:?: hi this is my first post and first visit to this site... i think its cool... anyways my 88 bonneville 3.8 v6 with 72,000 original miles took a dump on me the other day. its cranking but not starting and every so often will backfire out of th air intake with a pssshhhh sound. im guessing its an electrical problem like a bad sensor or something. im getting fuel and spark, but the spark seems weak. the car ran just fine prior to this with the exception of stalling twice in the last 6 months... any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Do you have the LG3 or LN3 engine? Full cluster? What does the tach do when you are cranking?


-justin

You mention having spark and fuel. Can you tell us how you determined those.

If possible fuel pressure reading.

May be crank position sensor since that is what tells the coils when to fire.

Have you got any error codes at all?

check for injector pulse. If no pulse its the ECU, or ICM.
Could also be a loose or dirty ign module connector.

Exactly what I was thinking. Had this go out on one of my AWDs a few months back, and same thing. Lots of cranking, but wouldn't turn over. It could just as easily be the fuel pump. As BillBost said, if you can get a fuel pressure reading (just because fuel is coming out at the schrader valve doesn't mean it'* enough to get the car started/running), it would help immensely.

i finally got around to fixing my car and it was the cam gear. that thing was all chewed up... of course it was like a plastic material. so anyways i changed out the timing chain and sprockets and everythings fine

unusual for that low mileage. How often do you change the oil?

Plastic? The sprockets on the 3800 engines should be all steel, no plastic was used, except possibly the "shoe" type tensioner. Does this engine have the balance shaft?