firebird starts then stalls

89 Firebird 6cyl. Stepped on gas at red light (now turned green) and it died. Pushed it parking lot and this is the story: Turn the key and it starts and then stalls right out. Try again, it starts then stalls right out. After 2 or 3 of these it wont even sttempt to start. Wait 5 mintues, try again, same thing again. Have spark, changed coil, cap, rotor and module. Disconnected fuel line and pumped about 10 to 12 oz fo fuel in 15 seconds. The book says it should be 16 oz. IT was hard to measure in a 20 oz container.

Does this sound like a fuel problem or electrical? Thanks Jeff

Reply to
jeff
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I know last time that happened to me, it was the MAF sensor. Make sure you don't have any codes.

-Bruce

Reply to
Bruce Chang

Reply to
jeff

The sensor is reading whatever the computer is telling it in a way.

Start with the basics. Check your fuel pressure with a reliable hand held gauge. Check for spark (constant).

Yes a bad MAF or relay will stall it right out. Tap on the end of the MAF with the handle of a screwdriver. A lot of those early hot wire sensors were bad about things getting loose inside.

Take a look at the MAF and gently clean it with electronics spray to see if that helps things out a bit. A cheap air filter will cause it to get gummed up. Joe--ASE Certified Parts Specialist & 10th Ann.Club Tech Director '80 Carousel Red Turbo T/A, 26k orig. '79 "Y89" 400/4 speed 10th Ann. T/A, 57k orig '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 141k and still going.... '80 T/A project car...

Reply to
Bigjfig

You can also disconnect the MAF sensor and try to start it, it should start but it will set the MAF code, I think it's a 33 or 34. Anyhow, if disconnecting the MAF sensor allows it to start, you have a good place to start your diagnosis..

-Bruce

Reply to
Bruce Chang

this is the one question that is damn near impossible to trouble shoot over the net. I know i tried. Anyhow I changed all the same things you did with no change in status. I just replaced my distributor and the problem was rectified.

All aboard the Yankee express, next stop October.....

Reply to
Hitman0187

the entire distributer?

Anyway, it is starting to look like fuel pressure. Changing the filter got it to start and sputter and spit and stall some. Pressure guage on schroder valve reads zero, yet there is enough pressure to squirt fuel into the air. I would have expected to get a reading of at least a few psi. Guess we are gonna change the fuel pump OR, we are looking into an external fuel pump so we don't have to take the entire rear-end out. Anybody know anything about those?

Will keep you all updated

Jeff

Reply to
jeff

Low fuel pressure can be more then a clogged fuel filter of a bad fuel pump. It could be clogged or restricted lines.

Asfor an externial pump, your better just replacing the intank pump. Charles

Reply to
Charles Bendig

If you had to change the distributor, after changing the module, the coild, cap & rotor. Then the magnets were bad. I see this more in 88 to 95 G vans and C/K trucks. I recently had that problem with a 1990 C1500 W/T with a 305 ((5.0L)). The truck had sat for a few years.

We had spark in from the coil & fuel to the injectors after changing modules. We changed cap and rotor since the were wasted. Still no spark, tore it down and swapped the magnets. Dropped it back in and had spark. $50 in parts to get a $300 truck running. Another $175 in parts to get it road worthy. Charles When you buy 6 dead trucks from a company at once you get a much better price.

Reply to
Charles Bendig

you are exactly correct, the magnet was shot, i don't believe i left that out of my post. anyway if you absolutly have to cut the rear deck out and change the pump with the tank still up. its a butcher job but it is faster and easier All aboard the Yankee express, next stop October.....

Reply to
Hitman0187

Well, we installed an external fuel pump and it runs like a champ! Hope it holds up.

Thanks for all the >On 24 May 2004 04:16:21 GMT, snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (Hitman0187) wrote: >

Reply to
jeff

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