4.3 EFI Has spark, has fuel, will not start.

[Jughead22]

Hello,

Here is a little history of my motor and I hope somebody will be able to help.

This summer I got salt water in my fuel tank through my tank vent. It filled the water separating fuel filter and ran through my motor stalling it out.
I drained the tank and refilled with good gas.

Now my motor cranks over but will not fire. It is getting fuel as evident by viewing fuel spraying in the throttle body. I pulled a spark plug, it had some rust on it and it is getting spark (although it is orange? should it be blue or white?).
Will not start.

Please if anybody has any ideas where to start that would sure help. Thanks a lot!

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: 4.3 EFI Has spark, has fuel, will not start.

you sure thats fuel and not more water ? did you purge the fuel lines to the fuel sep.? catch some on a tissue and see if it burns
the rusty spark plug , might want to pull all the plug and take a look.

 

[Jughead22]

Re: 4.3 EFI Has spark, has fuel, will not start.

Its definitely gas. Even poured some into the throttle body.
It just about started right now for a brief second.
Could it be bad spark? Shouldn't any spark at all fire but just run rough?

Thanks

 

[joewithaboat]

Re: 4.3 EFI Has spark, has fuel, will not start.

How did you test for spark?
Give the kill switch a flip back and forth.. just to be sure.

 

[achris]

Re: 4.3 EFI Has spark, has fuel, will not start.

Exactly what engine are you working on? 4.3EFI , is it TBI or MPI, and what year?

 

[Jughead22]

Re: 4.3 EFI Has spark, has fuel, will not start.

I checked for spark by pulling a plug, resting against the block and turning the key. Orange spark.

Its TBI, 1999 4.3 EFI.

I did check the kill switch

 

[joewithaboat]

Re: 4.3 EFI Has spark, has fuel, will not start.

If the kill switch is bad it will still show spark during crank cycle and sound like it is going to start, when you let the key fall back to run position.... nothing

You have Achris's attention, I would continue to answer his questions as he is a real pro and can help you.

 

[Don S]

Re: 4.3 EFI Has spark, has fuel, will not start.

Pull the coil wire out of the distributor cap and hold it about a 1/2" from a good clean ground and check for spark.
You should have a bright blue/white spark that jumps the gap easily.

 

[achris]

Re: 4.3 EFI Has spark, has fuel, will not start.

Hello,

Here is a little history of my motor and I hope somebody will be able to help.

This summer I got salt water in my fuel tank through my tank vent. It filled the water separating fuel filter and ran through my motor stalling it out.
I drained the tank and refilled with good gas.

Now my motor cranks over but will not fire. It is getting fuel as evident by viewing fuel spraying in the throttle body. I pulled a spark plug, it had some rust on it and it is getting spark (although it is orange? should it be blue or white?).
Will not start.

Please if anybody has any ideas where to start that would sure help. Thanks a lot!

Had a similar problem with a friend's car. Their 7 year old thought he would help mummy and filled the fuel tank with the garden hose. :facepalm: Aren't children wonderful. ... Anyway, they didn't find out until after the engine had run and stopped (no surprise there!). They cleaned out the fuel tank, fuel lines and changed the fuel filters, but the engine still would not run. They could see 'fuel' going in, but there was no noise coming out... (If you get my drift)...
What I did was grab a 20 litre outboard petrol tank, rip the fitting off the end of the line and put it on a vacuum fitting on the intake manifold, told them to crank the engine while I slowly squeezed the fuel primer bulb. That put enough real fuel into the manifold to keep the engine running long enough for the fuel pump to clear the rest of the water out of the injection system....

Job done....

Chris........

 

[Jughead22]

Re: 4.3 EFI Has spark, has fuel, will not start.

Its going to my mechanic tomorrow.....