'00 LS V8 will not start...

[2000LSMichael]

My '00 LS V8 will not start. After I come back after a break, it may (or may not) start. Once I get it started it may not start back up after a 30 min. rest.

I checked the injector bleeder this morning after it sat all night and gas came out (sign that there is pressure - I guess this is not an injector leaking).

I am going to take the front driver's side tire off and see how old the filter is, but it was supposively replaced only 2,000 miles ago (key word supposively).

The fuel pumps (again supposively) were replaced (2 times). If it were a fuel pump issue, I believe that the car would not start at all.

I also replaced the MAF and there is no check engine light on when running.

I guess my question is - is there a check valve somewhere on the V8 LS?

I am trying to get this newly acquired car up and running...just trying to take it one step at a time before tackling more misfire issues.

Also - the tech articles are awesome and the old posts of pics are a real help to this rookie LS.

Thanks,
Michael

 

[2000LSMichael]

air cleaner outlet tube issue?

This evening I tried to start the LS with no luck after waiting (and I also tried disconnecting the battery for 1/2 hour just to see if anything would happen).

I decided to slightly disconnect the Air cleaner outlet tube so my father could see me moving the gas pedal and get air directly and the car fired right up.

I just put on a new MAF. Could the intake air temp sensor, idle air control valve, or full load breather tube have something to do with this?

I am going to try and start the car again tomorrow night and if it doesn't fire up, I will disconnect the air cleaner outlet tube again and see if it fires up again.

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[bfrantz96]

try having someone spray some starting fluid in the intake while you are cranking. If it starts while doing that then it is something fuel related. If it doesn't start while spraying that in the intake then you don't have any spark igniting the fuel source. Try this and that will give you a place to start looking and narrow it down. The maf would not make it not start it might run like :q:q:q:q if it is bad but it would at least start.

 

[97stscaddy]

Sounds like a control unit issue to me. Or maybe a Cam of Crankshaft position sensor is failing. Besides that there isn't much under the hood that will sporadically prevent the engine from starting.

 

[2000LSMichael]

tried starting again...

Tonight I took off the air cleaner outlet pipe and had my father spray some starting fluid. The LS did not start.

Does this mean it is a firing issue - spark plugs or coils? Or could it be other issues?

I replaced spark plugs #1-4. I believe coil #2 is probably shot, but don't know for sure since the check engine light is not on (I bought a code reader, but it found no codes b/c the light is not on).

Any further suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[97stscaddy]

Well you need 3 things for a car to run, Compression, fuel, and spark. The only ones that can be there one minute then gone the next are fuel and spark.

So when it does this you'll need to determine which one it isn't getting.
If it is getting fuel, you will be able to smell it in the exhaust system after cranking for 10 seconds or so. Just because there is fuel pressure does not mean the injectors are spraying the fuel into the engine.

Obviously if there is fuel in the exhaust and it still won't start, then its a spark problem.

 

[2000LSMichael]

Firing issues

I turned over the LS for about 15-20 secs., smelled the exhaust (gas fumes were present) so I pulled the coils and spark plugs from 1 through 4, and 5&8, and the spark plugs were flooded. This tells me that it is not firing.

I definately feel that #2 coil needed replaced, but is this a sign that they all need replaced? Or is there something that I am overlooking in this firing issue?

Thanks,
Michael

 

[97stscaddy]

Probability that they would ALL fail at the same time is little to none. I hate to do it, but I'm gonna say you'll probably have to take it to a dealer and have it diagnosed.

Before you do that though, double check everything you disconnected in the process of replacing the coil. Also look at all of the fuse panels and make sure none are blown. There are 3 of them. One in the trunk next to the battery, one in the passenger kick panel under the glove box, and one under the hood next to the ABS module.

 

[rickztahone]

if the wells were flooded i would say it was the gasket, wouldn't it?

 

[2000LSMichael]

gasket

which gasket are you referring to? I replaced the #1-4 valve cover gasket. I did not replace the intake (upper) gasket.

 

[bfrantz96]

since you aren't getting spark. It has to be some kind of ignition issue like mentioned above. The coils are bad (highly unlikely for all to go bad @ once, but stranger things have happened) you have a bad crank sensor, which is what fires the coils since there is no distributor. You could have electrical problems to the coils, meaning blown fuses or bad wires. The list could go on for more pages. If it is something you are going to diagnose yourself get a service manual and start checking components. They usually give specs for testing things in there and start checking to see if things are bad.