About time

[sixcylinderslave]

Anyone know how to reset the timing on a 93 GMC sonoma 4.3l Vortec? I put the wires back on the distributor wrong like a noob and now she won't crank. I tried disconnecting the battery for a bit to see if it will reset. I even played chess with the wires for a while swapping them around....then I beat myself in the face with a torque wrench for being so stupid. I can wipe the blood out of my eyes and get this thing going again with the right advice I'm sure. And this stupid 20 dollar Haynes repair manual is only good if you want to change the oil or rebuild the engine. HELP...PLEASE!!!!!

[xtreme2001]

The firing order is in your haynes manual. I would just pull the wires and reinstall them in the correct order.

[sixcylinderslave]

OMFG!!!! You're right!!!! It's that stupid little picture I've been ignoring and in small print right below it....it says..."Hey you ignorant Noob, here's the firing order because I just know you're gonna screw this up" (yes, it really says all that.)

Sorry for kinking you Haynes manual....

Dude, my faith has lifted. I'm headed back out there again. Thanks. I was completely out of ideas and Give a sh**s

[sixcylinderslave]

I pulled the wires off twice and put them in the correct firing order and yeah even tried disconnecting the battery both times. It didn't work. Any ideas? Anyone? Damn Haynes Manual.......gonna get another beatin' soon.

[s10xtremist]

... Any luck?

[s10xtremist]

Oops. Simultaneous posts.

Unless you just have all the wires completely mixed up you should at least get a sputter. Did you do anything with the coil wire? Is your cap and rotor on right and tight?

[brakemaster_43]

pull your number one spark plug, and put your finger over the hole. have somebody LIGHTLY bump the ignition until you feel the compression push your finger out of the hole. once that is done, take the distributor cap off and see where the rotor button is facing. put the cap back on(remember where the rotor was pointing) and start your number one wire at the spot, your firing order should be 1-6-5-4-3-2 in a clockwise direction. this may not be needed, but if you have to loosen the hold down clamp and turn the distributor body. hopefully this will get you in the right direction. good luck..... :thumbsup:

[sixcylinderslave]

I didn't mess with anything under the cap. I carefully pulled the old one off and put the new one on. Screwed it down snug but not break plastic tight. The Manual I have that shows the timing though Doesn't tell what to do with the 7th wire. (pause for laughter) It's shows number 1-6 but leaves out the shortest wire going to the plug mounted to a small box on top of the engine. So I tried plugging it in last after doing the rest of them in the correct firing order as shown in the Hughes manual. That didn't work. So I tried putting it on first and then doing the others like the book shows and I get nothing. Not even a measly, weak whir. Nothing.

[brakemaster_43]

the short wire is your coil wire. it should go from the middle of your distributor cap to a little black box on your passenger side valve cover.

[s10xtremist]

I didn't mess with anything under the cap. I carefully pulled the old one off and put the new one on. Screwed it down snug but not break plastic tight. The Manual I have that shows the timing though Doesn't tell what to do with the 7th wire. (pause for laughter) It's shows number 1-6 but leaves out the shortest wire going to the plug mounted to a small box on top of the engine. So I tried plugging it in last after doing the rest of them in the correct firing order as shown in the Hughes manual. That didn't work. So I tried putting it on first and then doing the others like the book shows and I get nothing. Not even a measly, weak whir. Nothing.

So when you turn the key nothing AT ALL happens? The engine doesn't even spin? Just double-check EVERYTHING you've touched since the last time it ran, starting with both your battery connections.

[sixcylinderslave]

That is correct. Nothing is happening.....still. The SES light pops up and the cab stuff is lit up but it won't crank. I just undid the distributor cap and looked at the direction the rotor was facing and started the 1st plug wire where it was facing, worked my way around disconnected the battery while I did all of this, plugged it back in, and still nothing. It's not throwing a code either. I'm completely running out of ideas. If I get time tommorow maybe I can loosen the distributor body a little and put everything in the correct direction. Also, the rotors pretty ugly looking. It's not cracked or corroded or anything but I know it's pretty old. So I'll be replacing that just because it's ugly. Thanks for all the help everyone but I'm not going back out there tonight. I'll be medling around on the forums so please toss out ideas. I'm freaking exhausted and having a nice Landshark Lager. I finally cleaned up and got most of the grime off of me. So bummed about my truck. I'll keep messing with it. I'll eventually get it running right. Just kind of sucks in the meantime. I got all of these shiny new parts parked under the hood and put my entire day into it. To come out with it not running is a real let down. Have a great night and if you get a chance ....try the Landshark lager. Apparently it's a Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville brew......really good after a day in the hood (of my truck). Laterz.

[brakemaster_43]

even if the rotor was bad, your starter would still spin your motor over. your starter could be trying to go bad. to test your starter, take a long screw driver and touch the two post( the big one with the positive battery cable, and the small one with one wire coming from your wiring harness) at the same time and see if your starter comes on. that will give it a direct current from the battery. if i remember right, if it does come on you need to replace the starter, i may have that backwards though.

[sixcylinderslave]

It's a pretty new starter so I'd be suprised if it was going bad but I'll definitely have a look at the starter. Someone else said to make sure I was getting spark also. My battery looked a little weak but it's less than two weeks old. Things are getting really weird with my truck.

[s10xtremist]

If absolutely nothing happens when you turn the key to crank it- no starter turning the engine, just dead silence, then you have problems other than ignition timing. Have you checked your fuses, specifically your ECM fuses?

[sixcylinderslave]

Good news. It's turning over now. But it won't fire up. The engine is turning so that's good but now I'm not sure why it won't crank.

[sixcylinderslave]

I tried swapping out with the old distributor cap from yesterday and got nothing. Then I put the new one on and arranged the firing order in the direction that the rotor was turned and it's turning over. I tried different arrangements yesterday like this and nothing happened. I didn't really do anything new today except try to stick the old distributor cap back on. Weird.

[sixcylinderslave]

No spark :( Now to pop the distributor cap again and try to hand turn the engine and see if my freakin' rotor is even turning. Doesn't look like it's moved a lick

[brakemaster_43]

if your rotor isnt turning then your distributor isnt all the way down. the distributor is turned by the gear on the back of the camshaft, so make sure it's all the way down. make sure you get your number one cylinder at top dead center, then look at the rotor to see where it's pointing. good to hear the motor is turning over.

[sixcylinderslave]

IT'S RUNNING! I had the distrib cap off and in the shade it was sort of hard to see ...but that ugly rotor I was thinking about replacing.... it had some pretty serious Carbon tracks on the inside. Hence no spark. So for under six bucks my truck is running :)

I don't know about today but one day soon I need to block it up on ramps, take the tires and plastic wheel covers off so I can try to unscrew about three probably fouled out plugs that have nothing to bite on. I'm pretty sure after that the Noma will be running realy nice.

Thanks everyone for helping me get my sh** together.

[sixcylinderslave]

Well it was running.I cranked it a few times and let it un for a bit. Then I turned it off and picked up all the tools in the bed of my truck. Went to move it and ....nothing....all over again. I checked for a code....still not one. Popped the hood to see if a wire or distrib cap were lose and could smell gas pretty heavy. And I know I probably need a new Oxygen sensor now. a little gas still going into the oil apparently. ......................... I'm tired.....................

[brakemaster_43]

this happens sometimes with my brothers car. sometimes when you turn the key forward the motor wont turn over but it'll have power to everything. we know it's his ignition we just haven't replaced it yet, its a 5speed so when it happens we just push it and dump the clutch and it'll start right up. its kinda sounding like your ignition switch is trying to take a crap on you. Here is a link to some new ones if that turns out to be your problem,http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductList.aspx?SearchFor=Ignition+Module%2fContr ol+Unit&PartType=194&PTSet=A&categorycode=&MfrCode=&MfrPartNumber=&CloseoutFlag=0&st=2&so=0. hope you figure it out soon.

[sixcylinderslave]

I'm beat. I realized now that the throttle cable is snapped. So I made a run to the local NAPCO.....they don't have them. I've searched a ton of stores online....can't find one. Rigged mine back together by using pliers to twist the broken pieces together. Not sure if it works because my F*&*n truck won't start. I've been at it for a couple many days now. I'm stepping back before I start beating myself in the face with the torque wrench again.

[hatchetryda]

paticence grasshopper this is why i dont try to be a mechanic i suffer from the same as you im no mechanic but ill try did you ever get the timing right more less? is the truck runnin now?