Hello

Just bought a 1993 GMC Truck 1500. Was running great shut it off and it would not start. It cranked like it wanted to start but no go. They found that a fuse of some kind had burned out. Well it was more then just a normal fuse it cost about $30.00. It ran for a few sec then died again now they are thinking it is the fuel injections. I think it might be then it might be another small item. I don't want to keep buying this and that if it is not needed. you know what they say if it works leave it alone. Any ideas of what we should do? I am a single Mom who works full time but my funds are limited. I don't know of a shop to take it to that can be trusted. This is my first auto and I could sure use some help.

Thank you

What was this fuse that worked and what was it fusing? Is this new fuse blown again? Fuses don't cost $30, some other things can easily like relays but they reset unless they failed. The key is what caused the overload to blow whatever was replace that blew. That's the problem. You may have a problem with fuel injectors but all at once?

They shouldn't be guessing with your money. It might cost some bucks to fix this but fix it and move on, not just throw parts at it until it gets stumbled on. You must have some place you can trust to go to.

They are "thinking fuel injection" - - there's plenty that can fail. Does it have proper spark?

I don't know what to tell you without being there much more than that,

T
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
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http://www.acsource.com/

Thank you for your help, I agree with the guess work it is a dumb thing to do. I am looking for a shop that can be trusted. I know there are lots of them that can't be trusted and with little money to work with it is not easy. I will find out what the fuse thing was that was replaced. I also agree we need to check out why the part went out in the first place. If it was just old and needed a new one or if another issue caused it to go out. I will see what I can find out and get back to you. Right now I am without and that is not a good thing it is very hard to get to work and take the kids to day care. Again thank you for your help I will get what info I can and get back to you.

Thanks

Audball

Hey, everyone needs a mechanic or shop that they trust. Best bet is ask around work, friends etc. Bad reputations spead fast but good ones don't go as fast. I just believe in people that they do their best. There's nothing wrong with a mechanic or shop that tells you they don't have the answer. Good grief - look at how many different types of vehicles are out there. What the mechanic or shop should do in a case where they are stuck is to find out themselves or refer you to a place that does know more about it.

I don't know a single shop that takes on all problems or service at one spot. Transmissions, A/C, Front end alignment, body and paint, frame straightening, tires and wheels, upholstery, auto glass to name some. Even new car dealers farm out certain work - you can't help it in this biz anymore.

A really neat way to keep having good service it to get to know the folks or perhaps just the person who is working for you. I've worked in dealerships and indepent shops and the best work comes from knowing your customers and they know you. If a place is starting up and you are happy with them, refer them to your friends. I hated getting stuck out back in some place and workorders came in with no person attached and some work was vague and I needed to know what was happening and when because so many end up in front of me and work fine of course when you check it out and then a ticked off customer comes back with the same problem and silly things like it only does it when it's cold, or only uphills etc and that part is missing from the work order that just says to do a certain job when that wasn't even the problem.

I had to open up shop on my own real early as I couldn't take the restrictions and worse being rushed which does nothing but make problems. When you are happy with a mechanic's work LET THEM KNOW and ask for them next time you need something - trust me it makes your day when someone has asked for YOU in the dungeons out there.

I'm here to help you as best I can with a keyboard. Let me/us know how your are making out,

T
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
_________________________________________

http://www.acsource.com/

It was a relay that was replaced. the old one looked burned out. After it was replaced we could hear the fuel pump working. We could not hear it pumping before so it must have been out. The truck still would not start. The only other thing we did was to try to jump start the truck. The battery is week if I don't start it every day it goes dead. Was going to buy a new one that payday but then this had to happen. What should I check now?


Thank you

Audrey

I hope I understand just where you are at with this. Fuel pump relay was a likely problem that corrected the no start problem - is that right? If the fuel pump comes on now and it should stop making the buzzing noise with the key just moved to "run" and not start (it's built up pressure) that somewhat rules out the fuel pump for now.

Battery being poor and not holding a charge is a problem. The vehicles should still start with a GOOD jump. It doesn't always get a good jump and you may have to re-adjust how they hook up for the best connection. Leave donor vehicle hooked up for several minutes to get as much help from your own battery as possible. This truck may have burned out available fuel and need to purge itself of air which could take a few strong tries (not more than about 10 sec at a time and wait to cool) might be it for the moment and then new battery. You don't want to hear it but just a new battery may not be the end. A battery that doesn't stay about the same as it was for a couple days suggests some drain on it that could be a problem but leave that for the moment also.

Keep at it as you can. I'll keep trying from here,

T
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
_________________________________________

http://www.acsource.com/

Hello

I gave you the wrong info on my first post. Please let me clear this error up. The truck was running good I was told to start the truck every day or the battery would go dead. I had owned the truck for two weeks and I started and used it every day. So there never was an issue with the battery not for me. I drove the truck about four miles before I turned it off for about five minutes. The truck started up but died and would not start it would crank but not start. The battery gave out after a short time. So I managed to get someone to give me a jump but it still would not start. Changed the fuel filter but that did not help. Had it towed home and later while trying to jump start it we noticed we could not hear the fuel pump. A nieghbor who knows only about fuel pumps checked out a few things and found the reley was burned. Put in a new reley and could now hear the fuel pump working. Again with a jump start the truck would not start. Replaced the fuel injectors and again tried to start the truck and with the help of a jump start. No good still won't start. I have not had the fuel pump tested to see what it is pumping. I was told it should pump at 50. I don't know where to go from here.

Thank you

Audrey

You may not have a way to test fuel pressure. Without fuel at all it would start for a few seconds with starter fluid. Then if it does or even just reacts to that you know fuel deliver is the problem. With the battery known that weak it does have to go or leave it on trickle charge for a good while so you can still test things out. Pretty much this no run situation should be limited to no spark or no fuel. Check and re check for spark if you have. Do that at a spark plug. Careful not to try too hard to start this as the next problem that can confuse everything is totally soaked spark plugs. That is hard to figure out and it does happen. They get spark and won't fire. If that's the case only heating them up will work or replacing them. Air dry just won't do it in some cases.

I don't recall right now if you said so do state the miles on this and what engine. I'm guessing a 5.7 TBI set up.

Ps: Saw your posts on "Open Posting" subject by me back a year ago on "remember when" - - - - I'm still living with some of that stuff and love it,

T
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
_________________________________________

http://www.acsource.com/

Ok I am going to try to do this the right way. I'm going to barrow a good battery and do this test like it should be done. I don't fully understand what your telling me about the plugs being wet. I know fuel has to reach the plugs in order for them to fire. They should not be so wet that they are soaked in gas is this right. Wet but not dripping wet this is what I would call wet. If they are soaked should I replace them or try to air dry them first? What would cause them to get soaked? If I do replace them what would stop them from getting soaked again? I am asking you all of the above so I will know in the future if I should ever have to deal with this again. Please don't think that I am questioning you about this. I like to know what I am doing and asking is the way to learn. Thank you for your fast reply I do need your help very much.

Thank you

THE DEAL WITH FLOODED ENGINES + SPARK PLUGS:

What can happen when you have determined that a vehicle gets fuel and has spark and just stobbornly doesn't run after many tries and perhaps has been fixed is the spark plugs get soaked.

You may not see this as a litterally wet plug. You can even pull one out and ground it and it will spark?? Hmmm - all the right ingredients but still doesn't taste good?!?!?
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You have already pulled all your hair out, cleaned and dried the plugs, put them all back in and it won't so much as poop for you?!?!? Historically we get a flooded engine and put your foot to the floor which allows for a choke to kick OFF and no extra fuel would go in and it would start with some effort and blow out a black cloud then be fine and on your way. You could also just wait hours perhaps and it would behave.

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This situation has happened to me enough that now I know that some plugs can get so wet they won't dry out without taking them up and get the electrode end hot enough to glow red including the white porcelain insulator. Even that is iffy and new plugs can be easier than that job.

What has happened is that the porcelain is saturated and conducts the spark to ground by itself instead of making an air gap spark so the engine essentially has no spark - but you tested it?? Plugs will spark without pressure far more easily than under pressures as when waiting to fire the fuel mix.

This is faily uncommon but still can happen especially when several tries have been made and perhaps some parts have been replaced and tried and the right problem has been solved and then this happens and you don't know what to do. Most of the time you have fixed the initial problem and this does not happen and a running engine cleans up its own plugs.

I've seen this so bad that you just can't put in new plugs. In that case and if this is really the suspect problem at that point the only thing to do is leave all plugs out for many hours and even if possible air out the cylinders with shop air to dry them. Then the new plugs will behave and the problem is solved.

This is a problem that frequently get to a mechanic and can happen to real mechanics while fixing a problem when there have been many tries to start the engine and it was beyond plain flooded but to an extreme.

We see this more frequently as just one or two plugs that get oil fouled and nothing but a new plug will help. It's an annual thing for me with assorted two stroke engines that sit for an off season or perhaps a year or so like a chainsaw that you haven't needed and so on.

This problem is somewhat rare as I said. The source could have been a wet engine that if it was dry would have worked but then this happens after all has been ruled out. Note that some spark plugs are very resistant to this happening and for the two stroke market Champion is marketing a plug called
"The One Tug Plug" as by nature this happens more to two stroke engines.

Class Dismissed

T
Tom Greenleaf - MetroWest Boston - USA
_________________________________________

http://www.acsource.com/



(This post was edited by Tom Greenleaf on Aug 20, 2007, 4:53 PM)