Car won't stay started now.

T

Turbo6Smackdown

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2005
OK, did a few things to the car and actually got it running pretty good. Took her around the block, made some adjustments and she runs like a champ. Parked it, yanked the maf pipe off to clean it, put it back on and now the car won't stay started. Runs for like 2 seconds and quits. Ok, forgot to plug the maf back in. Plugged it in and the car runs fine now. Go out for like 5 hours come back and same thing, car won't stay started for more than 2 seconds. Starts every time, just won't stay running. MAFs still plugged in. NOW what?

So I stay in it, and keep the idle up with my foot for like 5 minutes. After that I get out of the throttle and the car stays running now. So now I'm trying to adjust idle quality all over again with the translator, and zero, zip. It's like I'm not even adjusting anything. I'm at the low load @400 and @800 rpms section, trying to pull fuel. I yanked ALLL the fuel out of those two rpm ranges and nothing happens. So in the past, was I not even really adjusting anything at all then? Was it all a placebo? Why doesn't it adjust anything any more?

But my gauges are going in opposite directions. The wide bands saying super rich, and the block learns pegged at 142. Tell me how the block learn is telling me it's too lean & I'm trying to add fuel, while the wide bands floating around 12. The exhaust's spittin all sorts of fuel out and my eyes are watering.
I have fuel pressure. I don't get it... I had my iac's perfect and my AF was text book. It sits for a while and now it went tits up without me touching a thing. I'm lost-allll over, yet again.
 
Last edited:
Is it possible the MAF plug pins are push in or loose, or a break in the wire by the connection?
 
turn the key on without starting the engine and monitor the MAF reading. While watching, slowly floor the gas pedal. If the reading stays static, the translator is talking to the ECM. If the reading goes up as you push the pedal, there's a communications error between the two.

also, unplug the MAF from the translator harness and see if of of the pins on the MAF are bent over.
 
earlbrown said:
turn the key on without starting the engine and monitor the MAF reading. While watching, slowly floor the gas pedal. If the reading stays static, the translator is talking to the ECM. If the reading goes up as you push the pedal, there's a communications error between the two.

also, unplug the MAF from the translator harness and see if of of the pins on the MAF are bent over.
Click to expand...


Maf reading? Where is there a maf reading?
 
TurboBuRick said:
AF on the scanmaster.
Click to expand...

Ah, right. That's what I thought. Had to double check though. I have different readings on my scanmaster because of the chip/translator now.


Edit: Wait, you said that if the af readings go up when I depress the accelerator I have a communications error? How do you figure that? If your air flow doesn't go up when you hit the gas, you have a problem lol. When I got the car running great in the morning, my af readings went up every time I hit the gas, and the car ran awesome...
 
The IAC causes that even with the engine off?

Also checked the pins, they're all good. This issue happened while sitting there untouched for 5 hours. In the morning it ran like a champ. In the afternoon, wouldn't stay started, and is blowing fuel out of the tailpipe. For the millionth time :(

Also, why doesn't my translator make and real life changes in the fueling? I pulled ALL the fuel, and zero change. How?
 
Last edited:
Yes
If the pin is not seated
Or has no signal. It wont start
Unless u put your foot on the gas to start it.

Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app
 
Turbo6Smackdown said:
Ok, the AF goes up when I hit the gas with the key on engine off :(
Click to expand...

That means your ECM doesn't have a MAF signal. When it goes up with the gas pedal, the computer is guessing at actual airflow. Check the pins where they engage from the harness to the translator harness. If you don't find anything there, take off the covering and inspect the wiring going from the plug to the translator and see if one of your pulleys or belt cut into one of them.
 
I see. I'll check iacs too.
As for the translator harness? Which harness is that? I have the plastic ls or lt 1 (I've no freakin clue what this thing is. ) maf, with about a 3" adapter plug, then that goes into another 3" adapter, then into the factory maf connector. that runs to the ecm and then my translator is plugged in with Caspers plug and play gen 2 harness into the ecu. Could this have failed just sitting there in 5 hours? OR, could it have run fine while I was driving it and not have noticed? Can it's guesses be that close?
 
I can't find anything wrong with my car lol. What am I missing? Iac's new, maf's new... Should I try my old stocker maf then? Is it as simple as hooking it up and setting the setting on the translator?
 
Turbo6Smackdown said:
Can it's guesses be that close?
Click to expand...

No. The guesses are based on a stock engine with stock boost, stock injectors, and a stock chip.

Turbo6Smackdown said:
I can't find anything wrong with my car lol. What am I missing? Iac's new, maf's new... Should I try my old stocker maf then? Is it as simple as hooking it up and setting the setting on the translator?
Click to expand...

If you put in the stock MAF to test it, you'll unplug everything and plug the cars harness directly into the MAF. (That won't work if you have an Extender chip though)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Car wont stay on once it finally does crank
Replies
2
Views
469
TexasT
TexasT
V
Car wont stay running
Replies
4
Views
499
V6sleeper
V6sleeper
C
No fuel
Replies
5
Views
509
hensleyt
hensleyt
J
Found an 87 GN that has been sitting for 10+ years in storage..
Replies
10
Views
556
granitestategn
G
P
Help with on3 vbands/ clamps?
Replies
2
Views
410
Chuck Leeper
Chuck Leeper
Top