[V8] ANOTHER V8 won't start...and I am stumped!

[Tony and Lillie]

First thing I'd check for is compression. That is the only other thing the 
car needs to run, and the fast cranking definately sounds like it. The big 
question is, what would cause the loss of compression, if in fact that is 
the problem.

Tony Hoffman
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ben Howell" <bhowell at rmi.net>
To: <v8 at audifans.com>
Cc: "'Ben Howell'" <bhowell at rmi.net>
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 8:35 PM
Subject: [V8] ANOTHER V8 won't start...and I am stumped!


> Yep, another V8 that won't start......
>
> Here's the situation: The car is a 91' 5 speed that doesn't get driven a
> lot. Timing belt water pump and rebuilt heads went on less than 15k miles
> ago. Plug wires, caps, rotors, plugs were done at the same time. About 3
> weeks ago, I started it up to move it in the driveway and after about 4-5
> seconds of running, it just died. I tired to restart it and it doesn't 
> even
> try. It turns over fast, like it has no compression or like the timing 
> belt
> is broken. Fearing the worst, I pull a the driver's side timing belt cover
> for inspection and the belt is fine. My next suspect is the reference
> sender. I know they go bad all the time as I have now put two in this car.
> The one that is in there is less than 10k miles old, but I swap in a known
> good one anyway...same result, no start, fast crank.
>
> So, feeling dejected and defeated, I walk away and leave the car. Finally
> this weekend I get the chance to dig into it and see what I can see and 
> here
> is where I am at:
>
> I get only one code and it is Intake Temp Sender. I KNOW that won't kill 
> the
> car, but I check resistance and it is within spec AND I swap in a known 
> good
> one. Still no start.
>
> Now I fear a timing belt jump. I pull both caps and both valve covers and
> bring crank up on TDC. All cams and distributors are in time. Nothing has
> skipped anywhere.
>
> I stick a spark plug in a wire end and crank....I see a spark, so now I 
> know
> I have a good spark. Still no start.
>
> Now, I run the output test to see if the injectors are firing. All 8
> injectors pass the output test (or at least the click like they are 
> supposed
> to). Still no start.
>
> Now I pull the plugs out. All 8 plugs range from extremely to somewhat
> fouled. So, I replace all 8 plugs with new units. Now it's almost like it
> wants to start. I can hear it trying to catch, but then it just starts to
> crank fast again. So, I pull all the plugs back out and they are soaked in
> fuel. I blow all the gas off the plugs with compressed air, pull the fuel
> pump relay and crank it over for a few seconds to purge it. Now, I leave 
> the
> car with the plugs out of it for 24 hours in the hopes of really drying 
> the
> cylinders out. After 24 hours, I reinstall the plugs and hook all the plug
> wires up and try to start it. Again, it tries to catch every few seconds,
> but still won't and just ends up flooding again.
>
> So, here's the bottom line, I have seen a spark with my own two eyes, the
> plugs are covered in fuel, so there must be fuel and I know everything is 
> in
> time....why will this thing not start? It makes no sense. Does anyone have
> ANY idea. Anything? I like to think of myself a being competent with these
> cars, but this one has me stumped.
>
> Any help is appreciated.
>
> Thanks!
> Ben
>
> P.S. I am still subscribed to the list, but I have not been getting list
> mail for months now. So, if you could either reply direct or CC me that
> would be great.
>
>
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