VS Caprice 5.0 won't go!

[simmons001]

Hello all

Been trying to get my 5.0 to start after some work and she just won't go. Fired up last time no problem, came back to it a few days later and i just can't get it to fire.

It has fuel, it has air, it has spark, it is not throwing any error codes, will just crank and crank until the battery dies.

I've checked for loose connections, checked the water temp sensor is plugged in, trying the 1 hour key trick at the mo, but I just can't get it to fire, even with "start you bastard" which makes me think spark. But pull a plug and rest it on an earth and there is one big fat spark. Plugs are also getting fuel no problem

Ideas? I am just about to throw a lit match at the damn thing

Cheers

Mark

[BlackVXGTS]

Been trying to get my 5.0 to start after some work and she just won't go.

What sort of work are you talking about? You need to be more specific about what has changed between the time when all was OK to now. Changes to things like timing chains, cams, distributors, caps, rotors can have a potential impact on starting.

[brodster]

If engine has been apart could be timming

[brodster]

Have you had the dissy out

[simmons001]

Should have been clearer

Just pulled the oil pick up out to clean it. No major stuff, no i haven't had the dizzy out.

Actually I am starting to thing injectors.. Anyway of checking their operation without a noid light?

[simmons001]

Bumpity Bump

I am completely bereft of ideas now. Checked the fuel, the rail is pressurised. We have lots of sparky sparks. The injectors are clicking away merrily. Everything seems to be plugged in. I have checked the timing and moved the leads about to see if I could even get it to coff.

Crank crank crank, it just wont even coff, even with start you bastard

Damn thing just wont start. Any ideas?

Or am I off to buy a Grange?

[spirto]

too much fuel in the combustion chamber can cause it to just crank and crank and crank, remove the fuel pump fuse and try cranking it over, if it splutters to try to start, then starts, then you have a faulty fuel regulator. But it could also be your computer is fried, I've had one that has done this., and everything seemed to check fine. Worth a try?

[simmons001]

Cheers, off to try that now.

[simmons001]

Curiouser and Curiouser. Above didn't work but i finally remembered to actually put a timing light on it, rather than just watch the sparks and listen for compression.

The timing light isn't being fired by the lead. I have done the timing before with these leads and checked the light on another car. Worked fine. Looks like whilst it is sparking, its not energetic enough to trip the timing light. I checked 2 cylinders 1 and 2 and same ting

So weak spark, coil, dizzy etc seems to be where i should be concentrating. Do we concur?

[simmons001]

Well another day spent fiddling and no joy

Changed the cap, rotor and leads. Checked the coil (big fat spark). Can see a spark on an earthed spark plug. Timing has been checked and re-checked. Rockers rock and things turn without any expensive sounding clunking when we try to start it. And I can turn it over with a ratchet on the balancer, so it hasn't seized.

Which makes me think fuel...

But then it won't even coff on "start you bastard". Not even a gurgle.

That's it, it's off to the professionals.. I shall let you know the outcome

[BottleFedVS]

Maybe your fuel pump is pumping fuel up but not able to maintain pressure to allow the injectors to fire properly.
I had that problem with mine. I also had the coil fail & still give what I thought was a good spark!
so it may be worth while to give that a try either with a borrowed one or a newie.

I hope that helps as I know the frustration & feel the pain, I was close to putting a match to mine last time!

[simmons001]

Believe it or not, it's fixed.

And the culprit? Coil. Compared the spark with a VT, was anemic by comparison. Obviously the coil was breaking down

$70, an hour and some skinned knuckles later, she fired into life.

Oh and i primed the new oil pump with a vacuum cleaner. Quite proud of that I am.