Car cranks, sparks, and gives up

[mdavis]

As stated in the topic, the car will crank, and start to spark, and then as soon as it is about to start up it just gives up with a weird, almost grinding noise. It almost sounds like the starter bendix gear isn't disengaging (but not really -- it doesn't actually sound like that and I'm pretty sure that's not the problem.)

A few months ago the car had been sitting for about a week (nothing new there) and I got in it on a rainy day to drive home from school for Thanksgiving break. The car cranked, but no spark. I ran the battery just about dead trying to start it. Then I started trying to bump start the car backwards through the parking lot. After about 6 tries it finally started at the last second. Weh. I then went to the gas station to fill up and check fluids (as normal for a long drive). Re-starting the car there was as normal.

In recent weeks, when the weather gets bad this problem has been coming back. Sometimes it's really hard to get it to spark (start). But now, the car will start to spark as if it's going to start, and then just fail.

I've been using Gro's HEI + coil mod for a few years now.

Checked coil resistance and even replaced it, no go. Checked/cleaned all grounds, no go. Checked/cleaned all plug lines, and cleaned coil wire, no go. Checked wiring and moisture in HEI solder job into disty plugs, all good, no go.

I've been reading about people having no spark issues here, but seems like everybody has had the problem I was having originally -- NO spark. Mine sparks, it just doesn't want to keep it up once the motor starts running.

I made a list of things left to check (in between school and looking for a new house):

- disty gasket
- plug wires (how? misting at night? I can't get the car started to try this...)
- water in tank (I did run the tank very close to empty recently -- could fulling it up with fresh fuel on top at least help get it started?)
- ignition main relay (planning to test this with power wires directly to actuator // see if it clicks)
- fuel injector main relay (ditto above)
- fuel injector fuse (will play with/clean)

Any ideas?

[mx3autozam]

have you checked to see if you have fuel??

[mdavis]

I'm assuming you mean fuel pressure at the rail?

How does one check that?

[mdavis]

Err, how does a poor man with no real tools check that?

[projectzemx3]

pull a fuel line off. and crank. should be like 35 psi. if it dribbles out somethings wrong. see how far it squirts

[Ryan]

Or, put the line in a bucket so it doesn't spray all over your engine.

[mdavis]

makes sense. willdo.

i'll also try checking for spark on all cylinders using the block as a ground....

(in reverse order mentioned, of corse)