03 2D 2wd

The vehicle sounds like it is turning over but it doesn't get up and start. The starter was replaced two years ago, the battery has been tested by a local tire and battery shop then dropped into another 2 vehicles since I was paranoid, and the ignition coil shows the right amount of ohms. It had a tune up around 2 years ago and only around 13k miles has been put on it since then.

I am able to jump it and that extra umpf makes it start. I drove it around the other day for 40 minutes or so to see if it drove differently, so I don't think it is the fuel pump and the filter was replaced 3 months ago. It does have a problem around ~55mph and 2k+rpm, like on hills, where it will start to jerk like it is about to stall. Its not a problem at speeds lower than that. It will currently not start when jumped now.

I tested the spark of the ignition coil by unplugging it from the distributor cap and grounding it to the engine. This produced an orange color spark and I have heard that it is suppose to be a bluish color (not sure how true that is), but like I said the ohms check out on my multimeter.

My mechanic isn't open till Tuesday so I was wondering if anyone could offer some advice till then, hoping it is an easy fix with university starting back soon.

 

When cranking, there should be a blue spark, and it should easily jump a half inch gap. Resistance tests on ignition coils are not 100% conclussive. Check fuel pressure and leakdown. When you initially turn the ignition to the RUN position, (don't start the engine) the fuel pump will be activated for ~2 seconds and then shut off. Fuel pressure must be tested while the pump is running. Pressure must be 60psi to 66psi, and it must remain above 55psi for at least 10 minutes after the fuel pump shuts off. Post your results.

 

It just produces a faint yellow spark. So that might be it I assume... I don't have the equipment for a fuel pressure test so that will have to wait till Tuesday if a new coil doesn't fix the problem and I might go ahead and get it done anyway just to be on the safe side since I have been faintly smelling gas once or so a month.. Its also throwing a code for a vacuum hose which I assume the gas smell is from.

 

So I pulled the rotor and distributor cap today and these are the picture of such:


and



I was talking to some people and they mentioned that it was odd how the corrosion was on one side of the poles in the cap. Could this be due to the distributor being misaligned? I had a 2000 year engine put in it around 2 years ago and these two parts haven't been replaced since I have owned the vehicle which is 3 years now.

 

Distributor gear wear and incorrect cam retard causes the spark to jump to the side of the cap posts.

 

A faint yellow spark is a problem, gotta be bright blue. Could be low voltage to the coil, a bad coil, or a faulty coil wire.

The rotor looks a bit nasty, but the terminals on the cap look perfectly normal. The crusty stuff is crystalized silicone dielectric grease, which is put there to reduce corrosion on the aluminum terminals. If it's not there, somebody was slacking when they installed the cap As the spark jumps the gap, the grease crystalizes on the leading edge when the rotor passes by the terminal. Might not be a bad idea to install an AC Delco cap & rotor, (these things don't like aftermarket stuff).

 

Alright so I replaced the rotor and distributor cap since they weren't in the best of condition. I also went ahead and replaced the ignition coil since it wasn't sparking well. It still doesn't start but I did manage to get it boosted. It runs a lot better than what it did before but then again there was still the problem of it not wanting to start.

Also, the check engine light is always on and you can leave the battery out overnight resetting it and it will still come back on after 10-15 minutes. The code was originally for a vacuum leak which I fixed a couple days ago while poking under the hood when this problem first cropped up. The light came back on anyway and I didn't pay it any heed since I may be potentially missing a cat ... so it generally stays on. So I change out those parts and low and behold the engine light is off and didn't come back on during the ~30 minutes it was running. So it must have done something.

Bring it to the mechanic and he says it sounds like my fuel pump may be going bad or it might be something easy like a crank sensor. He was backed up and I didn't even have a place to park so I won't know for a day or two what the problem is.

He quoted me 150$ for the labor and whatever parts are if its the pump. Does that seem reasonable for around the Tennessee area? The threads I found about cost were generally from several years ago.

 

150 for labor isnt bad at all

 

A Delco fuel pump is going to cost around $250, depending upon your mechanic's markup; the $150 to drop the tank, remove/replace the fuel pump, re-install the tank....does not seem all that bad to me, but I have no idea of the labor prices around your area.

Good idea to replace the cap and rotor, however if the distributor shaft bushings are worn, then the new cap and rotor are not going to last a real long time. Good news is that replacement aluminum shaft distributors are only around $50 off of ebay from Skip White which I think is somewhere in TN. After replacing the distributor the cam retard setting will need to be checked and set which requires a capable scan tool.....mechanic should have one.

Good luck.

 

Sounds like you're making progress. Ask the guy to write down fuel pressure and leakdown, both at the service port, AND at the fuel filter outlet. Then post the readings. If it turns out that it needs a new fuel pump, don't let him install aftermarket stuff. Make sure it's AC Delco or Delphi only!