Hello,

Newbie from California with a 85 EFI auto 2wd. This is my 2nd day of google searching why my truck cranks but won't start and was hoping for an extra set of eyes to see what's going on with my truck. I just bought it so I don't know the history of it.

Battery is 100% based on the reading from my optima 400 charger
Truck has 180,000 miles
Truck has a half tank of gas
70 degrees outside
Checked engine oil dipstick, oil isn't dark black, but it is overfilled

Checked the following:
1) jumped the EFI Diagnostic Connectors TE-E1 with a paperclip and the dash "Check" light flashed once per 6 seconds.
2) has spark - did spark plug test by placing spark plug on the block
3) opened the gas filler cap and can hear the fuel pump buzzing when truck ignition key is on the ON position. It actually stays buzzing and won't stop until key is OFF.
4) pulled the metal pipe off the intake plenum that connects to the fuel rail. Fuel was shooting out when the truck was in the ON position
5) pulled the wiring harness off the front most fuel injector and hooked up a multimeter and it shows a signal when the truck was ON
6) pulled the spark plugs and some were gapped out of spec, they look pretty new, the 3 and 4th cylinder ones were wet and you can smell fuel on them. I gapped them back to .32, cleaned and dried them and put them back in.
7) removed and inspected distributor cap - looks fairly new
8) snugged all the spark plug wires and verified they were correctly positioned - they also look fairly new
Issue: cranks no start. It sounds like it wants to start but just doesn't. with the key on the "Start" position and then gradually on the gas pedal until it hits the floor, just a good amount of smoke comes out of the exhaust tip

Unsure if related to crank no start but checked compression
1) compression test per Haynes manual (says they should be 128 PSI min)
#1 135
#2 100
#3 115
#4 120
2) wet test per manual by adding 3 drops of oil in each spark plug hole
#1 144
#2 165 (I might have dropped 6 drops of oil in this one by accident lol)
#3 130
#4 140

Tried to start the truck. Still cranks, no start.

Please help.

Thank you in advance. Beers on me for the advice.

 

The low compression is worrying. your cylinders could be washed down by too much fuel or you may have a bad head gasket.
What I would start with is to drain your oil and check for coolant in it. check the radiator for signs of oil and see if it's full of coolant.
If you have a cooling system pressure tester see if you have a coolant loss.
disconnect your fuel pump (remove the fuse) and crank the engine a few times, wait about 30 minutes and try starting it. give it a shot of starting fluid.
what color is the smoke from the tailpipe?

 

Pressure deviation really bad, spec is ten percent.

Pump should not run in the key on position.

Double check the spark wire firing order.

 

By the way ocyota... very nice job on giving a good description of your truck and your problem. I will vote for you in the "Newbie of the year contest" since it is your first post you should win!

 

I'd like to thank the academy and the countless other newbies that paved the way before me lol

 

I'm not sure I'd call it "paving the way" there were and are still a lot of potholes. maybe they are due to potheads... deep thoughts... LOL!

 

Update - waited overnight and most of today to try and start it again. turned the ignition to "Start", cranks, kept on Start for a couple of seconds, then gradually depressed gas pedal all the way to the floor, and viola it stumbled then started, let go of the key, backed off on the pedal and kept it around 1500-2k to warm up the engine for a few minutes, let off completely and she idles. Blueish black smoke came out first, then white smoke. Drove around the block and initially she was puffing out white smoke, then a few minutes later no smoke.

She drives fine, but at idle sounds like its missing.

Was considering mechanic in a bottle. What are your thoughts on this as a bandaid?

1) 2 Oz of Mystery oil per cylinder. Let it marinate a couple of days.
2) BG109 in the crankcase, run it per their instructions
3) oil change
4) add Restore

 

what the heck is BG109?
Voodoo in a bottle rarely does any good.
If you aren't loosing coolant change the oil, put in some new/known good spark plugs, cap, rotor and wires, see how it runs, and run it long enough that you are sure the exhaust is free of excess fuel/coolant (smoke).
then try the compression test again.

 

 

 

 

Almost any "mechanic in a bottle" ends up doing more harm than good in the long run.

I would AVOID products like that.

For example, it is like putting "Stop Leak" in a radiator. Sure, you may have plugged up the leak in your radiator, but you are also plugging up coolant passages in your engine too, not good.

 

 

 

Bad something, its time to tear it apart, expect bad things..

 

tackling multiple issues at once is fun said no one ever

possible blown head gasket, possible toasted piston ring(s), and definitely a bad AFM.

otherwise TGIF

 

Head gasket maybe timing chain cover, but at this point with the low compression its looking like a rebuild.

 

Thanks for the input.

Gonna throw a hell Mary with mechanic in a bottle at this point to get me by.

 

That is a horrible idea!

Pull the valve cover.

Inspect the timing chain area with a good light.

Print out the torque sequence for the head. Check the head bolts aren't sloppy loose. If they are retighten them. If they aren't loosen them tap the head over to one side a bit and torque them back down. Go a few (5lbs) over the updated torque spec and hope you get a good seal....

Seriously though for the price of two oil changes you can replace the head gasket with an OEM one.

 

Mystery oil and such are for stuck rings, carbon build up and basicly are just high detergent solvents.

Stop leak is for pin holes in old aluminium/copper, they will not bind with the "paper" of a gasket.

No mechanic in a bottle fits your needs.