steven23

I have an '89 2.8 firebird that wont start. New plugs,wires,cap,rotor,battery,coil,tps,ignition module and I'm getting around 42-45psi and holds stable. What else can I check?? Checked all vac lines,all ground wires I could find and pulled codes,nothing. It cranks over but just wont start!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks.

2_point8_boy

are you getting spark to the plugs? Are you getting pulse to the injectors? Those are the very next things you need to check. If you're list is accurate, then it should be starting.

How did it run prior to crank/no-start condition? Was this a sudden failure?

steven23

It was sudden because a week before last I had charged the battery and started it up and ran it around and it went like a champ! No problems at all. It's been sitting for a couple months (picked up a low miled '89 vette,hard to go back to that 2.8 ya know...). I did starty it pretty regularly (driven once and a while) and it always fired right up but the battery wouldnt hold a charge for to long (alt was just tested and passed).

Wednesday I put a new battery in it thinking it'd be ready to DD again and then it decides it doesnt wanna start... All the parts listed are pretty new and I checked everything I could think of but I'm no master mechanic... How do I check to see if I'm getting pulse to the injectors?

enswrob

use a noid light to check the pulse of the injectors

steven23

I'm not getting any spark... I dont know what to check at this point,everything from the spark plug to the ignition module works,checked the fuses... What else can I check/replace???? It still wont start!

Thanks.

enswrob

sounds like the distributor cap. i could be wrong. need to check the coil for spark.
if u have spark at the coil then the problem is some where in the distributor.

since u replaced alot of parts did you reset the timing when installing the cap/rotor?
are the wires on the distributor right fireing order is 123456

steven23

Distributor cap,rotor and coil are new... Never re-timed it,just pull the old stuff off and put on the new exactly like the old one was and I've checked the firing order many times and its correct,checked all connections and stuff. Does the distributor have many more parts down inside (under ignition module and such)?

Thanks

2_point8_boy

Now you need to see if you have spark from the coil to the distributor. If you don't, then you need to figure out if you're getting ground signal on the white wire at the coil. If you're getting pulse, then the ICM or the magnetic pickup in the distributor are bad.

I have been working on GMs for a long time and never seen a magnetic pickup cause a complete no-spark. It will give erratic spark, causing rough running, but not a total no-spark.

enswrob

hmm sounds like this is a toughy. check the rotor to see if its at the right position pointing at #1 when the engine is at 10 degrees btdc. i got a bad cap a while back when replaceing my old one that was cracked. returned it for a good one.

is the rotor turning when the engine is being cranked.