CREMATOR

This question is not necessarily specific to vehicle, as some general mechanic knowledge may help here, thank you. I have a 2000 astro, we purchased in 03 with 12k miles on it. We now have around 160k on it, and I have never had any major issues til recently. I am at a loss now as to what else to check. About a year ago, we decided to have a tune up done, as it was still running on factory plugs and wires and cap and rotor, it had a little miss and thought we were way overdue for a tune up. So got new plugs, wires, cap and rotor. Then after about 6 months one day it would crank and not start, so I went into auto zone and talked with a guy, he asked if I bought the cheap cap and rotor, of course I had, so he tells me he has heard the same thing with the cheaper stuff, so I get a better cap and rotor and sure enough, van fires right over, all is good, a month ago the same thing happened, crank, no start, so I double check the fuel pressure, it is good, so I go exchange cap and rotor, still no start. Put battery charger/starter on it, flip it to 200 amp start, van fires right up. So I think okay, bad battery, even though it seemed to be cranking good before this started. I go to auto zone, end up with new battery, fires up fine, guy does there charging system check, tests good. Goes 3 days, poof, again, crank no start. Start checking everything, check fuel pressure, its good, find that the coil is shorting to the outer magnet. Replace, no start, realize I don't hear the fuel pump now after days of trying to start, start checking that out, suddenly dead, end up having to drop tank and replace, also replace filter. Now have fuel pressure again, try to start, fires right up. Drive it around to shed in back yard, put a few more gallons of gas in, pull in garage and turn off, tell wife all is good. She wants to run to gas station to fill up now, so we jump in, she turns the key, lights come on like normal, no crank now. Start researching that, determine starter is dead. Replaced, wire from solenoid to starter is broken, now cranks right over, tell wife its good. She drives to work one day, on her way home it starts idling rough, dies as soon as she gets in garage at home, now back to no start, cranks, 200 amp start boost, still no start. took off dist cap. watch rotor spin as I crank, seems awfully slow even though the engine sounds like its cranking good. Please give me some advice here.....About to buy some dynamite to fix it.

CREMATOR

147 Views and no advice, come on...

oldchevy

What was the pressure reading on the fuel pump? Have you ever changed the fuel filter? I would be looking at the fuel system as it appears you changed most everything else.

CREMATOR

yep, did fuel filter and New pump, somewhere in the middle there. Pressure is around 58 when cranking and up to 62 when initial prime happens on key on position. I have now checked every electrical sensor on the engine and exhaust and no prob found. Absolutely stumped here.. Oh, also does not fire with starting fluid either.................

oldchevy

Not firing with starter fluid points back at an ignition problem. Check all the wiring for bad spots and frayed insulation.

CREMATOR

Okay, here's the update for my fellow gm owners that have a similiar issue. I had checked everything, I started checking cable ends from
Battery, even replaced an end on the positive cable at the starter, still no luck, then I thought I would start checking thing I had already done, checked spark to dist. it was there, pulled #1 plug, checked gap and it had spark, put that back together, but I had noticed that my spark looked yellow instead of blue, then I went back to coil wire, yep, yellow spark, did some research, everyone says it should be blue, checked small feed wires to coil, had right voltage, coil was new, but thought I would swap it again to make sure. Sure enough, put in new coil, and checked spark, blue arc, hooked up to dist cap and vrooom, fired right up. So just to be clear, just because you have spark, doesnt mean you are good, it needs to be a blue arc. I used a screwdriver and laid it a 1/4 inch from the metal tube that runs next to the dist, cranked in the dark garage and viewed the arc. If you do this and your arc looks yellow, swap that coil out. Its a $45 part. Good luck. Also my vehicle is a astrovan with a 4.3L v6, found a lot of specific vehicle info on Astrosafari.com , between these 2 sites I was able to fix it.