having trouble with my ride

[slick93gt]

I'm about to loose it over here. I just replaced the trans in my ride and got everything put back together and now it turns over, but won't fire. I checked the fuel line to see if I'm getting fuel ( and there is fuel). Then I checked to see if I was getting spark ( and the plugs, wires, and the coils are firing) and now I'm so F%&@ING mad right now it's not even I'm new to this sit and I really need your help. I work on heavy equipment and I have worked on some auto in my career and I have never had a vehicle that just doesn't want to act right I'm about to stick a rag in the tank and light a match, and run like hell.
I own a 1993 pontiac grand am gt w/ the 3.3L engine. If anyone on this site can give me some heads up on this problem, and have experiance this before let me know




thanks for the help
james

[Northcat]

Not that I have some grand explanation for your problem but I fully understand your frustration...spark + fuel + compression = engine fires...not anymore.

There could be quite a few reasons your car won't start.

First thing I would check is simple stuff like you haven't already but maybe an unpluged connector somewhere.

How long was it sitting before you got the tranny changed out? It's possible that your injectors froze up or got stuck if you left it set too long...not likely, nor probably but possible.

Is your firing order correct?

Could be your temp sensor. On my 00' 3.4 L the temp sensor is on the transmission side right behind the water neck. Mine wouldn't start and that was the problem. I had people telling me everything from EGR valve to computer screwed. Had fuel, had spark...wouldn't fire. Temp sensor $7.00 at autozone...a cheap possibility.

The other reason I mention the temp sensor is because it is right there at the bell housing it is possible that it somehow got damaged or you might have forgotten to plug it back in and you will get fuel, but not enough to fire the engine.

You didn't have the intake manifolds off of it did you? If so, your push rods might be in the wrong order.

and if all else fails, cuss and throw stuff, it will make you feel better..if you haven't already.

[ptvrdik5]

i have a pontiac grand am 1994 i was driving about 60 and it lost power and wet down to 50 real fast then died it sounds like its only running on 2 cylinders and it want stay running and it want start except if you let it set for a while then it runs for a few minutes then dies again please help me do you know what it could be thank you

[Northcat]

Originally Posted by ptvrdik5

i have a pontiac grand am 1994 i was driving about 60 and it lost power and wet down to 50 real fast then died it sounds like its only running on 2 cylinders and it want stay running and it want start except if you let it set for a while then it runs for a few minutes then dies again please help me do you know what it could be thank you

You should start your own thread with you particular issue...but you issue could be several things.

I would check (in order)
Air filter - plugged choking the engine for air flooding it out.
2nd - Fuel...pressure and filter
3rd - spark...plugs, wires, coil packs

after that it gets more complicated.

[slick93gt]

well I finally got it running, come to find out it was the ground wires to the fuel sysetm were cut. Some how the previous owner decided to play tech and hacked up the harness. there are 8 ground wires that mount to the trans that ground the fuel system, the brake light, the hazards, the abs, and the pcm and the ecm. and now I'm happy as hell . I check the compression to see if there was any problems with the head gaskets. Since the previous owner didn't take really good car of the car. but now it runs and I'm happy. but now since I'm $2,500 in the hole, I'm happy it runs