Please help
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Please help
I have a C4 that will not run, here is a little history!!
Took it out of storage this spring, started right up dove home
and around for a couple of weeks. One day I thought i felt a little
hesitation but couldn't really tell for sure. Son drove it 5 miles to work
and when he got off car would not start. It turns over good but will not start. I went the next day and tryed it and it started right up and I drove it home. It was sitting in the drive way idling and it just died, like someone turned off the key. Would not start after that.
I replaced fuel pump, fuel filter, pressure regulator. It started today after cranking it for a long time (because I checked fuel, I checked spark and knew it should start). But when it started it was running real ruff and blowing white smoke out the exhaust pipes like crazy. It ran for a couple of minutes and than just died again. and will not start.
Checked ECM and got a MAss air flow fault. Is this the problem? Is this the symptim of a MAF sensor being bad. I have learned from the past not to alway trust the codes.
Please any suggestion!!!!
Thanks
dave
Took it out of storage this spring, started right up dove home
and around for a couple of weeks. One day I thought i felt a little
hesitation but couldn't really tell for sure. Son drove it 5 miles to work
and when he got off car would not start. It turns over good but will not start. I went the next day and tryed it and it started right up and I drove it home. It was sitting in the drive way idling and it just died, like someone turned off the key. Would not start after that.
I replaced fuel pump, fuel filter, pressure regulator. It started today after cranking it for a long time (because I checked fuel, I checked spark and knew it should start). But when it started it was running real ruff and blowing white smoke out the exhaust pipes like crazy. It ran for a couple of minutes and than just died again. and will not start.
Checked ECM and got a MAss air flow fault. Is this the problem? Is this the symptim of a MAF sensor being bad. I have learned from the past not to alway trust the codes.
Please any suggestion!!!!
Thanks
dave
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,730
Likes: 1
From: Atoka Oklahoma
St. Jude Donor 06
sensors going bad without notice is not unheard of. first part of story had me leaning on fuel pump. second part of story had me scratching. old school has me searching for fuel (you have) and then spark. you didn't state which year you have.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
it is a 1989, with 20,000 miles on it. It was in storage for many years.
Also one other thing I forgot to mention. I have a fuel pressure gauge, and what got me going to the fuel problem is this.... When I turn the key on, the pressure goes to 39 psi most of the time and stays there like it should but sometimes it goes to 39 psi then i hear a click and it goes to zero, I can not figure out what is causing this. but even when I had it running tonight the pressure was fine but it was running real ruff and white smoke like crazy
Also one other thing I forgot to mention. I have a fuel pressure gauge, and what got me going to the fuel problem is this.... When I turn the key on, the pressure goes to 39 psi most of the time and stays there like it should but sometimes it goes to 39 psi then i hear a click and it goes to zero, I can not figure out what is causing this. but even when I had it running tonight the pressure was fine but it was running real ruff and white smoke like crazy
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 783
Likes: 2
From: Wake Forest, NC
St. Jude Donor '05
I agree the first part of your story sounded like a pump or filter problem. Too bad it didn't throw codes at you before you went to the trouble..
Try unplugging your Mass Air Sensor and see how the car runs without it. See if the trouble goes away. Thats a quick and easy way to test it.
Are you sure it was white smoke and not blue in color? White would indicate water which could mean head gasket... But it's hard to say without actually being there to see it.
As for your fuel pressure, just dropping off to zero sounds like the pump stopped or the regulator let go. but you said you changed both of those. Have you checked the Fuel Pump Relay to see what thats doing? Perhaps an electrical problem is turning off your pump.
When the car quits, can you still hear the pump running for a couple seconds?
Just out of curiosity, what brand fuel pump did you put back in there??
Try unplugging your Mass Air Sensor and see how the car runs without it. See if the trouble goes away. Thats a quick and easy way to test it.
Are you sure it was white smoke and not blue in color? White would indicate water which could mean head gasket... But it's hard to say without actually being there to see it.
As for your fuel pressure, just dropping off to zero sounds like the pump stopped or the regulator let go. but you said you changed both of those. Have you checked the Fuel Pump Relay to see what thats doing? Perhaps an electrical problem is turning off your pump.
When the car quits, can you still hear the pump running for a couple seconds?
Just out of curiosity, what brand fuel pump did you put back in there??
Last edited by Saisling; May 23, 2005 at 08:46 PM.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
I put a Carter fuel pump in, the auto store said it was a better one. the cheap one was $56.00 and I paid $80 for this one.
It really did look like white smoke, stayed pouring out the whole time the thing was running.
It really did look like white smoke, stayed pouring out the whole time the thing was running.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 312
Likes: 0
From: Las Vegas / Scotland
That sounds like a head gasket has gone allowing water into one or more cylinders and is being ejected out the exhaust as water vapour - hold a cold can of coke in the white smoke stream and see if water pours off the can - you will always get some as water is a byproduct of burning gas but you will quickly tell if it's water in the system.
Other things that cause white smoke are brake fluid and power steering fluid but they don't really enter into the engine in any way.
You need a compression test on the engine to determine which head gasket has blown.
Other things that cause white smoke are brake fluid and power steering fluid but they don't really enter into the engine in any way.
You need a compression test on the engine to determine which head gasket has blown.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 783
Likes: 2
From: Wake Forest, NC
St. Jude Donor '05
Based on what you've said so far, 
with SteveC4
Oh, and on the pump... I've heard of quite a few people who have gotten "bad" GM pumps lately. I just took one out of my car as well and put a Carter in. It's been running great since
with SteveC4Oh, and on the pump... I've heard of quite a few people who have gotten "bad" GM pumps lately. I just took one out of my car as well and put a Carter in. It's been running great since
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Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,730
Likes: 1
From: Atoka Oklahoma
St. Jude Donor 06
bad head gasket can do strange things and i highly suggest a few test to check. don't tear it all down just yet. blown head gasket will send water to spots where water shouldn't be also gasket can send exhaust to places where it shouldn't be.
need to check and see if there are bubbles in the radiator. this would indicate head gasket broke between cylinder wall and water jacket. gasket could also break between water jacket and water jacket. pull dipstick and see if there is water in oil pan or drain oil pan in clean container. you could also pull plugs and check for any water damage, i believe they would be white.(correct me if i am wrong)
you could also do a pressure test on radiator, this would force water into cylinders and hence water in oil.
process of elimanation and also do the obvious first. with a problem that we can't see, touch or hear can only have us guessing as to which problem and cure you could have.
what ever the problem and the fix you did should be posted so we all will know for future reference.
need to check and see if there are bubbles in the radiator. this would indicate head gasket broke between cylinder wall and water jacket. gasket could also break between water jacket and water jacket. pull dipstick and see if there is water in oil pan or drain oil pan in clean container. you could also pull plugs and check for any water damage, i believe they would be white.(correct me if i am wrong)
you could also do a pressure test on radiator, this would force water into cylinders and hence water in oil.
process of elimanation and also do the obvious first. with a problem that we can't see, touch or hear can only have us guessing as to which problem and cure you could have.
what ever the problem and the fix you did should be posted so we all will know for future reference.