Problem starting 1996 FIREBIRD............

KENNY GUIDO · #1 03-21-2005, 02:35 PM

I bought a 1996 FIREBIRD from an auction back in November. The car was a "flood salvage" and it wasnt that bad. I had to take out the carpet, clean the interior, change the power windo motor and replace some burnt bulbs.

Although the car is not on the road, I take it for a spin once in a while (awaiting DMV to arrange an ispection appointment.)

The car started every time with ease.

Saturday, I had replaced the old anit freeze (the orange, more enviromentally friendly type) for 2 reasons:

1. rust residue in the radiator

2. i was told to replace it with the standard green type.

It ran perfect.

Today, I went to start it and it wouldnt start. I would turn the key and it would just "crank" and would not catch.

can anyone help me out?

i have plenty of gas, too!

KENNY GUIDO · #2 03-23-2005, 05:52 AM

anybody?

wcflanagan · #3 03-23-2005, 07:24 AM

Sounds like the same trouble I'm having with my 94 Formula. Go to start it, it cranks, rpm's go up, let go of the key and then dies....like it's out of gas, but the same as you I have a full tank. Have no idea what's wrong, if anyone can help that would be great. I do have a sneaking suspicion about the ignition switch though.

KENNY GUIDO · #4 03-23-2005, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wcflanagan

Sounds like the same trouble I'm having with my 94 Formula. Go to start it, it cranks, rpm's go up, let go of the key and then dies....like it's out of gas, but the same as you I have a full tank. Have no idea what's wrong, if anyone can help that would be great. I do have a sneaking suspicion about the ignition switch though.

mine doesnt start at all. I turn the key, and all it does it "rrrr-rrrrr-rrrrrrr" but doesnt turnover.

Ive had this car for 6 months and everytime I would go to start it, it would start evertime with ease. now, nothing.

86TA · #5 03-23-2005, 12:26 PM

welcome to AF both of you. GUIDO , check and see if the starter is bad
and wcflanagan, I had the same experiance with a 94 camaro that my friend had bought, but that situation was different simply because the wiring was completly butchard, it took almost a week of sorting to get that thing right... but if your wiring isnt cut/spliced/ and jimmy rigged, then start checking your switch, and the relays along the colum, one of those could be bad, but i would start with the switch becuase its the easiest/cheapest to fix... good luck to the both of you, let us know how it turns out, and we can take it from there...

KENNY GUIDO · #6 03-23-2005, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 86TA

welcome to AF both of you. GUIDO , check and see if the starter is bad
and wcflanagan, I had the same experiance with a 94 camaro that my friend had bought, but that situation was different simply because the wiring was completly butchard, it took almost a week of sorting to get that thing right... but if your wiring isnt cut/spliced/ and jimmy rigged, then start checking your switch, and the relays along the colum, one of those could be bad, but i would start with the switch becuase its the easiest/cheapest to fix... good luck to the both of you, let us know how it turns out, and we can take it from there...

thanks......I know its not the starter. Im all too familair with startes and thier problems. I can spot them out in a second.....

this problem was rather new because like i said, it has started perfectly for the past few months.

it maybe the ignition switch......i heard that also. where exactly is it? is it easy to get to, without taking anything major apart?

believe it or not, my car still looks brand new. it has 53.000 original miles and is 9 years old and everything is still stock. it doesnt even have an alarm. so, nothing has been spliced into it (yet).

I did, however......spill a good amount of water around the battery when i was replacing the fluid and I was cleansing the system with fresh water and i spilled alot of water on the battery, but the battery is fine. plenty of juice (radio, lights......everything still works)

is there some type of fuse near the battery or a relay that may have gotten burnt out due to the water i spilled near the battery?

86TA · #7 03-23-2005, 02:40 PM

well that is good that no one has messed with any wiring, you are at a major advantage from where I started, lol... check your fuses under your dash, to get to the ignition switch you just have to pop the cover off from around the colum behind the steering wheel...
are you sure that you are getting spark in the cylinders? check your plugs, if that isnt it then move to air and fuel possibilities... because it takes all three (air, fuel, and spark) to start and run... check and see then post on here what you find out... good luck man...hope this is helpin ya.

KENNY GUIDO · #8 03-23-2005, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 86TA

well that is good that no one has messed with any wiring, you are at a major advantage from where I started, lol... check your fuses under your dash, to get to the ignition switch you just have to pop the cover off from around the colum behind the steering wheel...
are you sure that you are getting spark in the cylinders? check your plugs, if that isnt it then move to air and fuel possibilities... because it takes all three (air, fuel, and spark) to start and run... check and see then post on here what you find out... good luck man...hope this is helpin ya.

is the ignition switch and the horn relay the same? i know when I unplugged my horn relay, i was told it would not only make my horn not work, but it would prevent me from starting the car.

if thats the case, it may not be the relay/switch because my horn still functions.

KENNY GUIDO · #9 03-24-2005, 04:30 PM

I took some time today and the fuel pump is working (I heard it go on) BUT I was checking for spark on one of the spark plug wires and there was none.

what does that mean?

my "service engine soon" light has always been on since I got the car. My mechanic kept telling me not to worry and when the car was road ready, he would look into it.

92firebirdman · #10 03-24-2005, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 86TA

well that is good that no one has messed with any wiring, you are at a major advantage from where I started, lol... check your fuses under your dash, to get to the ignition switch you just have to pop the cover off from around the colum behind the steering wheel...
are you sure that you are getting spark in the cylinders? check your plugs, if that isnt it then move to air and fuel possibilities... because it takes all three (air, fuel, and spark) to start and run... check and see then post on here what you find out... good luck man...hope this is helpin ya.

hey 86ta, you seem to know alot about the firebird, i am having trouble starting my car as well,(not cranking, no sound) after troubleshooting the problem(battery,starter are fine) i was told it is probably the vats system or ignition swich, lock and key cylinder. where are the relays relevant to this problem?how hard is it to take the steering column off?
please help!
thanks 92 firebirdman

92firebirdman · #11 03-24-2005, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KENNY GUIDO

I took some time today and the fuel pump is working (I heard it go on) BUT I was checking for spark on one of the spark plug wires and there was none.

what does that mean?

my "service engine soon" light has always been on since I got the car. My mechanic kept telling me not to worry and when the car was road ready, he would look into it.

hey guido, did you get your car to start yet?

KENNY GUIDO · #12 03-25-2005, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 92firebirdman

hey guido, did you get your car to start yet?

no, not yet. Ive given up! Im going to drop it off at the shop on monday. Im more used to the cars of the 80's. so much easier to work on. Im so lost on the new ones!

86TA · #13 03-26-2005, 02:52 PM

sorry guys, i havent been on the internet in a few days, i've been fixing my friends 85 camaro...(can anyone tell me why every manual out there has a different idea of the firing order and make you figure it out yourself??) anyway...
Guido - if you have no spark getting to your plugs then it could be: bad plug, bad wires, a crack in the distributer, rotor button worn, or any combination of all the above...
92firebirdman - i dont know everything, by all means, these are just my favorites, ive resotred alot of camaros and firebirds.. but i will deffinatly try to help you anyway i can...do you have any sound at all??? you dont even hear the fuel pump or oil pump turn on? any lights come on (as far as the dash, such as the check engine light, etc.) and is this a new problem, like - it was running fine one day, and all of a sudden it just wouldnt crank, or where there symptoms along the way such as it was starting to be hard to crack, etc. any other info you can give me on what is happening will help me to help you... good luck and let me know what happening both you guys... or PM me if you dont wanna put it on here...
goodluck
-Dusty

KENNY GUIDO · #14 03-27-2005, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KENNY GUIDO

no, not yet. Ive given up! Im going to drop it off at the shop on monday. Im more used to the cars of the 80's. so much easier to work on. Im so lost on the new ones!

my friend just stopped by and he conluded that I had no spark thus telling me that the iginition module was bad (my car is a 96 and it has no cap & rotor)

how much does a new ignition module run?

86TA · #15 03-27-2005, 06:04 PM

oh, okay, my bad man... i dont know why but i was reading 86... i guess becuase that is what i just went through, lol... an ignition control modul will run somewhere around $150-175, if you buy it new, cut check your coil packs before you do that... they will run anywhere from $20-50 a piece...good luck to ya...
wcflanagan- i just ran into this problem again yesterday on a 94 formula, here is what all I went through: electrical connection to the coil and altenator - helped, but didnt fix it, then i went to fuel - in this case it was a bad gasket on the intake manifold... but before you go that deep, check the simple stuff:is fuel reaching the injectors...(fuel filter/fuel pump)...
92firebirdman- what happend to you man? figure anything out?

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