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Fuel + Spark, Truck won't run


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Hi guys,

 

New to the forum and hoping you can help.

 

I have a 1994 C1500 2WD with a 4.3 TBI. The other night I was leaving the shop and it did not want to start. After gentle words and persuasion she lit off and I took off for home. About 5 minutes later as I was turning the corner by my house it just sputtered off. I cranked on it some more and it fired up long enough to get back in my yard. Now she is dead in the water. I checked all the basics, cap/ rotor, wires, plugs. I have fuel AND spark but it will not light off.

 

One peculiar thing I have noticed is that the temp gauge slowly climbs and pegs way past hot on the dash while i am cranking, but then falls back down when I let of the key.

 

Any help is greatly appreciated!

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Hi guys,

 

New to the forum and hoping you can help.

 

I have a 1994 C1500 2WD with a 4.3 TBI. The other night I was leaving the shop and it did not want to start. After gentle words and persuasion she lit off and I took off for home. About 5 minutes later as I was turning the corner by my house it just sputtered off. I cranked on it some more and it fired up long enough to get back in my yard. Now she is dead in the water. I checked all the basics, cap/ rotor, wires, plugs. I have fuel AND spark but it will not light off.

 

One peculiar thing I have noticed is that the temp gauge slowly climbs and pegs way past hot on the dash while i am cranking, but then falls back down when I let of the key.

 

Any help is greatly appreciated!

I know you say you have fuel but until you do a fuel pressure test that could still be your issue. Could be a bad fuel pump or if it has injectors could be dirty/clogged. First thing i would do is check for proper fuel pressure and if thats fine check out your injectors and make sure they are working properly. But for a 94 if the fuel pump hasnt been replaced it wouldent hurt.

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First, replace the fuel filter if you haven't replaced it recently. It's on the frame under the driver's side door. Put a bucket or something under it to catch any fuel that comes out and empty the filter into a clear jar and examine the fuel for contamination.

 

I've got that same setup ('94 C1500 4.3L TBI) and I was driving down I-10 at about 65 MPH when the fuel pump went out. It was like I had turned the key off - it just died. I was lucky enough to coast down an exit ramp and right into a shop. There wasn't even a flicker of a chance it was going to start again. I almost ran the battery dead trying and never got even a bump from it. Since yours started again I would try the fuel filter first just to get it running again.

 

Then maybe check the fuel pressure and other things after that.

 

The fuel pump is in the tank and has to come out the top which means you either have to drop the tank or remove the bed. Dropping the tank isn't nearly as easy as it sounds. I've done it both ways and prefer removing the bed.

 

I'm at 220K miles and on my fourth filter. They last a long time so we tend to forget about them. So I would try that first.

 

I'm assuming you've got fuel in the tank :happysad:

 

BTW, I think the gauge does that normally at start up but don't remember for sure right now.

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i agree it could also be fuel filter related but out of all honesty, if you dont know when the fuel pump, fuel filter and injectors have been replaced i would personally just replace them for a more ease of mind. Fuel injectors can become "stuck" and can be cleaned. I had a similar fuel related problem and i replaced everything exepct my injectors, i gave them a good cleaning and blew them out with compressed air and my truck now runs great. Dropping the tank is not all that hard, some say it is but if you put the rear on stands and use a jack and a peice of plywood in the center of the tank all you have to do is unhook the connectors and hoses and filler neck and than remove your two straps and lower it down. Theres also the "trap door" method or like said you can raise the bed. I can drop my tank and have it back up in as little as 2 hours depending on the purpose of dropping it.

 

Also the temp guage is normal, it does it in my truck aswell and also in the wifes buick.

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I got it figured out. The MSD coil I had on the truck must have burnt up inside. It was producing a very weak spark. I had another coil sitting on the shelf at my farm and it fired up and runs flawless after I swapped them out. Thanks for the help.

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