Ok So My Car Died On Me Yesterday...

[82CapriceClassic]

which is sad bc i just got it out of the shop for new shocks, and just had to get my system re-wired...aaah its always something with these older cars but they're worth it in the end...

anyways my car turns over and "sounds" like it wants to crank...but it wont crank...its not the battery bc all of the lights and cd player comes on in the car...but since its making the cranking noise I'm guessing its the fuel pump that is gone...having it towed to the shop today..i feel so incomplete stranded in the house lol

but if your engine is blown out or gone...would it even attemp to crank up or what? also does that sound like the diagnose of a bad fuel pump?

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by 82CapriceClassic

anyways my car turns over and "sounds" like it wants to crank...but it wont crank..

I am not sure what you mean by this........ imho 'turning over' and 'cranking' are the same thing.
Do you mean that when it is spinning over, it sounds like it wants to fire but doesn't?

Engines can 'blow' or fail in many, many ways. often, you cannot tell what the problem is until you do some basic tests to isolate if the problem is ignition or fuel related, or is a mechanical fault.

Remove the fuel line at the carb. Direct the line into a container and turn the engine over, Do you get some decent spurts of fuel coming out of the line. If yes then its not the pump.

Pull one spark plug, hook it up to a plug wire and ground the threads to the engine, then spin the engine over and look for spark. Post your findings here.

BTW whenever a GM HEI-equipped engine stops running on me all of a sudden, with NO warning, it's always been an ignition module failure.

[82CapriceClassic]

yes that what i mean..im a girl so im not too hip to car lingo..im waitin to get it towed to the mechanic now so get the diagnosis...i just hope it doesnt take all day lol

but it kind of gave me warning...twice in the past week its hesitated to start...like it would turn over wouldnt start...i would wait about 2 mins to try again and it would crank up...guess i shouldnt have ignored it...

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by 82CapriceClassic

im not too hip to car lingo..i

Well, we all have to start learning somewhere
Sometimes, cars, especially carbureted ones can be a bit truculent in cold weather. It might even be something as minor as an incorrect choke adjustment.

Anyways, could you please post here what the mechanic tells you?

[82CapriceClassic]

yes i figured maybe because it was cold...i havent had the chance to check on it this AM since its not where im located...it is at the shop now..waitin on the diagnose now..im thinking it may be the alternator..however since you said something about the carb..my flow masters have been back firing lately and i was told it may have somethin to do with the carb...

waiting of the diagnose is so nerve wrecking lol i think i will feel better once i know exactly what is wrong

[82CapriceClassic]

ok got my car back Monday evening and was told that the screw in the carb had melted backwards...something of that sort...come to find out since its the winter time and i usually press the gas pedal down a few times before i crank the car so it wont have a cold start...by doing that i was letting gas into the carb...took my car in monday around 1...got it out of the shop the same day around 7:30...the mechanic also mentioned something about the idle being too low which i think he said it had something to do with my battery level and that too was also associated to why my car would hesitate to crank up

now all i have to do is keep reminding myself not to press the gas pedal when cranking ..i've caught myself doing it twice since monday lol...i gotta stop