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TBI wont start! help!

FlatBlackBurb

FlatBlackBurb

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ok so me and my friend drive up in the mountains to do some work. on the way back the engine cuts out randomly so we look under the hood. we try and crank it but the starter made a really bad sound and it didnt start. so we thought it was the starter. it wasnt


long story short, new fuel pump installed and that wasnt the problem. tried to crank it and it didnt turn over. unbolted the fuel line after the fuel filter and gas came out so its getting past the filter. took the air cleaner out and looked in the carb when my dad tried to crank it but i couldnt see any gas getting in there at all..... any suggestions? could my fuel lines be clogged? my truck is stuck in the mountains about 20 miles from home and so i wanna just fix it and get it over with soon. please any help would be appreciated

1987 chevy suburban 350 w TBI
 
First check to see if you're getting spark. If not it's probably you're ignition module. If it's gone out, you're injector's won't fire either. Ask me how I know....
 
x2.

I also wouldn't leave the truck alone, bad stories come from incidents like this. :(
 
BTW it starts for a sec by pouring fuel into the tbi, so we assume its getting spark then and that its a fuel delivery problem. Wouldnt hurt to check I guess.
 
check the fuses, there is one that will burn if the wires at the injectors get pinched at the air filter, and then no injector pulse.
 
Jason4x4 said:
check the fuses, there is one that will burn if the wires at the injectors get pinched at the air filter, and then no injector pulse.
Click to expand...

where are these fuses exactly? im gonna head up there tomorrow with some tools and basically get everything to replace what could be wrong with it (i can always take them back to autozone). that sounds pretty reasonable... could it possibly be a clogged fuel line? cause its making it past the filter with no problem. and my friend poured gas for a little while into the carb and the engine ran for about 10 seconds then my friend ran out of fuel so i know im getting a spark. yeah wore down my batt pretty soon but was able to jump it with my dads truck.

im guessing its a fuse. is there anything else possibly that could be wrong with it? i wanna get all the parts necessary so i dont have to go up there again. its actually in a really sick spot. its on top of a mountain between two cities, great view at night. ill take some pictures for y'all tomorrow.
 
I'm going to guess fuel pump relay. It is mounted on the passenger side of the firewall. There should be a red wire that isn't connected to anything which is for a test or override if you add 12 volts it will make the fuel pump run.
 
I keep a spare relay in my console... good to have, they are known to fail...
 
4X4HIGH said:
I'm going to guess fuel pump relay. It is mounted on the passenger side of the firewall. There should be a red wire that isn't connected to anything which is for a test or override if you add 12 volts it will make the fuel pump run.
Click to expand...
You can hear the fuel pump start up when you turn the key
 
Then it's not the relay. :)

Even if it was you have the fuel pump switch to cover for you, just takes a bit more cranking.
 
no the fuel pump works. i disconnected the gas lines after the fuel filter and had my dad start it and gas came out. we cranked it for a long time but nothing. and there was definately gas in the line. so what about that fuse someone said could burn out if the wires to the injectors got pinched or something. wheres that located?
 
It still may possibly be your dist module. Even tho you are getting spark and the engine will run if you pour gas down the TB. The module may have failed and is telling the ECM there is no spark or misfire.
Wouldn't hurt to bring one along with you. They are cheap and it does not hurt to have a spare.
Are there any trouble codes set?
 
well i figured out what the problem was... i hope. one of the 10 amp fuses that was labeled "ECM ignition" burned out and i took out the "ECM battery" and stuck it in the ECM ignition and it didnt start. is that just because i didnt have the ECM battery fuse in there? im gonna take another fuse up there tomorrow and see if itll crank over. wish me luck! let's see what happens...



no there arent any trouble codes that come up. whats a dist module? wheres it located? maybe ill buy one tomorrow and see if replacing that helps.
 
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