Dead car yet again!

[TurbochargedKid]

Hey guys, this summer i rebuilt the engine in my car, just a freshening up, new rings. bearings and seals and gaskets. Car ran awesome for like, 2 weeks then one day when i was coming home from work i was at a stop sign and when i went to take off from it the car just stalled out and died with no previous warnings, no ses light or anything. When i pushed it into a parking lot and tried to start it again it wouldnt. It would crank and crank and crank with no avail,, when i got it home finally i find i have no spark and no fuel, why would this be? What could possibly have happened. There is no SES light with key on either.

 

[1987GNASTROROOF]

ECM??


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[TurbochargedKid]

I was thinking that could possibly be it, but how do i know for sure. Do i test with a known good one?

 

[boosted-para]

Crank sensor?

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[bb's turbo t]

Sounds like crank sensor to me. Had the same issue with my 85.

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[turbonut85]

Key on without trying to start....ses light should flash once and then stay lit. If no ses light, either there is no power to the ecm(bad fuse/wire/corroded pin, etc) or the ECM is toast. a bad crank sensor will kill spark and inj pulse as well.

 

[TurbochargedKid]

So crank sensor could do it as well. Hmm, how do i test that to make sure without just replacing it, as well as the ecm?

 

[1987GNASTROROOF]

I was thinking that could possibly be it, but how do i know for sure. Do i test with a known good one?

Where you at?


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[bb's turbo t]

So when I was having that issue it would stall and after sitting for a while it would start right up like nothing was wrong. Then of course stall again.

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[boosted-para]

Bb that sounds like an ICM to me,
Anyone one else of the same opinion?

 

[boosted-para]

Keith, how's it going?

 

[DCG]

I had the same problem with no ses light with key on engine off. I wiggled the connectors going to the ecm and never had never had the problem again.

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[TurbochargedKid]

Well, ill try that tomorrow when im out at the shop again, but if it isnt the ecm, how do i test my crank sensor without removing it from the car?

 

[DCG]

Scope the wave or check cranking rpm


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[TurbochargedKid]

I dont have a scanmaster or anything to scan it with to see that.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

I dont have a scanmaster or anything to scan it with to see that.

Suggest that be the next move..Otherwise U R guessing, and throwing parts at it.
Check the easy first. Is the ecm even getting power?

 

[TurbochargedKid]

Do i just check the orange wire under the hood to check if the ecm is getting power? I had a friend suggest to me that a burnt out bulb in the instrument cluster could cause this issue to by maybe breaking the connection by being burnt out like how the alternator wont work with the light fried. Whats another way that i could test the crank sensor without a scan tool or anything, check for resistance in the wires if theyre broken, check for voltage as its cranking..?

 

[T- Type Tim]

Check your fuse able links

 

[Chuck Leeper]

Do i just check the orange wire under the hood to check if the ecm is getting power? I had a friend suggest to me that a burnt out bulb in the instrument cluster could cause this issue to by maybe breaking the connection by being burnt out like how the alternator wont work with the light fried. Whats another way that i could test the crank sensor without a scan tool or anything, check for resistance in the wires if theyre broken, check for voltage as its cranking..?

1.Check what Tim suggested.
2.Check for power on the orange wire.
3.Check the grounds on the back of the head.
4.Check batt volts.
5.Check the pos cable for the green crud under the covering. [Near the batt]
6.Check the neg cable. It should be well grounded to the engine.
7.Key on, does the volt lite lite? If not, and the car has not been modded to cure the no charge problem, when the bulb burns out, then the alt is not getting excited, and will not charge.[Should see that issue when you do #4]

My opinion, $.02: If you don't have at least a Scanmaster, some common tools, such as volt/ohm meter, etc, you may want to find someone local, that has such and have them help. Otherwise, your Turbo Buick experience may be a lot less than fun.

 

[TurbochargedKid]

I have an ohm meter and the usual tools. Ive just never ran accross an electrical issue in the car till now. Im an auto tech and primarily deal with trannies so im okay in the mechanical aspect but all this electrical is witchcraft to me. I replaced the alternator when i did the engine because that failed so its not a lack of batter charge. My grounds on the head, intake and firewall were all cleaned up when i put the engine back in and it all wprked phenominal for two weeks or so then this happened.