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HELP 1991 GMC Sierra 1500 won't start


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tweed70
Novice

Jan 16, 2014, 4:00 PM

Post #1 of 13 (7980 views)
HELP 1991 GMC Sierra 1500 won't start Sign In

I have a 1991 GMC Sierra 1500 truck that won't start. Battery and Alt. were both tested and are good. All lights work except the dashboard light and it has all new fuses. We used starter fluid in carb it fired but only for a few seconds now is completely dead. I am pregnant and my boyfriend don't know a lot about cars and we are stranded in the cold. Frown


(This post was edited by carjunky on Jan 16, 2014, 4:26 PM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jan 16, 2014, 4:16 PM

Post #2 of 13 (7968 views)
Re: HELP GMC Sierra 1500 won't start Sign In

You're not very clear on what the truck is doing now. The starting fluid trick indicated that you have spark but now fuel so you may have started with a bad fuel pump but it sounds like you are saying the battery gave out, which is expected. Get the battery charged and test the fuel pressure. Since you never indicated what engine you have, I can't give you the fuel pressure spec.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



tweed70
Novice

Jan 16, 2014, 4:19 PM

Post #3 of 13 (7966 views)
Re: HELP GMC Sierra 1500 won't start Sign In

I'm sorry it has a 350 engine (not original) and the battery is being pulled down somehow. We just had the battery charged completely last night and it was fine then today wouldn't start again.

In Reply To


tweed70
Novice

Jan 16, 2014, 4:21 PM

Post #4 of 13 (7964 views)
Re: HELP GMC Sierra 1500 won't start Sign In

How do we check the fuel pressure? Could it be the fuel filter?


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jan 16, 2014, 4:23 PM

Post #5 of 13 (7963 views)
Re: HELP GMC Sierra 1500 won't start Sign In

Of course the battery is going to run down if you continue to try to start it without recharging. Depending how much you tried to start it, that battery may not be as healthy as you think it is.


edit, no, it won't be a fuel filter and you use a fuel pressure gauge to test fuel pressure.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Jan 16, 2014, 4:24 PM)


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jan 16, 2014, 4:25 PM

Post #6 of 13 (7960 views)
Re: HELP GMC Sierra 1500 won't start Sign In

OK - It reacted if only once to starting fluid so chase down lack of fuel delivery. If totally dead now do you mean it will not even crank the engine? If so you've take too much charge out of battery so need to charge that up for more tests if it didn't kill it and if cranking that much with a no start but cranks you could have harmed the starter.

"All new fuses" Why, were they blown? How far do you want to go on your own with this till you get some help? As said it reacted to starting fluid so for now you can forget ignition and find out why no fuel gets delivered. If you've tried cranking it way too much it might have soaked the spark plugs so bad they'll not fire again well or at all and sounds like you can add that to the solution. Wish you luck and here to help but careful not to make this worse as source trouble might not have been a big deal.

Can you charge battery back up and test for fuel pressure at least?

T



tweed70
Novice

Jan 16, 2014, 4:26 PM

Post #7 of 13 (7957 views)
Re: HELP GMC Sierra 1500 won't start Sign In

The battery is only a month old and the shop checked it last night and said it was still very good. We have had it on a charger now for a couple of hours and now it won't even take a charge. But still don't explain why it is doing this in the first place.


kev2
Veteran
kev2 profile image

Jan 16, 2014, 4:27 PM

Post #8 of 13 (7953 views)
Re: HELP GMC Sierra 1500 won't start Sign In

a 1991 I am guessing you have a V8 engine...?

Without some tools - test light, fuel pressure gauge minimum and some automotive skills, hard to advise....


IDEALLY
Using starting fluid AND getting it to try and startt suggests a fuel issue- either the injectors or the fuel pump.
A test light would confirm 12v to the injectors with key on, a fuel pressure test would check the fuel pump operation..


tweed70
Novice

Jan 16, 2014, 4:34 PM

Post #9 of 13 (7943 views)
Re: HELP GMC Sierra 1500 won't start Sign In

We are younger and obviously not that well informed on buying cars/trucks. My boyfriend bought the truck from his sisters boyfriend for a VERY cheap price and said that some of the fuses needed changed and an Alt. So that is what we did, to be safe we just changed all of them and the Alt. is good, tested that today again and is perfect. I talked to my mom and she said the same things like about the fuel pump and stuff. We got it to a shop but they are all stumped now too. Seems something is pulling the battery down when not running which started the mess to begin with.
I also want to thank you both for trying to help I know being a girl and not around much mechanics I don't know a lot let alone how to explain everything so thank you for putting up with that also.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jan 16, 2014, 4:37 PM

Post #10 of 13 (7939 views)
Re: HELP GMC Sierra 1500 won't start Sign In


Quote
We got it to a shop but they are all stumped now


That simply means that you brought it to the wrong shop. Any competent tech can figure this out quickly once they have the vehicle.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



tweed70
Novice

Jan 16, 2014, 4:41 PM

Post #11 of 13 (7937 views)
Re: HELP GMC Sierra 1500 won't start Sign In

True makes sense but not real easy to get it anyplace else at this time. Just frustrated now is all. Again thank you. Will let you know if they figure it all out. Unimpressed


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Jan 16, 2014, 4:48 PM

Post #12 of 13 (7934 views)
Re: HELP GMC Sierra 1500 won't start Sign In

I feel your frustration. Towing is how you get a non running vehicle to a shop. I am a big fan of good motor clubs for usually under $100 bucks a year you get included towing check how far per plan chosen. Many offer some wild discounts on other assorted things you may need vehicles or not so can be a real bargain. Too late after the fact but consider that,

T



tweed70
Novice

Jan 16, 2014, 4:51 PM

Post #13 of 13 (7930 views)
Re: HELP GMC Sierra 1500 won't start Sign In

 Thank you. And thanks for all the advice it was very kind. Not sure what he (my boyfriend) is going to do, but I'm cold and going to call my Sister-in-law to pick me up.Smile






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