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Cadillac Repair/1994 STS Won't start after engin wash
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Question
Car: 1994 STS Northstar 148,000 miles.
1. Washed cold engine with Simple Green degreaser and rinsed with garden hose, fresh cold water.
2. Started car, ran a little rough, went for dive to heat and dry engine after a few minutes (30-40 mph)it began to run very rough, returned home.
3. Let car idle in garage, ran extremely rough, after than 1 minute engine popped a couple of times and quit.
4. Now it will not start.
5. Removed coil module, rear and front spark plug wires, air cleaner. Used hair dryer to dry spark plug cavities, spark plug connectors, coil connectors and replaced air cleaner.
6. Still won't start, acts like timing is off.
You help is greatly appreciated.
Hi,
When diagnosing, before jumping to conclusions like timing, realize that there were no running problems before you washed the engine.
My guess would be the wires are soaked yet. That's a lot of running at 148,000. I have used sillicone and sometimes WD-40 to dry them out, but sometimes they are gonners!
If you have it parked somewhere dark and can look under the hood, if it is a little damp out, you will see your problem. You will see the wires arcing to ground. Kind of pretty.
You needed wires anyway at 15 years old. Belden seem to fit the best and have a life time garranty. While you are at it, change the plugs too, because 148,000 miles there can't be much of a gap.
Rob
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Rob Painter
Expertise
Alarm system questions cannot be answered on this forum. These systems are not what I can answer. Without being physically at the vehicle and not knowing what kind of electrical service has been done on the vehicle, there is no possible way to give an accurate answer over the internet. My expertise is in Ignition/key based anti-theft systems. These issues include GM VATS (resistor chip in key blade) PASSLOCK (MRD)-ignition lock rotation based, no special ignition key and the PKIII Transponder (computer chip in key) systems. These systems are not alarm based and are integral with the starting of the engine. This is why I cannot diagnose alarm problems without physically looking at the vehicle: Alarm systems are a completely different annimal than ignition key/lock based anti-theft system. Many alarm questions come from vehicles 10 years old, and since older, many hands that had been involved over the years.I am an expert in all GM factory (ignition/key based)systems. Alarm system questions pose to many situations beyond my knowledge as to what has been done to the vehicle over the years. Some guy may have actually wired the stereo into the alarm system. Who knows? Over my past 30 years in vehicle wiring repair, I have seen unbelievable wiring disaters done by guys that consider themselves "mechanics." I have seen stereos and alarms intalled using surgical tape. I have seen modules burn up, un-fused circuits, wiring jambed between the doors and even lamp cord used for a starter kill. To answer alarm questions over the internet without examining the vehicle is like asking; What does it take to remove a dent?
Experience
Education/Credentials-ASE certified. 11 years with a GM dealer and 17 years with a repair facility dealing with only the repair of theft recovered vehicles.
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