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Seeking advice for getting car started after sitting for several years

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gsxcody

10+ Year Contributor
88
1
May 16, 2010
Snohomish, Washington
Hi all,

I have a 2g gsx with a 90 6 bolt, and I am having trouble getting her fired up after sitting for a few years in my garage. I’m hoping if I explain the situation, someone more knowledgeable than myself could advise me on what the issue is most likey to be.

I removed as much gas as I could get, and put in about 12.5 gallons today (still not full) and sprayed in some starter fluid. When I try starting it the starter sounds as it should, and belts are turning, but it doesn’t fire. I can hear the fuel pump turning on as well.

When I checked the spark plugs, they seemed pretty corroded, and I cleaned them up, and got them to look better but still couldn’t get her running.

The next step I was planning is to test the spark components, and replace as necessary, but I was hoping to hear what you guys think. I’m pretty low on funds and am really trying to avoid buying anything I don’t need.

One thing that is odd is the tank is only reading at about 1/3 full, when I turn the key, but I know it has more fuel than that.

Please let me know if there’s other information that would help diagnose this.

Thanks for reading
 
Last edited:
Are you getting any spark?

I’m actually not sure. I haven’t tested to see yet because I didn’t have time today, but that is what I’m plannig to do next.

The plugs had some rust on them. The first one looked really bad, but after I cleaned them up they looked fine.
 
Okay thanks man.
Check out the coil, you can ohm out the resistance, you can also test the ICM to see if it's functional.

If it's not firing on starting fluid the it's got to be spark related.

Alright thanks Chrysler kid.
 
I would check mpi fuse and at the least try new plugs, they’ll cost less than 10 bucks, and also have to assume your battery is holding a charge? Remember the engine just needs spark, compression and fuel to start
 
Also I have a 90 6 bolt, maybe double check the cam angle sensor? I know if it’s not installed correctly the engine won’t fire

Alright I’ll definately change the plugs, and will be sure to look into the mpi fuse.

As for the battery, It was hooked up to cables and being powered by another car while I was trying to start it. Even when I took the cables off it was still turning over so I don’t think the battery was the prob. It’s only about 1-2 yrs old.

I don’t think it’s the CAS because the rewrite was handled professionally by somebody who had done them many times before, and the car used to run with this exact setup before it sat for a few years.

I appreciate the recommendations man.
 
I’d definitely try the plugs and wires first. I once had a no-start issue and thought my problem was something complicated and towed the car home, only to find out my spark plug wires were bad.

If you have access to a timing light, you can connect it just to test if spark is getting to the wires and rule out your coil pack. My best guess is bad plugs/wires. You may have cleaned the plugs, but they could still be shot internally.

As fast as fuel, you may want to pull out the pump. The floater that signals your fuel gauge could be corroded and won’t float up anymore. How much fuel was in the car and for how long did it sit?
 
Are you getting a strong crank or just a slow moving of the engine? When I first bought my car, I couldn't get it to start even with a jump because the battery was so wasted.
 
Hey all, I appreciate the advice from last weekend. This morning I finally had time to work some more on my car, and I replaced my plugs, and got the same result.

I ran the screwdriver in the spark plug wire test, and could not get an arc on all 4.

Does this pretty much signify a bad coil pack?
 
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