no start, 0 fuel pressure, but gas on plugs

siege · Jan 2, 2005

Alright this sucks - it's always one thing after another with this car...I just got it running after 2 weeks on friday, and now its down again

Anyway, here's whats up. Yesterday I was driving around and it was fine. There was a little sputtering once in a while, but I figured it was my cap and rotor since they are 2 years old and are in bad shape. Stopped at autozone and got new ones, drove home just fine. 6 hours later, swap cap and rotor, car won't start. swap old ones back, still won't start. It would crank just fine, but not start. After I quit cranking it would kinda do the 'putt putt' thing a couple times (like you're out of gas or something - if you know what i mean). I could smell gas after trying to start for a while, and I pulled the #1 plug and it had a bit of gas on it. Checked the fuel pressure with KOEO, it read 0. I can hear the pump prime when I turn on the ign though. fp still reads 0 when I'm cranking as well. So I figured my gas guage was a little more off than it used to be or something, and I was just out of gas.

So today, ride bike 2 miles, get a gas can, walk to the gas station, fill it up, add the 2.5gal to my car...still no start - obviously I'm not out of gas. I haven't jacked up the car and pulled the fuel filter yet to check if its clogged, but I will do that shortly. Right now I'm just so pissed/upset its almost funny so I don't even want to look at it.

Any ideas? Any way I can check the fpr and fuel pump independently? Or could it be somethning else? Thanks guys.

NKau · Jan 2, 2005

I'd check to be positive you are getting spark first. Pull a wire/plug, and rest the plug (with wire attached) on your intake or somewhere you can watch it while somebody else cranks the engine. You should see a nice fat yellow spark.
If you have spark, try shooting a bit of ether/starting fluid into your intake; if the car will pop off and run on the starting fluid for a second or two, you know it's probably a fuel problem.

siege · Jan 2, 2005

unfortunately I don't have an assistant to crank for me sux working on cars alone sometimes... I may be able to do that myself if I get positioned right, since I don't need the clutch in to start my car anymore (safety switch broke, so I bypassed it)

what's this starting fluid stuff? don't have any and never used it; is it just labeled 'starting fluid' at checker or autozone?

Been searching and found a few things to check as well. I'll try to gather more info quickly.

thanks

10HoleLX · Jan 2, 2005

Just a side note: I once ran out of gas and had to put in 3-4 gallons of fuel to get it started (just how the "running out of fuel" section in my owners manual states)

Oh-Check your firing order.
Danny.

siege · Jan 2, 2005

10HoleLX said:
Just a side note: I once ran out of gas and had to put in 3-4 gallons of fuel to get it started (just how the "running out of fuel" section in my owners manual states)

Oh-Check your firing order.
Danny.

well there should have been 3-4 gal left unless my guage is all of a sudden WAY off, and I put in 2.5...right now it shows I have 1/4 tank, that oughta be enough. And yeah, I checked the firing order last night

NKau · Jan 2, 2005

Yep. Napa, Autozone, Farm & Fleet or even Wal-Mart will have starting fluid. If you don't have someone to crank the car, you can turn the key to the 'on' position, and go underhood and bypass the starter solenoid by laying a screwdriver across the + post and the little post closest to it. Be darn sure the car is in neutral and you are standing off to the side of the car if you do this.

siege · Jan 2, 2005

is that little post the one with the red wire on it? think i remember someone saying take that wire off to do that?

NKau · Jan 2, 2005

siege said:
is that little post the one with the red wire on it? think i remember someone saying take that wire off to do that?

I'm pretty sure that's the one you're after; might want to try and do a search quick to be sure.

TheUser · Jan 2, 2005

well keep in mind the fuel pump primes for 3-5 sec and then quit, so KOEO, you might not have enough time to get out there to see the fuel pressure, unless you have a guage inside the car. If you do have zero pressure, obviously that's probably it.

They make starting fluid, but you can use gasoline. Open the throttle body blade and use a funnel to pour some in there and BE SURE TO REPLACE THE INTAKE TUBE OR A FIRE COULD RESULT IF IT BACKFIRES OUT OF THE INTAKE! If it trys to turn over a little bit, then it's a fuel problem like Nkau said.

I know you checked your firing order, but seriously, I've done this before and my car wouldn't start for a few weeks. You could have put them in the proper order, but maybe put them clockwise instead of counterclockwise how they're supposed to go. Just an idea.

A lot of us know about the "one thing after another" thing, and most have been there. Hang in there man.

Good Luck

NKau · Jan 2, 2005

NKau said:
I'm pretty sure that's the one you're after; might want to try and do a search quick to be sure.

And yes, the wire will have to come off for you to do that.

HISSIN50 · Jan 2, 2005

sorry to hear that. i am with Nick about being real sure the spark is there. real sure there is no FP? gauges can get funky or not be screwed in all the way.

starting fluid is called the same. get a bud to pick some up for you. dont use more than you have to since it is a solvent and FLAMMABLE.

good luck.

TheUser · Jan 2, 2005

siege said:
is that little post the one with the red wire on it? think i remember someone saying take that wire off to do that?

that little red wire that goes on the little stud on top is just for the ignition - how the starter solonoid knows when to fire the car over. For what you're doing, you should be able to leave that wire on there, but taking it off won't do anything either. The post closest on the starter relay/solonoid is the one that goes to the starter, so that's the one you want to connect to the pos battery terminal via a long screwdriver.

MusPuppis · Jan 2, 2005

I had a similar problem in my Z. I changed the cap, rotor and plug wires and just wouldnt start back. I checked the order 100 times, went over everything from front to back. It turned out I had two wires cross lower near the plugs, so what I thought was the correct order wasnt.

What I'd do, just to be sure, is pull the rotor, cap and wires back off and redo it slowly. What your describing, especially the little put-put thing really sounds like the wires are on wrong. Also, is it possible the rotor button is damaged or anything? May be worth inspecting the new parts to make sure none are defective.

Just my .02.

siege · Jan 2, 2005

ok, sorry for the delay, my parents picked me up since they were down the street at my grandmas and I went and got my dads truck again. Anyway, I just tested for spark at the plug wire and the coil using the 'spark plug on intake' method and there is absolutely 100% zero spark on that mofo. Gonna go pull the codes now, just gotta find out which pins on the connectors it was again...always forget

oh and as for the fuel pressure, I coulda sworn my guage held the highest reading but I guess not...musta been one of my other guages or something

HISSIN50 · Jan 2, 2005

sounds good. Jrichker has a post about pulling codes, as should a repair manual.

for no spark, i would concentrate on the PIP, TFI and coil. it could be something else, but should you find a code dealing with those, i would look further.

good luck bud.

siege · Jan 2, 2005

yeah I just found his post. I don't know wtf is going on but I have 4 test lights and none are working...just my luck..gotta rig somethin up I guess.

siege · Jan 2, 2005

ok so SOMEHOW I can't find one SINGLE light that works that I could use for a test light...I don't get it. freakin ridiculous. I think the man is out to get me....

Anyway, I tried to test my coil as per the Haynes manual instructions, but the Haynes book sucks so it can get confusing. what I did is was measure the ohms between the green wire that connects to the coil, and the top post that goes to the distributor - this sound right? I actually also did it with the red wire just in case green wasn't the negative primary lead...anyway, my multimeter got no reading...this mean its bad? I also measured the resistance between the + and - on the primary connector and got 0.6 ohms, just to cover my bases. does autozone test coils? I don't remember...

TheUser · Jan 2, 2005

Jason, what I generally do to test the coil is leave the coil wire connected to the coil and use a pair of insulated pliars to hold the other end that would attach to the cap; hold that boot about 1/4 inch from your intake and see if you see spark jump...if so, then your coil is good, as well as your wire.

Alternatively, you could prob. remove the wire from both the coil and the cap and hold the end 1/4" from the coil and see if it jumps to isolate the coil it's self. If you're still working alone, you'll prob. have to jump the solonoid like we talked about before w/ the screwdriver with one hand and hold the boot w/ the other.

Good Luck

Edit: If this is what you did already, sorry!

siege · Jan 2, 2005

TheUser said:
Jason, what I generally do to test the coil is leave the coil wire connected to the coil and use a pair of insulated pliars to hold the other end that would attach to the cap; hold that boot about 1/4 inch from your intake and see if you see spark jump...if so, then your coil is good, as well as your wire.

Alternatively, you could prob. remove the wire from both the coil and the cap and hold the end 1/4" from the coil and see if it jumps to isolate the coil it's self. If you're still working alone, you'll prob. have to jump the solonoid like we talked about before w/ the screwdriver with one hand and hold the boot w/ the other.

Good Luck

yeah I did that already. I put a spark plug in the wire, held it against the intake, jumped the solenoid and got no spark (like NKau suggested)- I was testing just the coil with the books method to narrow it down.

TheUser · Jan 2, 2005

In that case, I think I'd just spring the $15-20 and get a new coil.

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