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

[Eric Langheinrich]

I recently had this happen to my V8 and it turned out to be the head gasket 
(at least that is what the shop is telling me).


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tony and Lillie" <tonyandlillie1 at earthlink.net>
To: "Ben Howell" <bhowell at rmi.net>
Cc: <v8 at audifans.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 8:11 PM
Subject: Re: [V8] ANOTHER V8 won't start...and I am stumped!


> 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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>
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