New cap and rotor on '97 350 and now no start.

[Joey P.]

Hello, I've got a 97 chevy suburban with the 350 and we were chaning the cap and rotor and when we put the new cap and rotor on the vehicle, It won't start! It turns over just fine, just no startup. Sounds like the timing is off except we've traced the wires and the firing order and they are all fine. We put the old cap and rotor back on without changing the positon of wires and it starts right up. Took the new cap and rotor back to Napa and they changed it out with another cap and rotor. Put the 2nd new cap and rotor on and it does not start. Any ideas here? 2 new cap and rotors and no start.

[maxwedge]

Check the rotor to cap contact compared to the old one, missing something here, you should be able to see something different from the ones that run.

[Joey P.]

The challenge is the old and new caps and rotors look identical. Even some crude measurments look the same. Did GM change their caps mid-production in 97?

[maxwedge]

So for now use the old ones and look into the issue further, check with a GM dealer.

[Borguy]

Is it possible that the new rotor slides further/deeper over the rotor axle than the old one?
Try the old rotor with the new cap.

[Joey P.]

Originally Posted by maxwedge

So for now use the old ones and look into the issue further, check with a GM dealer.

Thanks for the help? That's pretty in-depth knowledge you've given me here to help me out, isn't it? "Check with a GM dealer?" Defeats the purpose of me coming here and asking a question on something that isn't right, dosen't it? I come here looking for some in-depth or some insider knowledge to see if anybody else has had a problem like this or if anyone knew if GM changed something mid-production or what not and this is the in Depth you give me? Gee thanks!


And borguy, the old cap works with the new rotor but not the other way around. It's the cap that's the problem but getting them from the same place and to have 2 of them and both not work? Seems kinda strange to me. I guess I'll have to see If I can get my money back from Napa and try another cap from another place, like checker's or something. Man, I've never had a problem with a cap and rotor change.

[Borguy]

Another possibility might be the central contact point in the cap.
Maybe it is insulated in some way (tape, grease,...)

[maxwedge]

Originally Posted by Joey P.

Thanks for the help? That's pretty in-depth knowledge you've given me here to help me out, isn't it? "Check with a GM dealer?" Defeats the purpose of me coming here and asking a question on something that isn't right, dosen't it? I come here looking for some in-depth or some insider knowledge to see if anybody else has had a problem like this or if anyone knew if GM changed something mid-production or what not and this is the in Depth you give me? Gee thanks!


And borguy, the old cap works with the new rotor but not the other way around. It's the cap that's the problem but getting them from the same place and to have 2 of them and both not work? Seems kinda strange to me. I guess I'll have to see If I can get my money back from Napa and try another cap from another place, like checker's or something. Man, I've never had a problem with a cap and rotor change.

Well you have the parts in your hands you have done the work, yet you expect some magic to happen here, we are at a desk here and as I said before, there is a piece of the puzzle missing, but we should do your leg work, this is beyond a legitimate issue now.!! What is the problem with checking with NAPA's tech line at the store, or calling a GM parts dept and doing this yourself?

[777stickman]

AC-DELCO. If you've figured out that NAPA caps don't work, why go somewhere other than OEM??

Hope you do it and have the courtesy to post back the results.

[Joey P.]

Originally Posted by 777stickman

AC-DELCO. If you've figured out that NAPA caps don't work, why go somewhere other than OEM??

Hope you do it and have the courtesy to post back the results.

The old one that was on there is not OEM either. it was replaced with one from Napa. Now I'm replacing it again and I thought Napa would be the ticket and worked before. Called Napa and they don't know. They have nothing of an idea and told me to bring the cap back for a refund. I tried Napa because that is why I replaced one with Napa again. Maybe they got a bad batch?

Originally Posted by maxwedge

Well you have the parts in your hands and you have done the work, yet you expect some magic to happen here, we are at a desk here and as I said before, there is a piece of the puzzle missing, but we should do your leg work, this is beyond a legitimite issue now.!!

I understand what your saying. I guess I came off wrong at you and I apologize, I've had a fricking cold all week, I'm sorry, but what piece of the puzzle is missing here? There is not a thing any different than the old one to the new one. In fact, they are all the same color also. I understand that we are all at a desk, and I'm not expecting anybody to do any legwork, What I'm hoping for is that someone already knew what was wrong because they had the same problem before or maybe already worked at a stealer, I mean dealer and knew an answer for me. I'll call GM and see what they think.

[maxwedge]

Ok, we are cool. One thing that might track it down, see if you have spark on the coil wire with the old cap and rotor, if so, then the contact is being lost between the cap and rotor if no spark out of the coil wire the set up is interfering with the dist in some way. BTW there are no TSB's relative to this. I would go oe here.

[Joey P.]

Ok, I will try that out. Can't get ahold of anybody in GM now. Maybe they are closed for the evening?

[Joey P.]

Had spark at the coil wire. We got 2 bad caps from Napa is all. We went to autozone and purchased another cap and installed it and it started right up like the old cap! Strange stuff. We got 2 bad caps? oh well, now its running like it should again, and that is great!