# '95 olds 88 3.8l wont start



## HEAVYCHEVY (Jan 26, 2011)

This has me seriously stumped!

Current situation: 3.8l v-6 turns over but will not even try to start. No spit or sputter. Fuel pressure at fuel rail. Has 96k on it and except for the following short history, has had NO problems previously

Fuel pump, strainer, fuel filter changed changed 12/2010. No problems.....
Then during last min shopping, after 3-4 starts and stops with no problems watsoever, failed to start- same situation as now.
During the tow home inadvertantly locked brokes and she started. Idled all the way home. Got in drive, poped hood and the purge selonoid on top of the charcoal canister was clicking. Then it stopped clicking...all the while idling smoothly. Allowed it to run until it came to normal temp. Shut off.
Drove fine for a week or so....the went to leave one afternoon and nothin! Same as before.

Im guessing it has something to do what was changed but everything cheks out. I got a decent knowledge of mechanics but layman terms would be appreciated. 
If anyone could point me in a direction....Thanx


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## octaneman (May 13, 2009)

Hi HEAVYCHEVY 


Have you tested the coils for spark when the engine shuts down ?


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## HEAVYCHEVY (Jan 26, 2011)

Hi OCTANEMAN.

Havent cheked coils have spark wen I turned engine over. Have the three necessary...compression, spark and fuel availability. Why would the fuel in the rail not make it to the cylinders. Injectors? What allows/tells them to work?


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## octaneman (May 13, 2009)

Yes , fuel not going into cylinders is an injector problem the way to test them is with a DVOM. Unplug the injector molex connector then set your meter to the ohms scale, place the probes in the injector pins and your readings should be from 14.0 to 16 ohms. The readings should be universal on all injectors ( plus or minus 2-3 ohms), if your reading are below 12 ohms then the injector needs replacing. 


The issue your engine is having is more of a crank sensor problem, the reason is that you drove the car for a distance and then it shut down. Now your engine does not have a typical crank sensor that's just bolted on. Your engine's harmonic balancer has vanes that pass through the sensor like a hall effect. To replace the crank sensor on your engine is not an easy task because the harmonic balancer has to be removed with a puller and then in its installation the air gap to the sensor has to be precise at 0.030. One problem that I've seen most common to that engine is that the vanes brake off within the balancer or they get bent because of debris that gets trapped. Before you do anything my suggestion to you is check the crank sensor see that there is no damage to the balancer or sensor. 


post back your findings.


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## HEAVYCHEVY (Jan 26, 2011)

just to be clear, will check balancer and sensor, but, it never just 'shut down'. Operated completely normal until it wouldnt start. Started it and drove it for a week after the first time. Then this. I turned it off when i parked in the garage, next day nothin. Thanx for your help will chek out prior ideas and get back to you.


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## jgarner (Nov 4, 2012)

Have same problem. Did you solve it and get it running? What was problem?


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## TeaMan (Nov 10, 2012)

I know this is an old thread but for you I'd find out if your V6 have the safety switch that sense oil pressure while cranking. If it doesn't sense oil pressure it will not let you start the engine. That sensor could be bad. The worse case would be no oil pressure ie; loss of oil in crackcase.


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