Hi all,

I'm stumped. Has spark and fuel, clean plugs, all sensors check out (as best I can test them), absolutely will not start. If you crank it hard for a long time a wispy, fog-like smoke starts floating up from the exhaust pipe (presumable air-fuel mixture), but will not fire up. When I first try it burps a couple of times like it wants to, but after that nothing whatsoever. I've also switched the ECU, ICU and coil with other units and jumped all associated relays to ensure they're not the problem, nothing. I have no idea where to go next. I assume the air-fuel mix emerging from the pipe means compression, since it's being pumped all that way... please help, any info appreciated!!

 

you're sure you have spark? your description sounds like you have fuel.

pop open the oil cap and make sure the cam is turning. a broken timing belt could do this. its also possible the cam has slipped a tooth or two, that will stop it from running.

 

Yes, have tested spark on each cylinder, it's yellowish-orange but it's there. Got a nasty shock from one of them too, seems pretty hot! The cam is turning as well, so no broken timing belt.

 

when you pull the plugs after trying to start, are they drenched, or just damp ?

 

They're pretty wet. Not enough to be dripping off or anything, but a little more than damp. Before the thing quit running altogether it was running fairly rich, enough for a small child walking down the sidewalk to remark "Daddy, that car smells like gas!", soo.....

 

hmmm. 88 is probably LH 2.2 (thats what our 87 is) and I believe still has a cold start injector. if that injector sprays too much gas, the engine runs really rich, especially once warmed up.

the fuel pressure regulator under the front end of the fuel rail... it has a little vacuum hose on the end of it... pull that vacuum hose off and crank the car, verify gas doesn't squirt out that hole. if it does, your fuel pressure regulator is shot.

thats all I can think of right now.