Car won't start still after hooking up new starter. Didn't smell any fuel out the exhaust only starter fluid. Check for spark and there is spark. Took the fuel rail out so injectors show. Turned car over and no fuel came out. Thinking I might need new injectors. Pulled fuel hose off from rail and gas came out so I known it isn't the fuel pump. Pulled off return line and no gas come out of that. Car was sitting close to 3 years. Do you all this my injectors are sealed shut from the time it's been sitting?

You can use a voltmeter to check the resistance of each injector as a clue. Let us know what numbers you get. Also, make sure you have flow through your fuel filter. You can remove it and blow through it. If you can blow through it fine, then no clog, if not, then clogged and there's an issue with fuel pressure.

Do i check with the key on or turning into run position?

Injectors only work in run or start. Or else the engine would flood.

If they run ethanol in your local fuel I'd bet way more on pump being bad than all 4 injectors going bad at once although it is longshot possible. Getting fuel at fuel rail, means nothing if it was there 3 years ago, all that means is the check valves work. Regulator BB could be rusted stuck. You can have pump moving fuel but not with any pressure to it and injected engines MUST have the full pressure to start and run. The fuel filter must be open too.

Ya I think my fuel pressure regulator isn't opening under pressure. I can hear my pump turn on. It's a walbro 255. So I'm ordering a regulator to start with there before I replace my pump

For the checks I mentioned, no key, no on and no start when checking resistance of injectors. You'll be unplugging them to check the Ohms anyway. It is done unplugged. Checking your fuel filter is also done with the car off. To check injectors getting power or ground, then you'd use the key (maybe that's what AMC though you were asking about), but for just the resistance, no key.

Here's a link to a thread, fifth post down has injector testing...
how-do-you-check-injectors-t300141.html

Thank you buddy! By any chance would anyone happen to know where the vacuum connection from the regulator goes to? I know it's some where behind the manifold right?

Yes, key off to check injector resistance, my bad for misunderstanding how the question was posed.

Vacuum line should go to intake, the vacuum is used to boost regulator pressure at load.

If you hear pump then having heard it before compare the sound, often the pump goes to sounding different when they are bad, the spinup is not the same. Just because you hear it doesn't necessarily mean it's working right. If you are locked into how it used to sound that can be a dead giveaway to a bad pump.

Fuel pump sounds as strong as before but then again like you all said it could be loosing pressure. I just ordered a fuel pressure regulator so if that doesn't fix it then next will be the fuel pump. Also going to test resistance later on today on the injectors

I think the vacuum line goes to the nipple on the intake piping, near the IACV adjustment screw, but I'm not looking at mine as an example at the moment. My memory could be mistaken. Yours has been connected this whole time right?

It was connected yes

What's up everyone,

Installed my new fuel pressure regulator and checked my injectors and the harness. I get signal from the harness and injectors and good as well signal wise. However when I went to start it to make sure they spray fuel only the number 2 & 3 injectors fire. I'm getting fuel through the regulator so I know my pump is still good, right? So I took the injectors back out so I can try to clean the injectors hoping they open up. If not then i guess it's time for some new injectors....any suggestions?

1990 pig nose
1996 ka24de

One more question. My dog pulled out all my sensors to my transmison. Do i need them for my car to run?

MarkSilla28 wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 19, 2017 11:32 am

What's up everyone,

Installed my new fuel pressure regulator and checked my injectors and the harness. I get signal from the harness and injectors and good as well signal wise. However when I went to start it to make sure they spray fuel only the number 2 & 3 injectors fire. I'm getting fuel through the regulator so I know my pump is still good, right? So I took the injectors back out so I can try to clean the injectors hoping they open up. If not then i guess it's time for some new injectors....any suggestions?

1990 pig nose
1996 ka24de

One more question. My dog pulled out all my sensors to my transmission. Do i need them for my car to run?

Thanks for the update. As you already had an open thread for this topic, there was no need to start a new one. Merged.

The old My dog ate my transmission sensors excuse eh? Classic.

Your car will run without tranny sensors, but it will run better with them. Assuming you have a manual. You'll need some sensors for the automatic, like park neutral and the speed-o I think. You really should repair the harness for all of them.

For the injectors, seeing the spray is a useful test. So are the electrical tests. Try those to see if the wires are getting voltage and are grounded properly. Check the resistance in Ohms of the injectors.

Lol ya my damn dog. Yes its a 5 speed so then i should be okay for right now. I onlt had 2 injectors firing so i took them out to clean them. After i cleaned them and out them back in only 3 fired now and 1 didn't. So I'm ordering new injectors and waiting for them to come in

So I put in the new injectors and Reyes to set the fuel pressure but the most I get is 9 lbs of pressure. I can hear the fuel pump but I think it's weak so that will be the next thing to change out. Any one else think it could be something else?

9 is super weak. Where did you test in the fuel line? If before the filter, then yeah, pump is weak.

Off the gauge on the fuel pressure regulator when I was trying to set the fuel pressure. I used a jumper wire of the fuel pump relay to simulate wide open throttle and I know that's suppose to be at 43 lbs right?

Update.....


Car starts with new 525hp fuel pump. Won't idle, car dies out. Have to give it gas for it to start and I hear a lot of valve chatter. Where do i go from here?...

I hope someone else can chime in with some ideas. What is throwing me off a bit is your fuel pressure test. I don't know anything about jumping wires. I think you merely need the key in and on for the fuel pump to prime. Once primed, you should have fuel pressure (engine running or not and gas pedal position don't matter). You can check your fuel pressure at that time. Either on your FPR (is it adjustable?) or with an attached pressure gauge before or after the fuel filter. I suppose you could also check the other end of the fuel rail if you have the detachable gauge to make sure there was no loss across the rail (ie injector leak). Check your wires and stuff and make sure those engine grounds and battery grounds are connected. Not much left to the fuel system I think. Tank, pump, pipes, filter, FPR, rail and injectors, return line, are we missing anything? Air and Spark might be next to investigate.

Also, back to the beginning... your car wouldn't start after installing a new starter. What happened before the new starter? Did push start work? Did you used to use the starter and it worked until one day it didn't? What's the history here?

The starter in the beginning would start to grind and skip teeth so I put a new one in and that fixed that problem.


My fuel pressure is now set at 32 lbs at idle and 43 at wide open throttle. I got my car to start but only when I step on the gas pedal about half way. I'm thinking to adjust the cable but still d oesnt fix the issue with my valves. I have a video of it but don't know how to post it. Thinking of just putting it YouTube

You could adjust the cable if there's any slack in it. I don't think that will change much, certainly not idle. But how about the TPS? Maybe test that one for voltage and ohms and make sure it's set in the right spot for closed throttle and that it changes voltage as soon as you start to move the intake valve open. Oh, and if you can get it to start for a little while, even with gas, then check your timing at the crank pulley. Let's see if it's anywhere near 20 degrees like it should be.

I am wondering, have you adjusted the distributor ever? Before or after this starter project? Same goes for the TPS. Has it ever been adjusted? I mean, if never touched, it might not be those. You've only touched the starter, injectors and pump, some fuel lines so far. That and you left the car sitting for 3 years. Nothing else? What about just having a decent battery? I mean, sitting for 3 years isn't typically good for batteries that like to be cycled I think.

It was sitting for 3 years while I was getting parts together. I rebuilt the engine so the distributor was taken out but not the TPS. I get the car to start but I have valve chatter so I'm going to check the clearance between the bucket shim and the cam before I try to start it again. Thank you everyone for all this helpful info. It really helps