91 formula not starting - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

drmuffin · 07-26-2010, 07:31 PM

So i have this awesome third gen paper weight. Sit in the drivers seat insert and turn key car cranks but putters when i hit the accelerator but no start, it seems like its kicking air out of the exhaust in little "PUT PUT PUTs". while trying to start for a few minutes battery died. hooked up some jumper cables to it tried starting again hoping it was just a weak bat and it tried to crank harder but still no start. i put a new ignition coil on it plugged it in, hooked up the spark plug wire to it, and stuck a spark plug in it to test if i had a spark, but i didnt get anything off the new or old one and i dont think im getting a spark, ive changed the Ignition Control module as well as spark plugs cap and rotor at a loss of what to attempt next.

deadtrend1 · 07-26-2010, 07:46 PM

Little confused on how you tested for spark. You sat the plug on a metal part of a motor? Correct?

Is it TPI or TBI?

Shoot a little squirt of carb cleaner into the Throttle body and see if it fires up for a second. That will tell you if its a fuel problem.

Many things that it could be. Could be a VATS issue also.

drmuffin · 07-26-2010, 08:12 PM

yeah i tested it that way for the spark. But a friend of mine happened to be driving by and he started talking to me about it, and i tried starting it for him he is saying it is the fuel pump or the sensor for it.

it is a 305 TBI i was driving it one day and it started bogging down, so i gave it some gas and then it worked for a second and started bogging down again, made it like 15 more feet and then it died.

Tru2Chevy · 07-26-2010, 09:56 PM

Yea, that sounds a lot like a dead fuel pump. When you turn the key to the run position, can you hear a humming sound coming from the rear hatch for a few seconds? That's the fuel pump priming....if you don't hear it, it could be time to replace the pump. You will have to do a little electrical checking first to make sure the pump is receiving power so you don't drop the tank for no reason.

- Justin

drmuffin · 07-27-2010, 05:28 AM

ok i think i hear it, but im not sure i wasnt paying attention to it. would it still prime if the sensor was bad?

V · 07-27-2010, 07:38 AM

i got your pm and yeah VATS would be a slightly different issue.

now what sensor are you talking about, as far as i know/remember there is no fuel pressure sensor on these cars.

drmuffin · 07-27-2010, 09:45 AM

oh ok.