lbhskier37 Posted November 5, 2006 Report Share Posted November 5, 2006 I have a 1992 3.1 Regal that began having problems the other day. I left for work Friday and about 6 blocks from home it quit and wouldn't restart. I was super cold that morning, so I thought maybe just some ice in the tank or something. I got it pushed home and took the wifes car to work. After work I went in the garage and it started right up. So I figured I'd get a bottle of heat over the weekend and that would be that. Well today I pulled it out of the garage (started right up) so I could do some other work in the garage. When I went to start it up and pull it back in, nothing again. Battery is fine, lights/stereo work fine. When I first turn the key on, I can hear the fuel pump run for a few seconds like I should. There is pressure at the fuel rail (I have no gage, but I pushed the valve core with a screw driver and fuel squirted a bit) I checked all the vacuum lines and they seems to be ok to the pressure regulator. I pulled out a plug and it appears dry though, not sure if that should get wet or not. I tried changing the fuel filter thinking that might help, but pipe thread end is proving impossible to get off. Anyone have any ideas before I take it in to the shop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88Regal Limited Posted November 5, 2006 Report Share Posted November 5, 2006 does it crank? (simple question) are the plugs firing? (captain obvious no.2) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbhskier37 Posted November 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 It does crank. Sparking I'm not sure. Is it safe to try cranking it with a plug out laying on the engine? I've done that with small engines, but nothing with a computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 Should be fine. Definately check spark, and go from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cutlass Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 For spark, take the wire, put a screwdriver through it, then put the screwdriver near grounded metal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairdo12 Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 For spark, take the wire, put a screwdriver through it, then put the screwdriver near grounded metal. I must say that sounds a bit dangerous. Don't forget, the hand you are holding the wire with is pretty close to ground itself. I would take out a spark plug and clip it into the wire and then ground that to see if there is a spark. Might be a little more safe than having the the screw driver act as a lighting rod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBoy Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 Get a spark tester stick one end in the hole ground the other and watch for the light (that sounds so wrong ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cutlass Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 For spark, take the wire, put a screwdriver through it, then put the screwdriver near grounded metal. I must say that sounds a bit dangerous. Don't forget, the hand you are holding the wire with is pretty close to ground itself. I would take out a spark plug and clip it into the wire and then ground that to see if there is a spark. Might be a little more safe than having the the screw driver act as a lighting rod. you don't have to hold it there, just set it there and get someone to crank it over once or twicewhile you watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19Cutlass94 Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 Have someone crank the car, and with insulated pliers, take off the plug wire on the coils one at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbhskier37 Posted November 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 Well I pulled out the right front plug and had someone crank it trying to ground the plug to the valve cover. No spark. I tried the other 3 front wires with that plug, and none gave me spark. At least I don't think there was a spark, it is pretty dimly lit in my garage so I figured the spark would show up pretty good, but I saw nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cutlass Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 Well I pulled out the right front plug and had someone crank it trying to ground the plug to the valve cover. No spark. I tried the other 3 front wires with that plug, and none gave me spark. At least I don't think there was a spark, it is pretty dimly lit in my garage so I figured the spark would show up pretty good, but I saw nothing. did you use a screwdriver? alot of times just using the wire won't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbhskier37 Posted November 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 I had the plug in the wire and pressed the loop end of the plug against the valve cover for a gound, that I thought should ground it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cutlass Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 Ah, ok, my mistake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbhskier37 Posted November 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 I tried jumpering the A and B pins of my ODB I plug to see if there were any codes saved, but all I get is the 12 code. Would there be any benefit to hooking up a code reader? I think my autozone loans them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cutlass Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 no Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19Cutlass94 Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 Check the spark at the coils. Then after you checked that, look into the ICM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbhskier37 Posted November 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2006 I was looking at autozones site and it seems like they can check ICMs, and coils. I think I might just try taking my ICM and coils over to autozone and seeing if anything is bad. If those are all good, looking at my Hayes manual it says I should check out the crankshaft sensor, and have a shop check my PCM. Well the shop is a ways away and I'm not towing it if I don't have to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cutlass Posted November 9, 2006 Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 Nobody said anything about towing it; Just check out the coils and ICM, if your ICM isn't bad, then check the Crankshaft sensor, then PCM. It's really hard to get OBDI to throw a code, just incase you're wondering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbhskier37 Posted November 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 Just checking in. Took the coils and ICM in to Autozone and they all checked out. I put it all back together to see if somehow I just had loose connections before testing the other sensors. I tried to start it, but now it sounds like my battery is dead from all this dinking around (plus forgetting and leaving the dome light on for a couple hours). Just to make sure I didn't screw anything up when reassembling, I jumpered it to check for codes again. Instead of the normal 12 code, the check engine light just flashes really fast. Is that because my battery is dead I hope, or did I screw something up? My helper is coming tomorrow, so I will hook his car up to try jumping me and check the other sensors and ECM if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cutlass Posted November 9, 2006 Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 ...you have got to be kidding...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRONDOG442 Posted November 9, 2006 Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 uhhh what?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19Cutlass94 Posted November 9, 2006 Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 So much for listening to people....................................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairdo12 Posted November 9, 2006 Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 Just checking in. Took the coils and ICM in to Autozone and they all checked out. I put it all back together to see if somehow I just had loose connections before testing the other sensors. I tried to start it, but now it sounds like my battery is dead from all this dinking around (plus forgetting and leaving the dome light on for a couple hours). Just to make sure I didn't screw anything up when reassembling, I jumpered it to check for codes again. Instead of the normal 12 code, the check engine light just flashes really fast. Is that because my battery is dead I hope, or did I screw something up? My helper is coming tomorrow, so I will hook his car up to try jumping me and check the other sensors and ECM if needed. Just wondering... did you test the coils and ICM when they were warm or when they were ice cold? Just asking because it seems like the car works fine when its warm and not at all when cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbhskier37 Posted November 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2006 Autozone kept rerunning the tests on the ICM for about 5 minutes to get it to warm up, but it still passed. After work I am going to test the crankshaft sensor, I couldn't last night because I was alone and had no one to crank the engine while I have the DMM hooked up to the sensor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbhskier37 Posted November 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2006 Well my buddy stopped by last night with his jumper cables and a second pair of hands. We got my battery charged up, so FYI when the battery is too low and you try to get the OBD I to show you codes, it will just flash the light real fast, no 12 code. So back to getting spark. I found where the crank angle sensor is and just about died. Then I read in the FAQ here about rotating the engine with a ratchet strap. So I did that (worked pretty good BTW) and could finally sorta reach the sensor. It took about an hour of playing around with it and I almost had the whole plastic lip broke off before I got the knife underneath it and got it to slide out. Did the bench test with a piece of ferrous metal and my DMM and was getting no signal, so I threw in the new one. Put it all back together and she fired on the first turn of the key! Awesome! Thanks for the help on here, I this forum has done wonders to keep my POS on the road! Oh BTW I changed all the plugs and wire while I was back behind the engine, WOW were those back ones bad! The gaps were so worn away they wouldn't even register on my gage so >.100"! They were AC Delco plugs so I am guessing they are originals with 160k on them. They were in so tight I had to put a cheater bar on my 3/8 ratchet to get one out. I let it run for like a half hour last night just to be shure and she runs and idles great now, thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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