howellt39

Good evening, first time poster here. We have a 1999 Suburban with about 175k on it and I know I have coolant disappearing and ending up in the oil, but now it won't start for me to get it to a shop.

It will crank for days but not light off. I pulled the air cleaner and tried some ether in there, but nothing at all. I do not smell fuel, there is no white smoke or smoke of any kind coming out the tailpipe. It's as if there is no spark and no fuel at the same time. Ran fine before. I did borrow a code reader hoping for a bread crumb and there were no codes stored and nothing in the history. Nada.

I'm very new to this but have basic mechanical knowledge. I did check every fuse I could find in the cab and under the hood and they were all good.

I'm sure there's a CPS but I don't know where it is or how to test that. I thought possibly that could be the culprit since something is telling the computer (PCM?) not to pump fuel or light up the distributor.

Any and all ideas are very much appreciated!

howellt39

On that same topic, does anyone know if I can pump 12V directly to the center of the distributor via a jumper wire to see if fuel is getting in? Too much amperage coming directly from the + terminal on the batt? Don't want to screw anything up obviously but at a loss at what to do next.

Was hoping that forcing current into the dist I could definitively rule out fuel delivery issues by providing spark.

Jeff Collision

Check the intake valve for leak. A compression test will tell if you have a valve problem. Also, check the fuel pressure. A weak spark will also have more trouble firing cold fuel than hot fuel too. If so, I would recommend replacing the distributor cap and rotor. Also check the routing of the coil wire. If it is routed too closely to a metal bracket, the coil wire can short out. The additional moisture in the air makes it easier for a spark to jump to ground.

shamrock246

Your intake gaskets are probably the reason for the coolant in the oil Felpro makes a metal backed set to solve that problem this is the one i used on mine Felpro/Intake Manifold Gasket (MS98000T) | 1997 Chevrolet K1500 1/2ton Sub 4WD 8 Cylinders R 5.7L SFI | AutoZone.com_

What is the fuel pressure key on engine off?and how long does it hold it for?

Do you have spark at the plugs if not is it at the coil?a failed crank sensor will cause no spark

Get the water out the oil ASAP its not good for the bearings

howellt39

Thanks Jeff/Sean.

Apologize for the lack of experience here, but how does one check the fuel pressure? I'll start with that and once it fires again I'll take care of the intake gasket for sure. Glad to hear it could be that instead of a head gasket.

I will take a look at all the wires feeding the coil, too, and report back.

Thank you for the tips.

Jeff Collision

Here is the procedure for how to check the fuel pressure.

1) Locate the fuel pump test fitting location in your owner's manual. Unless you're experienced at Chevrolet Suburban repairs, you'll need to consult your manual.

2) Insert and fasten the fuel pump gauge into the fitting. Make sure the face of the gauge is pointed toward you so you can read it easily.

3) Turn on your engine and immediately watch for any fuel shooting from the fitting. This means the gauge has not been fastened properly. You need to turn off your car and tighten the gauge to the fitting.

4) Record the reading on your gauge once you turn on the engine. Look back in your owner's manual to see if the fuel pressure is too high or too low. Low fuel pressure will be accompanied with symptoms such as a sputtering and a stalling engine. High pressure will result in poor fuel economy. Hope this helps.

howellt39

Thanks. I got the procedure and the specs now and ordered a pressure tester online. It should be here in a couple days and I'll start there.

I also ordered a HEI spark tester, for obvious reasons....

I'll report back. Thank you again.

Jeremy Stanford

the distributor isn't a "distributor" in the normal sense. it only has a crank position sensor in it. if the distributor was replaced/removed if it is one tooth off it will throw a check engine light.
the intake gaskets are a known issue. easy to repair though. if it has ran hot the heads are prone to cracking. they are relatively inexpensive. I bought mine for 175.00 each with 20.00 shipping for complete heads from cylinder heads international.
just make sure you use new headbolts as they are torque to yield bolts and have to be tightened by degrees. the degree adapter is 15.00 at most parts stores.

howellt39

Thanks Jeremy, that's good to know. The owner (friend of wife, isn't that how most of these adventures start?) did say it'd been run hot. Is there an easy way to tell if a head was cracked or is it all visual inspection?

Jeremy Stanford

usually there is an aluminum slug on the head that will melt if it has been run hot. it is "stamped" or "riveted" on the head. you might not see it if it is on the side of the head closest to the firewall.
upon removing the heads you can look and you might see a crack but any machine shop can magnaflux the heads for a nominal fee. (25.00 per head is what my machine shop charges) if thy find a crack in the first one... they do the second for free. saves me 25.00 so I don't complain.
if it was ran hot... I would recommend getting a new set of heads.
when I rebuilt the top end of my 99 suburban, I think I had 600-750 max in parts and I redid it myself. took my time with it and replaced everything I could think of "while I was there".
new heads, new pushrods, cap, plugs, wires, air filter etc.
a top end gasket set should come with all gaskets needed:
head gaskets, intake manifold gaskets, exhaust gaskets, thermostat gasket, valve cover gaskets etc.
take your time and it'll take a weekend (if you order the heads before hand and have all the parts needed up front) or a two weekends (if you order parts after you teardown and inspect. I wasn't in a rush so I took my time.
good luck.
if you were closer to jax, fl i'd probably be apt to buy the truck.... lol