[SOLVED] 94 caprice classic

BUDFAN8 · 05-01-2008, 01:46 PM

anyone with experiance on a 4.3 v8? the car is running ok but has a strong smell of raw fuel out of the exhaust.

has new plugs, egr, and fuel pressure regulator. the computer has no codes to pull.

i checked the MAF and all looks ok there havent ohmed it but the resisters inside look fine one is black but still connected. thinking O2 sensors but again no trouble codes active or stored.

got a few more things to check (plug wires, check spark color) but so far nothings produceing positives.

thanks in advanced for all answers

Bud.

**manic** · 05-01-2008, 02:05 PM

I have no experience with that motor, but, have you installed
the oxygen sensor, kind of wierd that you are not getting any
codes, maybe the computer is shot. Have you took a battery
cable off for a few minutes, then put the cable back on, and let the motor run, to let the
computer clear the codes?
Pull the plugs, alot of good info from a plug read...
Plugs will not throw a code...or wires, or cap, or rotor bug.

BUDFAN8 · 05-01-2008, 02:14 PM

i havent put a oxygen sensors on it yet. i havent had the battery cables off yet either. and the owner of the car just installed new plugs before he called me to look at it so not sure the plugs are going to give much info being brand new.

hopeing it isnt a compression deal guess that needs to be my next step to check that.

BUDFAN8 · 05-01-2008, 02:18 PM

also the distributor is behind the power steering pump not sure there is a cap or rotor button. (never had to deal with one like it before) i guess if nothing else ill get experiance with this one.....

Bud.

**bruiser** · 05-01-2008, 02:20 PM

Check the evaporative canister. Probably plugged.

If that is the "baby" LT1 engine, the distributor is on the front of the engine, below the water pump.

BUDFAN8 · 05-04-2008, 02:50 PM

bruiser it is indeed the "baby" LT1 i have found out. i checked the evap canister it was fine no clogs. plug wires are changed, did find the vacuum line off of the egr put it back on. the O2 sensor had no effect when unplugged still bad smell of raw fuel. all other vacuum lines look fine and are plugged in.

i was reading about opti spark on the web and have seen that there is seperate parts for high and low voltage in the distributor, maybe the high side is out?

dose anyone have the distributor cap wiring diagram? i changed the plugs and am almost positive i replaced the wires back in the original spots but the car is now backfiring when in gear (idles and revs fine in park or neutral) through the exhaust. it has 4 plug wires on each side verticaly.

any other ideas on the situation?

thanks
Bud.

Raylo · 05-04-2008, 03:57 PM

Bud,

The plug wires come out of the opti in 2 groups of four, one on the driver side and one on the passenger side. The driver side wires go to 5371, top to bottom. The passenger side goes 2864 bottom to top. IOW, the wire connecting order for one visual clockwise rotation is 53712864. I have a manual drawing showing all this on my shop wall. If I can remember where I downloaded it I'll link it here later. Oh, before you guys who have never seen an opti have a cow the wire order is NOT the same as the cylinder firing order.

The opti died on my 1994 Camaro (LT1). I think I had hi res and lo res codes IIRC. But it's been a long time. New opti fixed it right up.

One issue is that 94 and older optis are non-vented and are less common and more expensive. The 95+ optis will work if you plumb in the vent lines AND (a BIG and) you have to change the cam over to 95+ since the opti drive dowels are different. When I did my cam job I got a 95 opti for supposedly better reliability. So far so good.

Raylo · 05-04-2008, 05:05 PM

Well, for a LT1 anyway....

http://shbox.com/1/opti.jpg

BUDFAN8 · 05-04-2008, 05:35 PM

thanks Raylo for the order i did infact misplace 2 of the plugs.(6-8)

when the opti for your camaro went out did it all at once fail or just run crappy? wondering if it can work but throw week spark.

Raylo · 05-04-2008, 05:47 PM

Mine just died on the way to work one AM as it was idling at a very busy intersection. I pushed it into a right turn downhill and turned into a parking lot. It would crank but not start. Then when I thought the battery was going to die it started and I managed to drive the 2 miles home and park it. I think the optis can get condensation and corrosion and a flake of that can obscure the optical pickup. I took it apart after I removed it and it was pretty ugly in there.

BUDFAN8 · 05-08-2008, 10:46 AM

forgot to inform yall its fixed now the distributor cap and rotor button got replaced and the right side O2 sensor was replaced it is now fine the gas smell and black smoke are gone. thanks for the help guys.

Bud.

05-01-2008, 01:46 PM	#1 (permalink)
BUDFAN8 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 160 OS: XP	[SOLVED] 94 caprice classic anyone with experiance on a 4.3 v8? the car is running ok but has a strong smell of raw fuel out of the exhaust. has new plugs, egr, and fuel pressure regulator. the computer has no codes to pull. i checked the MAF and all looks ok there havent ohmed it but the resisters inside look fine one is black but still connected. thinking O2 sensors but again no trouble codes active or stored. got a few more things to check (plug wires, check spark color) but so far nothings produceing positives. thanks in advanced for all answers Bud.

05-01-2008, 02:05 PM	#2 (permalink)
manic Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 2,751 OS: xp	Re: 94 caprice classic I have no experience with that motor, but, have you installed the oxygen sensor, kind of wierd that you are not getting any codes, maybe the computer is shot. Have you took a battery cable off for a few minutes, then put the cable back on, and let the motor run, to let the computer clear the codes? Pull the plugs, alot of good info from a plug read... Plugs will not throw a code...or wires, or cap, or rotor bug. __________________ Last edited by manic : 05-01-2008 at 02:08 PM.

05-01-2008, 02:14 PM	#3 (permalink)
BUDFAN8 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 160 OS: XP	Re: 94 caprice classic i havent put a oxygen sensors on it yet. i havent had the battery cables off yet either. and the owner of the car just installed new plugs before he called me to look at it so not sure the plugs are going to give much info being brand new. hopeing it isnt a compression deal guess that needs to be my next step to check that.

05-01-2008, 02:18 PM	#4 (permalink)
BUDFAN8 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 160 OS: XP	Re: 94 caprice classic also the distributor is behind the power steering pump not sure there is a cap or rotor button. (never had to deal with one like it before) i guess if nothing else ill get experiance with this one..... Bud.

05-01-2008, 02:20 PM	#5 (permalink)
bruiser TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,543 OS: xp	Re: 94 caprice classic Check the evaporative canister. Probably plugged. If that is the "baby" LT1 engine, the distributor is on the front of the engine, below the water pump.

05-04-2008, 02:50 PM	#6 (permalink)
BUDFAN8 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 160 OS: XP	Re: 94 caprice classic bruiser it is indeed the "baby" LT1 i have found out. i checked the evap canister it was fine no clogs. plug wires are changed, did find the vacuum line off of the egr put it back on. the O2 sensor had no effect when unplugged still bad smell of raw fuel. all other vacuum lines look fine and are plugged in. i was reading about opti spark on the web and have seen that there is seperate parts for high and low voltage in the distributor, maybe the high side is out? dose anyone have the distributor cap wiring diagram? i changed the plugs and am almost positive i replaced the wires back in the original spots but the car is now backfiring when in gear (idles and revs fine in park or neutral) through the exhaust. it has 4 plug wires on each side verticaly. any other ideas on the situation? thanks Bud.

05-04-2008, 03:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
Raylo Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Maryland, USA Posts: 273 OS: XP Desktop, Vista HP Notebook, XP Notebook	Re: 94 caprice classic Bud, The plug wires come out of the opti in 2 groups of four, one on the driver side and one on the passenger side. The driver side wires go to 5371, top to bottom. The passenger side goes 2864 bottom to top. IOW, the wire connecting order for one visual clockwise rotation is 53712864. I have a manual drawing showing all this on my shop wall. If I can remember where I downloaded it I'll link it here later. Oh, before you guys who have never seen an opti have a cow the wire order is NOT the same as the cylinder firing order. The opti died on my 1994 Camaro (LT1). I think I had hi res and lo res codes IIRC. But it's been a long time. New opti fixed it right up. One issue is that 94 and older optis are non-vented and are less common and more expensive. The 95+ optis will work if you plumb in the vent lines AND (a BIG and) you have to change the cam over to 95+ since the opti drive dowels are different. When I did my cam job I got a 95 opti for supposedly better reliability. So far so good. Last edited by Raylo : 05-04-2008 at 04:07 PM.

05-04-2008, 05:05 PM	#8 (permalink)
Raylo Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Maryland, USA Posts: 273 OS: XP Desktop, Vista HP Notebook, XP Notebook	Re: 94 caprice classic-opti diagram Well, for a LT1 anyway.... http://shbox.com/1/opti.jpg

05-04-2008, 05:35 PM	#9 (permalink)
BUDFAN8 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 160 OS: XP	Re: 94 caprice classic thanks Raylo for the order i did infact misplace 2 of the plugs.(6-8) when the opti for your camaro went out did it all at once fail or just run crappy? wondering if it can work but throw week spark.

05-04-2008, 05:47 PM	#10 (permalink)
Raylo Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Maryland, USA Posts: 273 OS: XP Desktop, Vista HP Notebook, XP Notebook	Re: 94 caprice classic Mine just died on the way to work one AM as it was idling at a very busy intersection. I pushed it into a right turn downhill and turned into a parking lot. It would crank but not start. Then when I thought the battery was going to die it started and I managed to drive the 2 miles home and park it. I think the optis can get condensation and corrosion and a flake of that can obscure the optical pickup. I took it apart after I removed it and it was pretty ugly in there.

05-08-2008, 10:46 AM	#11 (permalink)
BUDFAN8 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 160 OS: XP	Re: 94 caprice classic forgot to inform yall its fixed now the distributor cap and rotor button got replaced and the right side O2 sensor was replaced it is now fine the gas smell and black smoke are gone. thanks for the help guys. Bud.