octaneforce

Was driving home today and my 89 started to vibrate pretty bad and then backfired and died. It will turn over but will not start. I pushed the shrader valve on the fuel rail and gas kind of just gurgled out. I can hear the fuel pump running but its very quiet. Gonna throw a fuel pressure gauge on it tomorrow. Just did new cap, rotor, plugs, wires, pcv valve, air filter, basic tune up. The cap/rotor/coil combo i used was a hypertech so its possible i cooked that coil. Just venting and looking for some more ideas.

s carter

Have you been having heavy rains in your area lately, just want to take 1 thing out of the equation, I have seen the drain by the fuel tank be clogged or overwhelmed in heavy rains and tanks pretty much drowned. the cars would run fairly well and go much the way you described. so if you have a old R-12 Freon hose at hand I would pull a sample from fuel rail or drain off some from the tank/fuel filter

octaneforce

I mean we get our fair share of storms but nothing crazy. I have 45psi at the fuel rail and NO spark. Swapped in the old coil and still no spark. im at a loss

s carter

you didn't mention that the car had no spark, yes you replaced the world. but no on ignition modular or pick up coil

octaneforce

I just realized it has no spark. Im working in this beast as we speak. I know the pick up coil is in the dist. Wheres the module?

s carter

with rotor off under the pick up coil, can be removed with out pulling the pick up coil its a flat steel plate with 2 small screws and approx. 4 wire loom. if you do replace the pick up coil Distributor needs to be removed and taken apart

if you do replace module make shore you use the dielectric grease they should provide

octaneforce

I ohmed out the pickup lead and only got open readings. I tried between the leads and from the leads to the distributor housing. My meter read ol no matter what i did.

s carter

can say with pretty much 100% confidence that is a dead component

you can rebuild your distributor for around $60 or replace with an Accel. for around $130. + core

octaneforce

Sounds like its gonna be an accel. Summit? Jegs? Ebay? I guess i gotta send them the old dist

s carter

just for giggles I took a look at my local AutoZone web page

octaneforce

http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/m20ProductDisplayView?catalogId=10002&la ngId=-1&productId=45296&storeId=10001 doesnt look like it asks for a core. Too bad i already bought a cap and rotor. Looks like I'll have an extra

s carter

question
Do you have a white crusty scale or oil inside the distributor down by the pick up coil, if you have a lot of it definitely replace the distributor because it usually shows excessive wear in the bushing a seal

Cliff Harris

You should use THERMAL grease, not dielectric grease.

The ignition module gets VERY hot and it needs all the help it can get. It has a thermal protection circuit in it and it will shut down if it gets too hot.

s carter

yes I knew it was thermal grease just feel off course, use what they give if its not there find it

octaneforce

I didnt see anything like that. I could take a closer look but im probably gonna replace the whole thing rather than mess with trying to repair the old one.

octaneforce

I replaced the distributor and now i have spark but i suspect that it is weak. Car still does not start. I sprayed some starter fluid into the intake and it burps. I put a volt meter on one of the injectors and nothing happened when i turned it over. In fact it actually gave me a slight negative reading. When i ohm out the injector connection it gives me 2 ohms which is almost a direct short. At a total loss.

s carter

a volt meter is not the right tool for testing the injector lines for power, what you need is a noid light its LED light for testing inj. power system.

before going crazy with other tests with all the no spark problems, DO a clear flood mode its simple push your gas pedal to the floor keep it there crank engine if your totally loaded up the car should cough and fart a bit and come to life
OK so we have fuel pressure (earlier in post) we now have spark (New) Distributor

I am pretty sure your confident that the distributor is not in way out.
Disconnect the Ign. module conn. and check for voltage on Pink and black wire (terminal A) to test positive circuit

now connect test light to positive post of Battery probe terminal C to check ground of distributor


check pulse voltage signal

if you don't have a factory service manual which is the best, Hays has a fairly good one, I was looking at one earlier today at the store it has a basic step by step on your problem.
only problem is you have just about hit all the tests they give

octaneforce

Battery probe terminal?
Pulse voltage signal?
I have a factory service manual. It sorta puts me in the right direction but as for fuel diagnosis its almost usless. Im not familiar with all the language.

s carter

yes fuel it is its a cross check

octaneforce

Lets put it this way. What can prevent the injectors from operating? Ecm? Tps? A cooked wired somewhere? I dont even know the possibilities.