Chevy S10 Blazer Engine Won’t Start – Turns Over But Won’t Ignite
Reader Question
I have a 1994 Chevy S10 Blazer and after a trip i arrived back home and casually turned it off. When i tried to turn it back on, it turned but there was no response. I then went to a next door neighbor who is a mechanic and he said the biggest problem would be the fuel pump.
He hit it once with a hammer and on cranking the car it started. So we deemed the problem to be the fuel pump. I replaced the fuel pump myself and it now turns on when the key is on the ON position and the fuel lines are pumping fuel. (I checked it on the engine.) But after i replaced the fuel pump and checked that it was pumping fuel i tried to start the car and it gave the same response. So it turns over but just won’t start.
I have since checked the spark plugs and they seemed to produce spark. (I checked them by opening the wire connecting to the spark plug sticking a screwdriver inside and touching the metal part to a “ground” like the top of the engine, and it produced sparks) So what could be the problem now? What could cause the engine to not start after the fuel pump has been replaced and the spark plugs checked?
-Please respond,
Abel
Whats up Abel,
I am not sure I understand your email, BUT the first thing I would do is check the fuel pump PRESSURE. The pump might be pumping enough fuel into the lines that you can see it, but if it is not pumping hard enough the engine won’t start.
There is a place to check fuel pressure on the back of the engine with a manual screw on gauge. Hitting the tank with a hammer is a great and easy test to kick start a weak pump, but not a very accurate test. Could it have been coincidental? Maybe just the time it took to get the neighbor solved the problem and when he hit the tank you guys just assumed it was the pump?
Checking spark the way you did is ok, but it does not tell you if the spark was strong enough to ignite the fuel, it just tells you there was some kind of spark.
I would check fuel pump pressures and recheck your installation. If you used a cheap aftermarket splice in pump, I would be suspicious. Can you hear the pump prime itself when you turn the key to the on position? Are you sure the pump was installed correctly?
I would also check the spark from the ignition coil, and test the ignition module.
Blessings,
Austin Davis
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Filed under: Won't Start Issues
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I am having the same problem in my 93 blazer, i have tested all of the same things and replaced those and more, but my blazer is still not starting. Any help would be appreciated
Thanks,
David
Sorry for my delay, have been on vacation all week. Spent $100 and get a qualified mechanic to diagnosis this for you….trust me it will be cheaper in the long run.
really? take it to a mechanic?! Great car advice website mac.
ummmmm, ya. Did you actually read the reply I gave to the original email? DId you happen to read how many items the owner has already guessed at and figure up the cost that has already been spent on GUESSING? I would bet its at least $200 in parts cost….not including his time to actually do the work. So my LAST followup suggestion after he had already done what I first suggested him to do was to go to a qualified mechanic and stop guessing. You can get a mechanic to diagnose the problem for you and you can go home and do the work yourself but stopppppppppppp guessing!
I had this problem and found the solution. I had a TBI but it may not make a difference.
First thing check all fuses.
After that, first, fuel must pump out from your injectors. Verify this is happening by putting a cloth or paper in front of an injector and try to start the car. If fuel came out of the injector, fuel is probably not the problem.
If fuel did not come out, next check to see if fuel is even making it up to your injectors from the tank. The way I checked that is to disconnect the fuel line from the back of the engine (which lets out any fuel sitting there). Then re-connect it, and attempt to start. Then disconnect it again and see if new fuel falls out of the line again. If no fuel comes out, either no fuel is pumping out of the tank or your line from the tank to engine is clogged. Most likely it is your fuel pump failing in some way. Look up how to deal with that (not hard).
If fuel does come out, fuel is at least reaching the injectors. If it is your injectors, first thing to check is if they are getting the signal to inject the fuel. This can be verified by testing the injector pulse with a $3 test light. (look up that sentence for exactly how to do it – not hard). If they fail that test, you have some kind of computer/sensor/electrical problem and further testing is needed to narrow that down.
If they pass that test, then they are probably stuck/clogged. People clean these things, etc, but it’s very hard and doesn’t give you a new injector, just a clean, old one. So in my case I just bought and installed new injectors at this point and it started right up perfect.
Hope that helps!
Oh, two more things:
1: if you have a tbi you can pour a little fuel in the top and try to start the engine. If it starts, your problem is in fact fuel.
2: if fuel is coming out of injectors, but it is very weak, it could be a weak fuel pump, clogged up fuel filter, pinched fuel line, or fuel pressure regulator (located just previous to the fuel injectors).