im getting fed up with my car.. :S...

Heres what has happened so far. went downtown and shut it off...it then wouldnt start. so i thought that it was my started because it wasnt cranking over and the starter wasnt even trying to go, so i thought the soliniod in the started was dead. so i replaced. so it turns out its an elevtrical short in the ignition. (thats all right i can work around it. but the problem im having is getting it going now!!! cause it wont start...spark..not to sure...:S...i have change my leading ignitor a few times... i have 5 including the ones on my dizzy...and im just at a loss. HELP please

 

Hard to guess without more info. Are you saying that the car will not even crank over even now? Do all the warning lights, fan and stereo power up when the ignition switch is in the "on" position? If not, check the most obvious and easily fixed possibility: Fuses. If they are ok go to the next step: Your battery terminals. Even if they look clean there's often build-up between the posts and clamps, causing the car to (without warning) not crank. Also check the three fusible links located on the inboard side of the front left shock tower under the hood.

Assuming your terminals are ok and your battery has a full charge (a hydrometer reading of all cells between 1.275 and 1.3 is considered good) and all cells are filled to the split ring, the next suspect is your starter. If the car starts while being push-started but not with the starter you've narrowed the search down to the starter, battery cables, solenoid or ignition switch.

Pull the ignition switch (the opposite end of the cylinder from where the key goes in) by removing the plastic steering column surround and then inspecting the contacts where all the wires attach to the switch. It the hot lead to the starting circuit is corroded or burned, the car will run but not start. Check your battery cables and electrical leads going to your starter and solenoid to confirm that they are good.

But if your car is cranking over but won't start you either have no fire or no fuel flow. Or you may have flooded the engine, in which case you need to pull the fuse for the fuel pump circuit, crank the engine over for several seconds to dry out the rotor housings and then re-insert the fuse for another try. Hold accelerator to the floor and do not pump or it will re-flood.

To confirm fire to the plugs, pull a plug wire from each rotor, insert a spare plug into the wire and have a friend crank the engine over. You should see the spark jumping across the electrodes. If not, you've narrowed your search to an electrical problem. Next, check the coil leads for fire in the same manner as the plug leads. If you have fire here but not at the plugs you might want to swap in yet another pair of ignitors, or clean the corrosion off the ignitor contacts. Replace the cap and rotor if they appear to be excessively worn.

If ignition appears ok you might not be getting fuel. Turn the key to the "on" position and listen for the electric fuel pump. It is located under the car on the drivers' side, just ahead of the fuel tank. If you can hear it you likely have fuel going to the engine, but to confirm, unhook the fuel "in" hose (the larger of the two--- the smaller one is the fuel return line) that goes into the carb from the left rear side of the carb. turning the key to the "on" position should produce a healthy gush of fuel. Be sure to have a catch container handy.

If no fuel and no fuel pump noise, remove the drivers' side storage bin and look under it for a white or black plastic electrical coupler. Quite often, water will seep into this connector from outside via holes rusted through from the wheel well. If this happens it will short out electrical circuits, and one of these circuits goes to your fuel pump. Often, this particular problem will be intermittent and maddening.

If no fuel but the fuel pump works, you're out of fuel.