Vintage Camaro - Needs Work

[Phylum]

I recently became a proud new owner of an 88 or 89 Camaro. It was given to me by someone who no longer wanted it. He had planned on giving it to a car donation place but instead signed the title over to me as I'm w/o a car right now.

Allow me to give you a little history on the vehicle. The cars appearance is ok - the paint on the front hood of the car is peeling in a few places and the driver side door is a little hard to close most likely due to the accident near the rear of the car (in between forward most part of the tirewell and the edge of the driver side door). The last time the car was driven was this weekend but aside from that I don't know how long the car has been sitting there.

I went to pick the car up tonight and found that everything appears to work (wipers, signals, ac/heat, lights etc) except that it won't start. I assume the starter core is ok but it doesn't turn. I had someone try to give me a jump and charge the car for a while but that was futile. We put the car in neutral and tried to get it rolling but thats one heavy badboy! In any event we let it roll a few feet as far as we could but that didn't help.

I was hoping if anyone A) had any suggestions of things to try and B) lived in the area and would be willing to take a look at it.

[Jm93]

congrads on the car. however, its not vintage. lol not quite yet anyways.

sounds like the usual wear and tear on a car 15 years old.

As for it starting, will the car even turn over? or make a clicking noise? or anything at all? i take it the battery is ok if you tested all your options. we need more info on what it does and doesnt do.

if nothing, check your connection, make sure the battery posts arent corroded to shit, or anythign like that. if it does turn over, check for spark, maybe check compression. if it doesnt turn over after boosting, make sure you let it sit with the cables hooked up for a couple min, then try.

Let us know what is hapening so we can better assess the situation.

[89IROC&RS]

yeah, if all other electronics work, and you charged the battery, but the solenoid dosnt even click on the starter, then the starter is shot. if it clicks, but wont turn, then its still the starter, if it turns the engine over, but it wont fire, its an ignition or fuel problem. so like he said, we need more details.... OH and both my camaros are 89's, dont tell them that they are vintage, its like tellin a chick her jeans make her look fat, probly why your car wont start

[Phylum]

Originally Posted by 89IROC&RS

.... OH and both my camaros are 89's, dont tell them that they are vintage, its like tellin a chick her jeans make her look fat, probly why your car wont start

LOL Sorry I love the Camaro body style. I'm a young buck, just turned 22, and the 'Camaro of the 80's' (until 92..) was my dream car!

[Phylum]

Thanks for the replies!

Now I'm a noob so I could be using the wrong terminology so in an effort to not make myself look like a total "ID 10T" I'll just use standard person-who-doesn't-know-anything-about-cars language. Ok so when I try to start the car it clicks and makes your standard starting noise but it just doesn't actually start. The battery posts look ok although they could use a little work. I had someone try to charge the battery for maybe 5 minutes before we decided to disconnect the cables and roll the car a few feet to see if it would start. I suppose it could be fuel, ignition or compression problem (not that I know the difference between the three) but I don't know. I also neglected to mention that this is an automagic.

The current plan is to leave it where it is until Friday and have some friends take a look at it then if we can't get it started, tow it home. Already I think I'm going to have to rebuild the tranny, change all the hoses, probably get a new timing belt, new tires & repaint the vehicle. The interior? Don't get me started: It's got "misc." everywhere - looks terrible! Maybe it just needs to be cleaned I don't know (at six oclock at night, it didn't look great ). I'll need a new dash, new seats and trunk as it will not close. Meanwhile I'm going to pick myself up a chilton book and RTM. Are there any worthy technical sites online? Sort of an electronic version of the chilton book?

[89IROC&RS]

well, congrats on getting the car. sounds like my IROC, just saved her from a guy in arkansas, and am planning a very in depth life saving program for her. sounds very much like your deal, sept she starts and runs GREAT, just looks rough, and is missing some stuff here and there, like the power seat and BOSE system it originaly came with. ah well, these are our projects that make us feel usefull

but from what your saying, it sounds like the engine is turning over, so you have a fuel or spark problem more than likely. to check for spark, pull out a plug, put it back in the boot, and hold the side of the plug against the engine block, or other grounded item, like the alternator housing, have someone crank it, if you got spark, youll know it if so, put it back in, and check fuel, an easy way if you dont have a guage or other tools, is to open up the air cleaner, and look down in the throttle body as someone cranks the engine, you should be able to see the fuel spraying from the injectors into the butterfly valves up there. if you got no spark, you have to trace the wiring back to where you have power, use a test light for this, see if you have power at the distributor, if not, see if you have power at the coil, if not, see if you have power at the ICM, if not, see why power is not going from the starter solenoid to the ICM. If you have no fuel, let the car sit for a min or two, then get in and listen carefully to the back of the car, turn the key to ON, not start, and see if you hear the fuel pump spinning and priming the system. if you do, then turn the key off, let it sit for 10-15 min, and pull off the fuel filter, should be under the car, about six inches forward of the driver side rear tire, and about a foot and a half towards the center of the car. youll need a 5/8in and a.... 7/8in??? wrench, i can never remember the big one, but i think thats it. see if the filter is clogged. I think that if you do all that youll find whats wrong, if the engine is cranking normally, and not slow or anything, then your battery is fine, and so is the starter. so i wouldnt try charging it anymore.

[Jm93]

^^^ no point in typing out what he just said again. listen to this fellow, he knows his shizzle ;-)

[1992RS]

Well Iroc, as much as I respect damn near every thing you say, I don't recall seeing him post if it was a V6 or 8, and if an 8 if it was TPI or TBI, if it's TBI then yeah it will work, but if it's TPI how is he going to check fuel getting into the engine with out having to pull the fuel rail off. Also, since it's been sitting so long it could per chance be a head gasket, call it silly but I've seen it happen a few times. A car will sit for a year or so and the motor will get really tight, and that first crank will blow it. He should get a compression checker. Also, old spark plugs that have been sitting for ever tend not to work, and old gas will get you every time. Just my two cents. Good luck bro, and if you need an engine built and you live close to Jacksonville FL, I have the best price around. Later.

[89IROC&RS]

see 92RS, thats why i like having you around, you catch all my screwups, those are all very good points i forgot to bring up. guess i just assumed it was a V8 TBI, and we all know what assumptions are. but to test a TPI for fuel injection, take a connector off an injector, and wire a test light through it, you might have to go one at a time, but if the light lights up, BAM!! got fuel that or hold the release valve on the rail while you crank, just be ready for a spray of gas, and for gods sake close your eyes, or wear goggles

PS thanx JM93

[Phylum]

Oooookay...

Last night I ran out to an auto store to get myself a spark plug remover and some spark plugs. I know it's a 2.8L engine so I assume a V6.

I replaced the spark plugs and checked to see if there was any oil on them and for the most part they looked fine in that aspect. The reason I say 'for the most part' is due to the fact that most of the spark plugs were very dark or black at the screw area which I thought might have been a small trace of oil or some kind of grease but it wouldn't wipe away so it could just be that they've been sitting there too long. Some of the spark plugs sockets had plenty of rust around and some in them but it was loose as though I accidentally nudged some in there. On the second to last spark plug I noticed that the protective rubber handle had a huge gash in there. The rubber was cut, or rather pulled apart, and the metal rod inside of it was considerably bent. I couldn't tell if whatever had caused this actually pierced the metal rod but that didn't look good. I checked the oil and it appears to have about another month or so left in it and I'm almos out of antifreeze. I tried to start the car with no luck. Again, just to be sure I had a friend try to jump the car once or twice but that didn't help either.

Since the the auto parts store was closed (missed by 2 minutes) I figured I would call it a night and pick up a few things tomorrow. Now, I don't recall the lights dimming greatly when trying to start the car however, I'm going to try with a battery that I know works in addition to the spark plug wires and go from there.

As far as I know, this used to be a daily driven car. I don't think it's been sitting for a very long time, at least that was never mentioned. The guy said that he used it on and off or let his brother use it most of the time - the last time the car was driven was last Saturday and Sunday.

[Hypsi87]

Originally Posted by 89IROC&RS

well, congrats on getting the car. sounds like my IROC, just saved her from a guy in arkansas, and am planning a very in depth life saving program for her. sounds very much like your deal, sept she starts and runs GREAT, just looks rough, and is missing some stuff here and there, like the power seat and BOSE system it originaly came with. ah well, these are our projects that make us feel usefull

but from what your saying, it sounds like the engine is turning over, so you have a fuel or spark problem more than likely. to check for spark, pull out a plug, put it back in the boot, and hold the side of the plug against the engine block, or other grounded item, like the alternator housing, have someone crank it, if you got spark, youll know it if so, put it back in.

hold the boot with a pair of insulated pliers or something. Did that with my gn......... my arm was numb for half of the day

[Phylum]

I have a bad feeling that it's the fuel pump or the fuel injection system. I figured that I would check around autozone's website for another fuel pump - any recomended brands? I need to get myself a Hayes or Chilton but they don't have any there.

and if you need an engine built and you live close to Jacksonville FL, I have the best price around

I'm practically in DC but my family lives down that way - next time I'm out that way and I need something I'll let you know.

[89IROC&RS]

where outside of DC??? i live close to Mount Vernon Estates. and if your close by, i could try to make some time to help ya out on a weekend or something. depending on where you are, no promises.

[Phylum]

Originally Posted by 89IROC&RS

where outside of DC??? i live close to Mount Vernon Estates. and if your close by, i could try to make some time to help ya out on a weekend or something. depending on where you are, no promises.

I live in Arlington and the car is currently parked near the previous owners, brothers house which happens to be a few blocks away from Lee Highway in North Arlington. I would say it's a good 15 minutes or so from DC. Let me know if you're interested in coming by sometime.

Last night I replaced one of the spark plug wires, the one that was ripped. During the process of removing the wire, the rubber ripped off but I managed to get the rest off. I then replaced one air filter (since AutoZone didn't have two..) and tried to get it going. Pursuant to my friends father's testing, he doesn't believe it's sparking at all.
(He took some piece of metal and stuck it into the spark plug wires, held it over something metal and had me start the car - didn't see any sparks)
Autozone was closed so we couldn't get another distributor cap and we decided to leave it for today. Last night, some mechanic was going to come by today and take a look it, try to get it running of course but he couldn't make it. He hopes to be out here tomorrow so we'll see. I picked up the distributor cap and another filter this morning so we'll see how things work out tomorrow.

I appreciate everyone's input, tips and suggestions. I picked myself up a Hayes book so I'll be doing a little studying

[89IROC&RS]

yeah man, thats not too bad, i cant make it out this weeknd, but if you want to get something going for next sunday, get the address where the car is parked, and email it to me, and i can try to come over then. weekdays im too tired (im a mechanic ) and i work most of saturday. but PM me the info and ill see what i can do.