*rather Urgent* 98 chevy truck help.

[Reaper]

well i finally broke down and bought a new truck. after much though i am selling my beloved 79 chevy and got in to a 98 silverado k2500 454.

i looked at this truck several times and each time it started strait away with no delay or hesitation. well sunday when i took final delivery of the truck it ran great and started fine. monday same thing. tuesday morn. i go out to start it and no start! so i suspect the battery. well after taking it to the local auto parts store they tell me that the battery is fine however the truck cranks but wont start. upon futher head scratching i am now thinking its got some sort of dealer installed alarm on the factory Key fob that some how defaulted and will not let the truck get fuel. the reason i think this is the Theft loc on the radio is activated as well. (is this possible, i know nothing of GM factory theft systems)


things i have done so far:
checked all fuses
Verified spark
tested the fuel pump relay on my dads 99 chevy suburban
key on and you dont hear the fuel pump prime
looked for a valet switch.
kicked the tires
cussed at the truck


what else could it be?
bad fuel pump?
faulty connection between the ecm and the fuel pump?
faulty gound?

any other idea. where should i look first? i am almost leaning toward towing it to the chevy dealership and having them chase it if its electrical.

thanks for the ideas
Dathan


PS.. thanks to Nick Micale and Jan (aka Buzzard) for the help on the phone last night.

 

[fullahotair]

are your fuel injectors squirting fuel? you should be able to smell that gas in the tail pipe...which would mean your fuel system is alrigh, but no spark...


Another thing i have heard about, is that these newer vehicles need all of the 12 volts your battery can dish out due to all the electronics. So what will happen is, you battery has enough juice to crank over the engine, but not enough to power the computer to make it "start". I think some auto makers are pushing for a 16 volt battery system. I doubt thats your problem, but i thought i would throw it out there...

N8

 

[Reaper]

Originally posted by fullahotair
are your fuel injectors squirting fuel? you should be able to smell that gas in the tail pipe...which would mean your fuel system is alrigh, but no spark...


Another thing i have heard about, is that these newer vehicles need all of the 12 volts your battery can dish out due to all the electronics. So what will happen is, you battery has enough juice to crank over the engine, but not enough to power the computer to make it "start". I think some auto makers are pushing for a 16 volt battery system. I doubt thats your problem, but i thought i would throw it out there...

N8

i verified spark by pulling a wire and sticking a screwdriver in the boot and licking my finger so i know its got spark!

your right about the "new cars" some have 24v now! but this is still low tech GM stuff.


i have no way of telling if the squirters are squirting. i would have to remove the upper intake to check. ( i dont really wanna do that)
thanks for the suggestion about the smelling gas in the tail pipe. i did not smell any fuel last night, but i was not really tuned in to that at the moment!

thanks!

 

[Otto J]

Does it have fuel pressure?
Do you hear the pump running?
If not have someone crank it over steady
as you hit the fuel tank with a hammer or block of
wood, When the fuel pump is on its way it will do this
hitting the tank will usually get it going,but it need to be changed if this works

 

[TylerDurden]

my 96 dodge had the same symptoms, turned out it WAS a low battery, so a 98 truck will probably do the same thing if the battery is low....i was able to start the truck in this condition by using the gas pedal to start it, and keep it running, tough driving a vehicle with your foot on the gas 100% of the time ....if i let go of the gas it would die immediately as if i had turned the key off.....cant hurt to try....

 

[dhjenkins]

The 98 silverado (among other things) is equipped with the Passlock II anti-theft system.

When you insert your key, does the security light go on? Have you tried waiting until it goes off to crank the engine?


If that doesn't work, borrow a code scanner from someone and scan your vehicle to see if it's been activated. If it has, you aren't going anywhere, as the injectors are probably disabled.


If it IS the passlock, you can buy a bypass for about $20. Audio/Alarm installers use them to install remote start. Before you do that, you might want to just check the wires from the module to the sensor - any deviation in resistance of the wires will cause a problem...


Hope this helps...

 

[Reaper]

Originally posted by dhjenkins
The 98 silverado (among other things) is equipped with the Passlock II anti-theft system.

When you insert your key, does the security light go on? Have you tried waiting until it goes off to crank the engine?


If that doesn't work, borrow a code scanner from someone and scan your vehicle to see if it's been activated. If it has, you aren't going anywhere, as the injectors are probably disabled.


If it IS the passlock, you can buy a bypass for about $20. Audio/Alarm installers use them to install remote start. Before you do that, you might want to just check the wires from the module to the sensor - any deviation in resistance of the wires will cause a problem...



Hope this helps...

thanks thats what i wanted to hear! thanks very much. ok that confirms it! is the light located on the radio near the tuning knob?

 

[Otto J]

NO the light on the radio is for Radio security,You will have a light on the dash that says theft.
Does the key have any markings on it?PK2
Most GM pass lockII keys are marked this way, But if im not sure if it disables the starter,injectors or fuel or spark.

 

[2quiktocare]

I don't know if this was asked before or not, but are you using a factory meps key or an aftermarket key? If it isn't coded for the truck, it won't start. Just a passing thought.

 

[dhjenkins]

Here's a good page on disabling passlock permanently, without buying a module...

http://www.internationalelect.com/vatts.htm

Most of the people I know disable it and put on an aftermarket alarm because of these types of problems. The passlock system can actually engage while the engine is running and shut it down, which seems awfully dangerous to me...

 

[TurboJunky]

Contact the previous owner and ask them.

 

[Reaper]

well it looks like my mantra holds true, When all else fails VIOLENCE is the answer!


kicking the fuel tank worked, who would have thunk? so today after work i am buying a FP and all the other stuff that gose with it.

have you guys ever seen what they look like? its this HUGE modular rig. you cant just buy the pump its self and there is no way to free the pump from its plastic cage. you have to love the general!


anyway thanks for the help guys!

Dathan

 

[Otto J]

Your Welcome, Work when on a road trip and this happens also.

 

[Otto J]

Your Welcome, Work when on a road trip and this happens also.