Hello All!

I'm desperate!! If anyone has an idea ...I'm listening

Ok heres the run down .....
New battery
New Cap & Rotor
New Feul Filter
New Fuel Pressure Regulator
we have a good spark too

When the ignition is first turned to on you can hear the fuel pump power up for about 2 seconds. When we had the regulator off, we turned the ignition on and fuel shot out.

the engine turns and trys to fire but acts like it is starving for fuel...the weird thing is we have shot starting fluid into the throttle body via the air inlet and she still won't fire? It spits and chugs like it is just about ready top fire but it does not go?

My next thought was the timing chain went, the van just stopped on the road, started back up with some serious effort and has not fired again.

I just want to be sure before I tear the motor apart for the chain..

Any ideas?

Thanks for your thoughts...
Bob

 

When you started, or it tried to start, do you advance the timing? Run the engine up to TDC and pull the dist cap and see if the rotor is pointing at #1 plug wire.

 

Maybe this will help with the timing chain issue, maybe eliminate that as a problem:

http://www.misterfixit.com/chanslop.htm


Make sure your plug wires are in the correct order, and seated properly. Trace them from distributor to spark plug.

M

 

Hi Bllyons

Welcome to our FTE forum.

Before you tear into the timing chain, which is quite an undertaking, exhaust all other possibilities. I'd look very closely at the distributor and the wires. Sometimes, actually a lot of times for me, we cross two wires trying to install a new distributor cap. Also, the gear on the 3.0L distributor has been known to disintegrate, not very often, but it does. The fact that you have both fuel and spark leads me to believe that you have a timing problem somewhere on the distributor, so check that out thoroughly.

Another possibility is the IAC valve. If that valve goes bad, you won't be able to start the engine. The valve is easy to remove and had been successfully cleaned by may on this forum, so don't just replace it yet since it can be expensive.

Good luck.

 

It is dificult ot understand what is goin on, but usually when I hear how starter kranks but engine does not fieres, I can understand what is going on.... Try to remove cap from valve on pressure regulator, remove valve, put hose on it and switch ing. on with hose in small bottle. The stream of fuel must be good.... If yes, try to measure fuel pressure...

 

For what it's worth.....

I have changed the rotor and cap on my 3.0 twice. In both instances I attempted to remove one wire and plug that wire into the new cap. I made sure I never had more than one wire lose at any one time. Guess what folks? Both times I wound up with at least one set of wires crossed. I don't know how, but it happens. I think that is the first thing to verify.....

 

1-4-2-5-3-6.... See numbers on wires....

 

Me too. Old age?

 

snip
"My next thought was the timing chain went, the van just stopped on the road, started back up with some serious effort and has not fired again."

since DIED on road no start problem came on before ign wire changes, you are on right track....cam chain/gears....distributor drive gear at bottom broken, damaged or snapped shaft....cam itself snapped or drive gear bolts came out-this one makes a hell of a racket noise when it happens....crank position sensor damaged or failing

quickest test of broken damaged cam/distributor system is base timing during engine cranking...should be spot on 10 BTDC and steady

if you can smell raw gas out the exhaust pipe? rules out failed injector driver cirucits in ECU or failed damaged FI wiring harness, since you have older 3L-has bank injection-only 2 circuits drive 6 injectors

do NOT, NEVER, use ether based starting fluid on a modern engine, thin cast heads are too easily damaged by the explosive firing of ether....if it won't start the normal way, find the problem
starting fluid only leads to expensive engine damage
most manuf. void warranty for starting fluid use even on modern diesels
plus most throttle body FI modern engine have the TB throat pointed right at your chest...a perfect cannon shot for a 60mm cannon ball TB plate and shaft thru your chest or head and out the back side....auto industry version of IED. no need for ambulance just the coroner and meat wagon

 

Thanks for all of the Ideas !!! here is an update...I took the vacuum of of the fuel pressure regulator and truned the engine over...by holding the pedal to the floor the engine finally fired, re attacked the vacuum.

The engine starts now if you hold doen the pedal...she runs but kinda ruff, some of this might be the excess gas build up in the cylinders, it ran better the longer it went.

now looking through to the back of the motor I can see a spark arcing from the back side of the coil?? this can't be good RIGHT?

Beside the coil, does a new set of plugs and setting the timing sound like the proper course?

Thanks Again For all of your Help!!!
bllyons

 

Bllyons:

Replace the coil first and see how it goes. A new coil is not that expensive, and if you see spark like that, it's pretty much shot.

96_4wdr:

Since he has a distributor, I don't think he has either a crank or a cam sensor.

 

Bllyons! Ones I installed coil from lada and spar appeared everywhere.... The spark was too strong! Wires were burned! Coil was hot.... finally I learned, that resistor from Lada must be added to this coil.... Adding resisitor solved all the problems.... Runs greate for 3 years... Why did I replaced original coil - missfire! In darknes coil looked as Crismas Eve - sparks around it!