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fuel injectors not opening
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hammerhank
Novice
Mar 6, 2013, 12:51 PM
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fuel injectors not opening
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My elderly parents have a 1990 chevrolet caprice 5.7 liter engine which sits in a garage. Neither one drives anymore but my father has been faithfully starting the vehicle monthly for about a year. Approximately 2 months ago he tried to start it and it would not start. It was acting as though it was not getting any fuel. First I replace the fuel pump and fuel filter but that did not help. I then replaced the ignition module. That did not help either. The spark plugs are sparking but the fuel injectors are not opening to allow fuel through. I do not see any wires that might have been chewed by rats between the fuel injectors or distributor and the engine control module. I think the next thing for me to do is to check for continuity between the engine control module and something else but I'm unsure as to which color coded wires to check on the ECM. Or is there something else I should be checking? If I disconnect the gas line at the throttle body plenty of gas comes out when the fuel pump is running. Thanks for any help.
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Hammer Time
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Mar 6, 2013, 2:13 PM
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Re: fuel injectors not opening
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The next thing to check is to see if you have spark and then see if you have power to one side of the injectors with the key on.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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hammerhank
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Mar 6, 2013, 2:27 PM
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Re: fuel injectors not opening
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I have done that and there is spark and I do have power to one side of the injectors.
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Hammer Time
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Mar 6, 2013, 3:47 PM
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Re: fuel injectors not opening
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So, it will run if you spray something flammable in to the intake?
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hammerhank
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Mar 6, 2013, 3:50 PM
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Re: fuel injectors not opening
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Yes, if I manually spray gas in it runs.
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Hammer Time
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Mar 6, 2013, 4:03 PM
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Re: fuel injectors not opening
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Does your check engine light come on for bulb check when the key is turned on?
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nickwarner
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Mar 6, 2013, 7:20 PM
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Re: fuel injectors not opening
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Since it hasn't been driven for a year, is the gas in it also over a year old? Ethanol will gum up and degrade faster than normal gasoline.
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hammerhank
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Mar 7, 2013, 7:01 AM
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Re: fuel injectors not opening
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Yes, check engine light comes on. I get a code 012 which flashes repeatedly. I understand that this is a normal reading for when the key is just turned on but engine not running.
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Hammer Time
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Mar 7, 2013, 7:03 AM
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Re: fuel injectors not opening
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No, that is not normal unless you have the diagnostic connector jumped out.
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hammerhank
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Mar 7, 2013, 7:43 AM
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Re: fuel injectors not opening
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I do have the diagnostic connector jumped out.
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Hammer Time
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Mar 7, 2013, 11:03 AM
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Re: fuel injectors not opening
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If you've verified power supply it's coming down to an ECM or wiring. Make sure you have tested EVERY fuse with a test light.
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hammerhank
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Mar 7, 2013, 11:18 AM
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Re: fuel injectors not opening
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Thanks, you wouldn't happen to know which wires at the ECM go to the pertinant wires on the distributor and injectors, do you?
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Tom Greenleaf
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Mar 7, 2013, 11:41 AM
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Re: fuel injectors not opening
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Question. Are you just getting this code 012 when checking? I'm not at my shop but I'll look that up in a paper book I have. That may just mean it's sees what it can see and means little. 1990 can be funky what was monitored as many OBDIs that I did check now back when - when there was a problem.
From memory (long retired) just one code when checked means you have a connection to whatever brains it has. If this isn't getting fuel it just might have plugged injectors up tight as gas now especially with the ethanol really suks as Nick said. The stabilizers aren't even all that great.
Whatever - when fixed if your folks want to have this car still it has to be driven and gas used up for new by someone. At least being garaged if dry in that one other crap should be ok like brakes and more.
I've seen tons of brand new cars - no miles but a year old need all new brakes before they had 50 miles on them as I don't any new car dealers that store all those cars indoors and some get old before sold new. My own late Dad used to buy the bargains and a couple times needed dumb stuff just from being outdoors even without our salted roads just in their lots and you know they aren't going to drive them to prevent that - too many cars.
If this ends up a fuel disaster it will be work to clean it up,
T
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Tom Greenleaf
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Mar 7, 2013, 12:10 PM
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Re: fuel injectors not opening
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I actually did just go look at that old book. Might be wrong but your code just means that check to computer is operational only nothing more. It doesn't monitor everything in a vehicle and it didn't list it a 012 but just "12"
I'm back to thinking this is lousy fuel that can make a gel that sometimes can be cleared out.
Some seasonal crap I own SeaFoam worked and now I dump gas out of stuff and run them dry - yard care crap,
T
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hammerhank
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Mar 7, 2013, 1:12 PM
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Re: fuel injectors not opening
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I followed instructions that I had found somewhere on the web for getting the diagnostic code to flash on the dash. It involved jumping two pin connections on the diagnostic connector under the dash and turning the key on (but not trying to start). The result of doing this was that 012 flashed repeatedly. Thanks.
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Tom Greenleaf
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Mar 7, 2013, 1:41 PM
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Re: fuel injectors not opening
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I'm not going back out but as I recall the first code as done properly by jumping connector will just say YES we are working and think it does the blink thing three times then a longer pause it could give you another series of blinks if any else was there or probably just keep repeating that it's connected.
Silly as it is you are just converting blinks to #s. Then just look up that #.
I say you have no info stored to help so back to figuring it out and you already know that spraying in throttle body it can run so it's a fuel issue and no OBD1 set up would tell you of a clogged fuel filter for example or now OBDII has 100s of things monitored.
Just know that even with a code it doesn't mean that item if it picks one is the problem it's a problem with that either wiring, connections or who knows sometimes.
I didn't have a ton of faith in OBD1 to help much. Frequently back in the stone age you could just find something by sight or knew where to go looking.
You have a history on this which help narrow it down. What will fix it and stay fixed remains impossible to know to me right now. Good luck with it,
Tom
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Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
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Mar 7, 2013, 7:34 PM
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Re: fuel injectors not opening
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NOID light time to see if the computer is controlling injector ground.
You need to check fuel pressure...watch this video....seeing fuel pour out the hose isn't a conclusive test.
http://www.youtube.com/...eature=results_video
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Mar 7, 2013, 7:48 PM)
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hammerhank
Novice
Mar 8, 2013, 6:26 AM
Post #18 of 20
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Re: fuel injectors not opening
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The car is now running. The last thing I did before a successful start was to disassemble the Throttle Body as far as I could with simple tools and inspect it. I did not find anything which I thought might be a problem and re-assembled it. After that it started right up. I don't know what the problem was but thanks for everyone's help.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Mar 8, 2013, 6:59 AM
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Re: fuel injectors not opening
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You had some good luck there. Now you at least know the area of trouble if this happens again. Guess we'll never know exactly why that worked which can be scary. Just maybe something you had to do to do that was the trouble even some silly electrical connection that now has better contact?
Thanks for the follow up,
Tom
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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Mar 8, 2013, 7:09 AM
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Re: fuel injectors not opening
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I guess that means that we are totally out in left field with the injector control theory.
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