Questions and Answers

Camaro Croaked

Q. Vince, I can't start my Camaro. I cleaned the engine like I do a couple of times a year. Sprayed it with Gunk and hosed it down. This was on a Saturday. On Thursday it starts missing while driving to work. On the way home it starts missing pretty bad. I figure it's moisture in the cap. Checked the cap, no moisture. Cap was worn so I put on a new one. Started it up and drove it around the block. Same miss.

The next morning it won't start. When I let off the key a couple of times it started to fire. I dig into the diagnostics. No trouble codes in the computer. I get spark at the plugs. I checked fuel pressure at the test port on the fuel log. 45 psi. I suspect the injectors aren't firing, but they are impossible to access without taking the plenum apart. Major task. Am I headed down the right road?

1. 1987 Chevy Camaro
2. 2.8L V6
3. Automatic
4. 145K miles
5. MPI Injection
6. No ABS
7. PS - A/C - Cruise Control

Any suggestions on where to go from here?
Lance

A. Since the problem started five days after you washed the engine, I seriously doubt the two are connected.

As always I recommend looking for the simple stuff first, then go to the more difficult. You replaced the cap, but did you replace the rotor? Whenever you change a distributor cap, you should replace the rotor. If you don't, it will cause the rotor to burn out due to the increased distance from the rotor tip to the cap contact. Also, those rotors have a tendency to burn through the center and the spark will short to the distributor shaft.

Check all your connections. Something might have come loose when you were washing the engine. Unplug and plug them all, making sure they are clean and tight.

If this doesn't solve your problem, then you will need to dig a little deeper. Take a long screwdriver or mechanics stethoscope and place it on the fuel injectors one at a time. You should hear them click as the engine cranks over. I doubt it is the injectors. For all six to go bad at the same time is highly unlikely.

With no engine codes, this is about all you can do. The car will have to be hooked up to a scope to determine the exact problem.