[firstimecaddi]

Came out yesterday (6/7) dressed and ready to go out. But I guess my 95 FWB had other plans in store for me. The car refused to start. At first it would turn over but not start and run. Normally, you turn the key it will fire right up. But when I turned the key this time, I had to turn and hold it far longer than I normally have to. The car would make like it wants to start but nothing happens and there is a smell of gas thereafter. I checked fuel pressure and got 40 psi with engine off while trying to start. The gauge did fluctuate a bit while it was turning over but would revert to 40 psi when the key is released. I drained the battery in repeatedly attempting to start this beast and had to recharge it. Upon recharging and reinstalling, I got the car to start by flooring the gas pedal while I turned the key. I did not pump it, just floored it. At first the idle seemed higher than usual with lots of bluish smoke out the tailpipe accompanied by a kind of puffing sound. The smoke soon cleared up, but the puffing sound persists. Also, on the ground under the right hand tailpipe there was a deep black sooty looking spot. I let the car run for a few minutes, also found the fuel pressure to be in the 30's then. It started up on the first try today, and I drove it to work without incident.

I am seeking guidance/advice on what I should check to resolve this problem.

 

[talismandave]

My first...well and only, since I am not much of a mechanic,....thought is a bad chip in the key, or a halo receiver problem with the interlock system.

If you have multiple keys, try another one just to rule out a bad key.
If the interlock system fails it will crank but not fire.

Other smarter members will be along soon I am sure.

 

[tyler little]

I was guessing a faulty fuel pump, Mine did the exact same thing with the no start issue because the fuel pump would refuse to turn on. My caddy didn't do the puffy blue smoke part. I had the fuel pump and filter replaced now the car starts with one turn of a key. Maybe your problem is the same as mine or might be a whole new problem

 

[outsider]

the blue smoke was likely from the engine being full of gas from the previous starting attempts I would think. That combined with the smell of gas and black soot makes me think it was rich/flooded.

As for why it originally refused to start, I'm not sure. The key for the 95 has a resistor built into it, maybe it was reading the wrong resistor or maybe the opti had got wet?

 

[firstimecaddi]

The only thing that comes to mind is that the car sat all of last week until I tried starting on Sunday(6/7). But that should not affect anything though. We did have some rain last week, but the car was secured (outdoor) and not driven.

What about the fuel pressure?

 

[silverfox103]

When you turn the key to the on position, do you here the fuel pump run? Whenever one of these era GM products don't start, the fuel pump is at the top of the list of things to check. It's happened twice to me.

Tom

 

[firstimecaddi]

Yes, I can hear the fuel pump run.
I've tried both sets of keys, both work.

 

[HUF]

The key is not the problem.

 

[drmenard]

I have had trouble with these twenty year old coils .. I have changed them in all 3 of my fleetwoods.. Two of them went bad and caused starting, stalling and
running ruff problems. They were real cheap, less than $20...

 

[firstimecaddi]

which coils?

The wires run from the Opti directly to the spark plugs.

 

[jayoldschool]

The coil is on the driver's side head. The ignition control module is there, too. The coil wire goes from the coil to the opti.

I highly suspect an ignition issue. Wires, plugs, coil wire, ICM, coil, opti.

 

[outsider]

I believe there is still a coil, bolted to the front of the driver's side head. It is where the 9th wire on the opti goes to.

 

[firstimecaddi]

was not aware of that... will look into that.

any diagrams.

 

[jayoldschool]

 

[drmenard]

That picture shows the coil , but in the picture the water pump and crank hub is off.. They do not have to be off to change the coil.

 

[cadillacmike68]

When you turn the key to the on position, do you here the fuel pump run? Whenever one of these era GM products don't start, the fuel pump is at the top of the list of things to check. It's happened twice to me.

Tom

That would be be hear.

Probably not the fuel pump (it would not have started the following day), but the opti and coil are suspect items. I've had to replace all three over time in my fleetwoods as well as the pump in a 1992 Buick. They don't last forever.

 

[N0DIH]

I've run a ton of e85 through mine and at 255k miles the stock pump is in there still

 

[jayoldschool]

I would highly suggest keeping a spare in your glove box. Did you do the tuning for E85?

 

[N0DIH]

Yes, I have Tunercat and did my own. It ran around 13 mpg as a low and 17 as a high. On gas it was 17 for a low and 22 for high. It WILL drop mpg, but it ran well. Cold start (19F!) was tough, but it could. That was my 13 mpg day. Typically mix city/highway I saw 15ish mpg.

Yes, I cheated and ran stock injectors on it, I just didn't push heavy power on it (well, most of the time...). Never a leanout issue (where dangerous to pistons) that I could see on the NB O2's.

Car is for sale if anyone wants to make me an offer. It is tired and probably best for parts now. Runs good still. Has a tired 3.08 posi in it. Id say I could still easily run a mid 15 in the quarter on it.

If you aren't seeing more than $0.60 USD a gallon cheaper E85 is a waste of time. Maybe $0.50 on the LT1 with the high compression and iron heads. But I was seeing at the time over $1.00 to $1.50 cheaper on E85. Was very worth it to me. I probably put 40-50k miles on E85 in it.

I would highly suggest keeping a spare in your glove box. Did you do the tuning for E85?

 

[firstimecaddi]

So I went to the upullit local to me and I got the coil and module. I'd switch them out tomorrow as see what is different. Now the car I got the coil from, the OPTI was availaible and I tried to get it off but failed. I got the water pump off but did not realize that big pulley has to come off?

But then I thought about it, and if the OPTI ever has to be replaced...it should be replaced with a new unit, considering the work involved to remove and replace. Does anyone else share this view?