Need help please

[angelus_2003]

Hi first time here and i am hoping someone could help me out, i've tried asking everyone i know but no luck.

I own an '84 Berlinetta with digital dash. Recently i have been having major problems getting the car to start. At first it would just keep turning over and over but not catch, so i replaced the battery, it worked fine for about 3 days then same thing, friend told me it was the alternator, i put in a new alternator, worked fine for a week, then had troubles again with starting it. It would start, run for a second then die and would not start again. I changed the plugs and wires in August, the starter was changed in March and i put in a new soliniod for the starter 2 months ago. when i get the car to run i can have it run for like 2 or three hours, then shut it off, and it will not start again.

Any one have any ideas?

[chevy_chic20041]

Originally Posted by angelus_2003

Hi first time here and i am hoping someone could help me out, i've tried asking everyone i know but no luck.

I own an '84 Berlinetta with digital dash. Recently i have been having major problems getting the car to start. At first it would just keep turning over and over but not catch, so i replaced the battery, it worked fine for about 3 days then same thing, friend told me it was the alternator, i put in a new alternator, worked fine for a week, then had troubles again with starting it. It would start, run for a second then die and would not start again. I changed the plugs and wires in August, the starter was changed in March and i put in a new soliniod for the starter 2 months ago. when i get the car to run i can have it run for like 2 or three hours, then shut it off, and it will not start again.

Any one have any ideas?

check fuel filter,lines,pump

[angelus_2003]

Thanks, the car was taken to the shop this afternoon for a fuel pump change and some other work, will let you know how it turns out.

[chevy_chic20041]

Originally Posted by angelus_2003

Thanks, the car was taken to the shop this afternoon for a fuel pump change and some other work, will let you know how it turns out.

yeah let me know what happens

[angelus_2003]

so, the mechanic couldn't find anything wrong with the car so didn't charge me, the car is now at another place where they couldn't find a problem with the fuel pump, he checked the timing and that was fine, he checked something else but i don't recall what, then he said that he hooked a load tester to the starter and found that it was pulling way too much power, so he is going to replace the starter and see how that works..

[89IROC&RS]

yup, its called parasitic draw, it was what i was going to throw out as a possible problem. Somewhere in the cars electrical system you have a device that isnt shutting off, or a short to ground, that is draining your battery. The way to test for this, which im sure this mechanic didnt do as hes just throwing parts at it, is to hook up the load tester and observe the parasitic draw, then go to the fuse panel, and remove fuses one at a time. One of the fuses should make the draw drop to normal levels. that is the circuit you need to test for the parasitic draw (aka short to ground). Find the short, repair it, and the problem should disappear.

[angelus_2003]

well got the car back, he fixed a vacuum leak and replaced the starter with one that looks to be 1 and a 1/2 times the size of the old one, and it starts great...only now it sound rougher and has a strange rattle when i push down on the gas peddle. now all i have to do is get my digital dashboard fixed, it burned out, two new tires, new windshield, small prob with driverside window, and interior upholstery fixed, and then i can start on the real work lol

[89IROC&RS]

if somethin is now rattling, take it back right now, and have him do it up right otherwise, you keep it till it gets too anoying or something fails, and bingo, you have to pay to fix what should have already been done. just an idea.

[angelus_2003]

So the rattle turns out to be the seal between where the forward part of the exhaust pipe joins onto the driver side manifold. I had the car in the garage and started it up, and i could actually see it moving. only prob is i can't get at the damn thing to try to tighten it up, but will be taking the car to a friends tomorrow, he'll do it for me and see why the car is running rougher.

[89IROC&RS]

chances are the mechanic loosend the pipes to get at the starter, so i wouldnt worry about it as far as something else going wrong.

[angelus_2003]

Well finally got around to fixing the rattle, the whole brace that held the exhaust pipe to the manifold was off, both bolts were totally gone, so after a quick trip up to the parts store, and a five minute job crawling around under the car, it's fixed, still sounds rough but at least it doesn't sound like a dying diesel anymore lol. Thanks everyone for all the help.

[angelus_2003]

This is a question regarding when i go to start th car when it's been sitting for a while, when i get in i have to pump the gas one to start the car, now when i bought the car almost two years ago i had a full tune up done on the engine. i didn't have to pump the gas to get it to start.

It wasn't until about 3 months later that i had to start pumping it to start. Now would this be a problem with the carb or the fuel pump or just a normal thing?