car newb with camaro starting problem

[demonpixel]

hey guys, been checking out the thread, seems like there are a lot of cool people on here with some great knowledge.

this is going to sound embarassing, but i just started learning about cars. i'm telling you this because what i'm about to ask you will probably sound pretty stupid. but i figure there's only one way to learn, so i'm gonna ask anyway. lol

i have a 93 3.4 camaro. yesterday it wouldn't start. it would crank, so my battery and starter are good, but the engine wouldn't fire up. i checked my ecm/igm fuse, my fuel injector fuses, and those are all good. i checked to see if i had spark going through my spark plug wires. i do. i didn't check to see if had any faulty spark plugs yet, but i'll probably do that tomorrow.

i tried listening for the hum of the fuel pump when i had the keys in start and in on positions. i couldn't hear anything. i don't know if this is normal or not. i also haven't checked the fuel filter.

i also noticed that there was some sort of gunky liquid underneath the injectors/intake plenum. here's a pic of it; hopefully it shows up correctly. i'm so new at this that i'm not even sure what that is. i'm hoping it's not gasoline, and if it is....maybe it's an intake plenum gasket i need to replace? makes sense that a leak from there could prevent starting, but i could be wrong.

anyway, just wanted to get your opinions on what i should also check, or if anyone's had a similar prob also.

[slow6]

Re: car newb with camaro starting problem

definately dont think its gasoline.. maybe oil or carbon
sounds like you have an idea of what youre doing, which is correct
fuel pump is in the trunk of the car if you are listening for it

[3.4pwrV6]

Re: car newb with camaro starting problem

I can say that for sure that the gunk is oil. You have an oil leak, possibly the intake or valve covers. Since you have to remove the upper intake plenum to do the valve covers i would suggest that you take the time and do the lower intake as well as the valve covers. Anyways you need to get yourself a good fuel pressure tester and and see if you have fuel pressure within spec about 45-47 psi. I just went through this with my car i only had 10 psi. but still running. Hope I has some help, Good Luck.

[demonpixel]

Re: car newb with camaro starting problem

hey guys, thanks for the responses. better oil than fuel i'm guessing. now to test fuel pressure, my chilton's says to connect the gauge to the "fuel pressure connection valve." it doesn't say where this is though. could someone tell me where exactly to connect the fuel pressure tester gauge? i thought maybe somewhere by the fuel pressure regulator but i just don't know.

also, does anyone recommend one fuel pressure tester over another? might seem like a silly q, but this is my first time doing all this stuff so bear with me.

i also heard you could test to see if the fuel pump is working by opening the gas cap at the back and putting the car in the on/start position, and that you should hear a humming. i did that but didn't hear anything. am i doing this correctly or is there some other "trick" to checking the fuel pump? i guess using a fuel pressure tester will do it?

[camaro862gcj]

Re: car newb with camaro starting problem

Here is a picture of a 3.4 with a gauge hooked up. Ignore the arrow,that is pointing to the fpr that I was showing someone in a different thread. The shraeder valve is right where the hose attaches to the fuel rail, right behind that vacuum t-fitting.

[BLLDOGG]

Re: car newb with camaro starting problem

for someone one like you, just rent one from O'Reillys or AutoZone or something and hook it up. you should have pressure with just the key in the run position over 40psi

[demonpixel]

Re: car newb with camaro starting problem

you guys rule. 862gcj, thanks for showing me that man. i had a feeling it was around there somewhere, just wasn't sure exactly where.

well, funniest thing happened today. a friend of mine was over and he wanted to hear what it sounded like just cranking over, before we were about to go to oreillys. so i cranked it, and......it started. :eek: very weird. it's started normally three times since then. maybe there was a relay or fuse that got knocked around or something?

i was still looking around in front of the fuel rail though. i have this weird thing sticking out. it's highlighted in a blue glow in the pic. i'm wondering what the hell that is. it looks like it's in the connection valve that 862gcj shows where to put the fuel pressure tester. but it looks weird and i couldn't find it anywhere in the manual/chilton's. probably not factory?

while i'm at it, i wondered if anyone could identify these two other parts underneath the hood. i have no idea what the thing highlighted in orange is. and i think the thing highlighted by the green glow is the ecm; is that correct?

thanks again guys.

[demonpixel]

Re: car newb with camaro starting problem

nevermind...i finally found what the orange highlighted piece was. digital egr valve assembly. and i'm 95% sure the green highlighted thing is the ecm.

[landj]

Re: car newb with camaro starting problem

The blue thing has me confused. (but maybe that's because it's glowing blue...) Did you figure out what that is? Is it comming out of the fuel rail? Could it be an aftermarket fuel pressure sensor?

Somthing looks slightly different with the ECM over there from what I can recall on mine (maybe mine doesn't glow green), but yeah, that should be the ECM.

[demonpixel]

Re: car newb with camaro starting problem

haha yeah i just made them glow in photoshop to be easier to see. and no, i still don't know what that thing is...it looks like it has connections on the ends too, for wires. strange looking, eh? what goes in there instead? anyone got a pic?

[demonpixel]

Re: car newb with camaro starting problem

well, in case anyone was wondering what that part was in the last pic, i finally found out. buddy of mine came over and did some searches for articles on nitrous oxide. that part is a nitrous fuel pressure safety switch: http://www.lowrideredge.com/tech/020.../photo_18.html

guess someone was running giggle at some point with this car. weird. does anyone know what stock part goes in place of that? is it just a cap?