Car just will NOT start

[mikejpss]

Went to do my bi-monthly start up to keep the fluids circulated (ok, I was 2 weeks late) and she will not start.
Checking number 1 plug to ground with a screwdriver shows no fire. What could do this? Where do I start looking? ANY help would be appreciated folks.
Background: New GM crate engine inistalled 16 months/400 miles ago. Not a whisper of motor problems since. On one occasion, she didn't fire right up but the battery was nearly dead, new battery installed and she fired up immediately.
Today I charged the battery after the first attempt, still no fire......
The distributor has been changed to a vacuum advance one, the carb is from a 1980 model Q-Jet (no computer) , at time of motor swap out.
Thanks for any help you can send my way. Mike J.

 

[Sensei]

Dear Mike, Could be lots of things. A Haynes manual (about $15 at most auto parts stores) has basic trouble shooting proceedures that should figure it out (you probably will need a mult-meter too, also cheap). But as a start you might just check that the cap is dry inside and on good. Some possible problems are the coil, ignition module or the distributor itself. Again, the book and a multi-meter will figure it out and the coil and ignition module are pretty cheap and easy to replace. The distributor is a little more involved, but still very do-it-yourselfable (If it is the distributor, I recommend going ahead and replacing the ignition module while you are at it (about $15). Hope this helps, God bless, Cris

 

[atmmac]

Im not sure what kind of distributor you have HEI or points but i would recommend changing the points and rotor. Look for any cracks on the cap as that could cause it too.

Best Of Luck,
-Andy

 

[I_R_DA_ONE]

Mike
this is the proceedure that I follow when I have that type of problem:
first check and see if you have 12 volts at the dist, input there should be two wires running into the dist. one will be marked batt. and the other will be marked tach.. when you turn the ign. on the batt. wire should be hot....if the wire is hot and you have no spark on any plug wire the coil is most likely bad.....
If the batt. wire is not hot when you turn on the ign. it is either a bad ign. switch or a bad connection at the firewall...
As Chris says it is good to have a manual to work with......I would go to eBay and buy a manual for that specific car about $45.00 it will save you a lot of heart aches

Mike

 

[mikejpss]

Thanks for all the replies.

I R DA ONE- You de man, too! my multi meter has been out for some time, so I took a 12 volt bulb and soldered a wire to the hot prong and one to the casing of the bulb and used this for a meter. Found that I have voltage at the distributor cap marked "BATT" , with no fire to any of the plug wires.
Made it on down to the auto parts store, bought a new coil for $20.00 and changed it out. The motor made less than 2 revolutions and she fired up.
Many thanks to you guys for the help as I would have otherwise spent a few days on this .
Heck, I'll buy ya'll a beer someday. Thank you very much guys.

p.s.- when I changed out the motor last year, EVERYTHING attached to the motor was changed out as a new part, excluding the a/c compressor power steering pump and of course, you guessed it- the distr. coil. Even the distr. cap was changed.Should have known, eh?

 

[81' Corvette Guy]

Grats bro on your troubleshooting success..feels good don't it! Joe!

 

[vette333]

Mike:
I assume you are storing the car for the winter and that's why you are starting it bi-monthly. In my experience starting the car while in storage in not recommended as moisture remains in the motor after it gets up to temperature and the remaining condensate leads to corrosion of the internals. I have always "Pickeled" my motor when storing it for the winter. I have also removed the computer permanently and I disconnect and remove the battery for the winter.
Pickeling preserves the motor until you're ready to start it in the spring and your local parts store should have the additive (Pickel juice). This method is commonly used for boat motors.
Some people also recommend draining the oil before storing the car. I use synthetic oil and I have not drained the oil before storage.

Vette333
1981 Silver
36,000 original miles

 

[mikejpss]

vette333- I am not aware of these problems, and thought that starting it, bringing it up to temperature and holding for 10-15 minutes /twice a month was an ok thing to do. But I will investigate this further and adapt. Anyone else have any info on this ???

Thanks a bunch for the input vette333.

 

[MoeJr]

Mike as an aside. I would consider changing the ignition module just as a precaution.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

vette333- I am not aware of these problems, and thought that starting it, bringing it up to temperature and holding for 10-15 minutes /twice a month was an ok thing to do. But I will investigate this further and adapt. Anyone else have any info on this ???

Thanks a bunch for the input vette333.

This is correct - you're doing more harm than good by starting it. Put it away properly in the fall, don't touch it till spring. The engine does not benefit in any manner by being started now and then. Urban legends and internet myths will try to tell you different however.

I look after a fleet of 850+ aircraft engines worldwide; the above procedure is mandatory.

 

[atmmac]

I also start mine every once in a while i dont see the harm. The cars built to run and it keeps the battery charged.

 

[Mr. Chuck]

Car Doesn't start

I have in my collection of old car care library a copy of Petersen's Basic Ignition and Electrical Systems 3rd Edition, 1973 copy right; pages 36 - 45 show visual / mechincal aspects of the dist once the cap is removed.
If assuming your distributor also has points, condenser and typical mech vacuum advance linkage; some of the following checks may lead you to a fix to get car started.
I would do the following checks in the order given:
1. Verify if you have high voltage to any of the other plugs.
2. Lift dist cap and verify if points open close or use a dwell meter to see if dwell is correct or needs to be adjusted. Incorrect adjustment will not allow sificent level of high volyage generation from the coil.
3. If dwell reading is zero or very low, may indicate a worn down rubbing block on the points that ride aganist the dist cam.
4. Dirty or rusty cam face will cause rapid wearing of the rubbing block. Clean and lube with a small amount of light weight grease (use a tooth pick or other non-metal tool to apply grease to avoid scratching the cam face)
5. Check to insure points are not burnt or pitted, replace points and condenser if point found so.
6. Insure that ignition wires have not become stiff and brittle; if wire core are other than metal wire you may have break of the core that will reduce or interfer with high voltage getting the plugs.
7. With plug wire off # 1 look inside wire boot and insure metal contact is not rusty or other wise damage that would reduce the electrical potential level at the plug.
8. Check all wiring related to or connecting to the distributor for signs of breaks, degrading from mice, rats, etc. I had the case once where some hungry four legged critter eat several places on plug wire, wires going to noise reduction capacitors, and vacumm lines to cause my vette to run very rough indeed.
8. Diconnect the vacuum line from the advance pot, connect a length of correctly diameter hose to the vac inlet pipe on the pot, using you mouth appy a small amount of vac and observe if mech vac advance linkage moves, this will tell you that the pot diaphram is working and hasn't ripped or torn.
9. Inspect the contact on the inside of the dist cap to see if they are worn or pitted or otherwise degraded. If the dist. is a recycled unit, insure that the outside is not chipped or cracked that would caue a shorting out of the high voltage before it can get to the rotor and along to the plugs.

The above are some of the types of problems I have fixed in the many years since my first car in 1958.

Regards:

 

[mikejpss]

This is correct - you're doing more harm than good by starting it. Put it away properly in the fall, don't touch it till spring. The engine does not benefit in any manner by being started now and then. Urban legends and internet myths will try to tell you different however.

I look after a fleet of 850+ aircraft engines worldwide; the above procedure is mandatory.

I thought that a sustained period of not running the motor would result in "gumming" of the gasoline in the carb. I still remember in my younger days (early 60's) of having to remove the glass bowl on my dads lawn tractor and cleaning the gum/varnish from the carb each spring after the mower sat up all winter. Am sure the gasoline additives have come a long way, just can't get the above procedure out of my head. What about the radiator fluids? Thought they needed circulating too to keep them with the specific gravity and avoiding them from "falling out" to an unsafe spec.grav...
Keep in mind my 81 stays under a shed , not enclosed but protected from the weather. She has 2 covers on at all times, but she certainly IS NOT in a climate controlled environment. Perhaps she need be in the future?
This is a very interesting topic for me, hope there are many different replies as to see how everyone feels.

 

[vette333]

I thought that a sustained period of not running the motor would result in "gumming" of the gasoline in the carb. I still remember in my younger days (early 60's) of having to remove the glass bowl on my dads lawn tractor and cleaning the gum/varnish from the carb each spring after the mower sat up all winter. Am sure the gasoline additives have come a long way, just can't get the above procedure out of my head. What about the radiator fluids? Thought they needed circulating too to keep them with the specific gravity and avoiding them from "falling out" to an unsafe spec.grav...
Keep in mind my 81 stays under a shed , not enclosed but protected from the weather. She has 2 covers on at all times, but she certainly IS NOT in a climate controlled environment. Perhaps she need be in the future?
This is a very interesting topic for me, hope there are many different replies as to see how everyone feels.

Pickeling (it may also be called "Fog Oil") the motor prevents varnish build-up as I believe it coats the internals and draws moisture out of the motor. The motor will typically spew white smoke after the additive is poured into the carb. and then the motor will stall. I follow the same routine with my boat motor.
Also, I fill my gas tank and include a stabilizer with the fuel and disconnect the battery for the winter. I have never had an issue with anti-freeze breakdown but I do flush and replace it every few years. I average about 1,200 miles per year on my car.

Vette333

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

I thought that a sustained period of not running the motor would result in "gumming" of the gasoline in the carb. I still remember in my younger days (early 60's) of having to remove the glass bowl on my dads lawn tractor and cleaning the gum/varnish from the carb each spring after the mower sat up all winter. Am sure the gasoline additives have come a long way, just can't get the above procedure out of my head. What about the radiator fluids? Thought they needed circulating too to keep them with the specific gravity and avoiding them from "falling out" to an unsafe spec.grav...
Keep in mind my 81 stays under a shed , not enclosed but protected from the weather. She has 2 covers on at all times, but she certainly IS NOT in a climate controlled environment. Perhaps she need be in the future?
This is a very interesting topic for me, hope there are many different replies as to see how everyone feels.

Gasoline is usually good for at least 6 months, sometimes longer. I've never had a problem in 30+ years of playing with summer time toys. I've got 5 toys in semi retired storage right now, and those have had the gasoline drained completely. My winter storage procedure is:

1) wash car, change oil and fill gas tank
2) close garage door (with car inside)
3) disconnect battery, attach battery minder
4) pat fenders and wish it a good rest
5) occasionally peek head in garage to admire

Spring time return to service:
1) reconnect battery, remove tender
2) open garage door
3) pump gas pedal twice, start engine on first turn of key.
4) off we go for a nice long drive.

Everything above and beyond this will at best make the owner feel better but not benefit the car, or at worst damage the car or just add more unnecessary wear and tear (like starting it every now and then)

 

[vette333]

I kiss my car on the T-Top before I pull the cover over it for the winter.

Vette333

PS... Don't let your spouse or children see you do this or you'll never live it down!

 

[mikejpss]

Geeeeezzzzz, you guys. All this time I was feeling guilty for NOT starting/driving her more frequently. Not that I dont want to spend some time with her, it's just that I can't seem to find the time when the weather is so balmy,like today. ( I am 40 miles from New Orleans and Mardi Gras is ongoing with cloudy skies, light rain and 45 degrees-which to Louisiana is the dead bottom of winter)....
There is not hardly a day goes by that I dont peek a look at her under her dress, but I dont take her out to dinner nearly as often as I should.
A kiss on the top, you say? My wife has pictures of me doing that from the first week I bought her (the Vette). The family knows not to engage in conversation as to who/what means most to dad.
Got the new brakes in last week and will be doing a complete brake job to her soon. Thanks for all the replies folks. m.j.

 

[Mr. Chuck]

One other big concern / potential problem if you store for an extended period (more than a few month) is drain or run the gas in the tank out. Gasoline will over time turn to a very thick and even hard gum, which in turn plugs up fuel lines, filters , tank screens and the like. I had this problem with a 73 Opel GT and ended up having to pull the gas tank to clean it out with carb boil out solution and even that took days to soak before it desolved all the gum / varnish caked around the fuel outlet. Extended storage will also take it's toll on all rubber hoese, belts, etc. If the hoses are swollen or very soft when you flex them you will be better off, just replacing them up front, especially if you end up with a gas leak / fire.

Regards:

 

[atmmac]

i would just keeping starting it. Thats what i do with my 66 impala and i dont have a problem. I do the same thing with the vette.

 

[mikejpss]

i would just keeping starting it. Thats what i do with my 66 impala and i dont have a problem. I do the same thing with the vette.

How often do you "keep starting" it? Once/week, daily? I am trying to find the correct frequency without the problems. Thanks. mike j.