I have a '88 Chevy Celebrity 4cyl 2.5l. This has been an ongoing problem that I have had for a while now. Starts half the time, and then will not start at all for a while, sometimes hours, sometimes for a few minutes. Bascially what it does is turn but wont start. Ive replaced fuel filter, fuel injector, and the Idle air control. Have tested to see if everything's getting voltage, and at the moment am thinking could it be the ECM, could it be? It is getting voltage, but if its getting fuel (i just replaced the injector, and can see its getting fuel), spark(tested voltage ), and air(replaced the idle air control). Could it be the ecm? right now its sitting 2 blocks away at the grocery store because it wouldnt start :-P

Any comments would be helpful! thanks

Possibly bad valves..

we thought that might be an issue, if its that...then i might aswell ditch this damn car since fixing it would cost more than what the car is worth ...

Would be cheap to do it yourself.

where would you recommend i find replacement if i had to?

never done it before

sorry bro, i think your car has gone belly up, your gonna put more money into trying to fix it then you would just finding a beater or a cheap used car. When you start talking about valves, thats taking apart your motor, and you'll need gaskets then when you get in there you will probably find more stuff. You will then, probably decide you wanna burn your car where it sits. Thats a nasty job and idk if you really wanna screw with it being the car is 20 years old. Might just be dead.

yeah thats what im thinking, im hoping its nothing to do with the valves...i just had luck getting it started, walked to the grocery store where i left it at midnight last night....it started right up...it also dies when im idling at a light sometimes, dont know if that can clue you into anything, aswell as some small backfiring when accelerating after a light sometimes,

anyone else have any opinions? i kind of want to get a few opinions before i decide to open up the head and take a peek

-thanks

Have you checked and or replaced the fuel pump? You mentioned the fuel injector but that is not the same as the fuel pump. The fuel injector is only a nozzle and a valve: the power to inject the fuel comes from farther back in the fuel supply, from a pump or a pressure container.

Try taking it somewhere and getting the fuel pressure checked. The ECM is another good possibility. I don't think you have to give up on the car just yet, IMO.

well its pumping fuel, thats the thing... and what led me to believe it could be the ecm is the fact that its getting everything (spark, fuel, air)...but im thinkin its just not getting it in the right order or quantity etc...so that could be timing which could have soemthing to do with the ecm...
im not a car junky so i could be wrong :-P
i just pray its not the valves

I don't think it is. Try the ECM (you might even be able to get it tested at a parts store). If it isn't that, then I am not sure what to tell ya. It depends on how attached you are to this car and how much more you want to spend. Does it run ok when it does start? Other than the stall that is. I mean, are there any noises, clangs, pings etc?

no except for the backfire when accelerating after idling at a light for a bit...but that doesnt happen all the time...

know how much a test is aprox?

oh and yes im very attatched...i was brought home in that car ...it was my first car ride (lotsa sentimental value lol)

Ok, then lets not give up yet then. There are a few other possitilies. Have you checked the possibility of a clogged catalytic converter or perhaps the oxygen sensor? Is there a rattle or was there previously any rattle coming from the exhaust?

If you want to try replacing the oxygen sensor is probably a relativley inexpensive fix and (usually) easy to get to. However, it isn't necessarily good practice to just fix something unless you know it is broken.

Lastly, have you taken it to a mechanic? It may be more worth the time and money to take it to a professional who has the tools to measure all of the fuel/air systems.

no theres no rattling that i noticed, and yeah replacing something without knowing its broken kind of isnt in my budget at the moment, just flushed out alotta cash on doing that kind of fixing lol...and i am considering taking it to a mechanic but then again that does cost alot too on my budget...most likely going to wait til i can get a moment with my pops to see if i can get any feedback on what we should do, even though hes quite clueless at this point aswell. then i was considering getting a new ecm, but its around 150 and thats alot aswell... probably give it a day of thought and poking around in the car to see what i can come up with before i decide to spend anything

I hear ya. Mechanics and cars in general can be expensive! Good luck and keep us updated!

just placed an order on a ecm, getting it for 60 bucks *friend has employee discount* ...he ordered a rush deliver to their store ...so itll be there in about 4 or 5 hours...its so nice to have friendds

replaced the ecm, it didnt do nothing :-(

Honestly, I really think bringing it into a mechanic is your best bet. You would have probably saved money at this point by having the correct diagnostic tools. Sorry, I know it can be expensive but it is better than just replacing parts with no luck. :dunno: