Fiero No Start, Please Lend a Hand

[Shane]

Hi all-

I posted about this a while back, but with a combination of business trips and the frigid weather here in Chicago I haven't gotten a chance to work on the car until today.

Long story short, the car started to stumble very badly and I idled home. The next day I tried to start it up and got a no start. It's an 84 Fiero SE with the 4 cyl Iron Duke Motor and the three speed auto.

When I try to start it it will fire 1-2 cylinders and die, not firing again until I wait a couple hours.

I ran the No Start procedure from the Buick sites on it (the only one I know). At the moment I'm getting injector pulse to the TBI injector, and fuel is coming out of the injector. I get fuel through the fuel filter when the key is turned on, although I can't really say if I'm getting good fuel pressure because this car doesn't have a schrader valve and my FP gauge is schrader only.

I get a visible good blue spark from the coil, although I didn't check the length of the gap. However when I removed a spark plug, set it on the manifold and checked spark, I saw a weaker spark that was kind of a dark orange in colour.

From running a search on a Fiero forum, I'm wondering if I have a timing issue?

I'm looking for advice here, the car's gonna be towed by the city next week if I don't get it started. If I can't fix it tomorrow I'm going to have a shop fix it. Thanks for your help everyone. Any ideas?

-Shane

 

[Turbo Indian]

try posting it here
http://performanceyears.com/newsite/index.html

 

[tjthorson]

Hi all-

I posted about this a while back, but with a combination of business trips and the frigid weather here in Chicago I haven't gotten a chance to work on the car until today.

Long story short, the car started to stumble very badly and I idled home. The next day I tried to start it up and got a no start. It's an 84 Fiero SE with the 4 cyl Iron Duke Motor and the three speed auto.

When I try to start it it will fire 1-2 cylinders and die, not firing again until I wait a couple hours.

I ran the No Start procedure from the Buick sites on it (the only one I know). At the moment I'm getting injector pulse to the TBI injector, and fuel is coming out of the injector. I get fuel through the fuel filter when the key is turned on, although I can't really say if I'm getting good fuel pressure because this car doesn't have a schrader valve and my FP gauge is schrader only.

I get a visible good blue spark from the coil, although I didn't check the length of the gap. However when I removed a spark plug, set it on the manifold and checked spark, I saw a weaker spark that was kind of a dark orange in colour.

From running a search on a Fiero forum, I'm wondering if I have a timing issue?

I'm looking for advice here, the car's gonna be towed by the city next week if I don't get it started. If I can't fix it tomorrow I'm going to have a shop fix it. Thanks for your help everyone. Any ideas?

-Shane

Oh boy. I think i know this one. BTW - you want another 84 auto? I have one in the driveway. Starts and runs! $1000. Chicago area....

The timing gears have let go. There is no chain on the duke, its a giant nylon gear that meshes a small iron gear on the crank. Some have been able to change it in the car, but it is much easier to drop the cradle to do it.

Unless for some wierd reason the distributor got loose and turned.

To test, get a timing light and put it on #1. You will most likely NOT see a timing mark anywhere near the flash of the light...

Sorry dude - at least its a cheap fix (for the parts...)

What does it look like to pull the cradle? (this was for a complete engine rebuild....)
The gear you might need to fix is under the cover about the 10 o'clock position from the crank (in the engine stand picture)

http://www.geocities.com/tjthorsonhome@sbcglobal.net/84fiero.htm

 

[Shane]

Hey Guys-

I took the advice that I got on here, and on the other boards I posted on. Also, when this first started I PM'd Steve Wood and he gave me the email addy of a friend of his that was a Fiero expert.

Steve's friend said that I wouldn't be getting spark or fuel if it was the timing gear, and that it was most likely the rotor. Not wanting to take the El to AZ more than necessary, I purchased and replaced the Cap, Rotor, Plug Wires, and Plugs and she started right up.

So thanks everyone for their advice (especially Todd).