested with a multi-meter. All were less than 3000 ohms (2800 ~ 3000 ohms) with the exception of the coil wire which registered no resistance.QUOTE]


Testing for continuity is meaningless for high voltage ignition cables because it does not address the wires ability to conduct without shorting to ground which happens to be the most important function of ignition cables.

I would not let myself be fooled by that test.