Re: Quick question about spark color
 

Priceless... just priceless ;)

Re: Quick question about spark color
 

This ------ thing sucks

siphoned the tank and filled with new high octane gas.

cranked and almost started with someone holding their hand over the throttle body (maybe ran for 3 sec)

I'm stumped, pulled the codes and it says cel should be off, but pulled codes for misfire on cyl 3 and temp sensor voltage low

any new ideas?

Re: Quick question about spark color
 

stupid question, did you do a voltage check? batt might be cooked

Re: Quick question about spark color
 

battery doens't seem to hold a great charge, but we've been jumping it off of a running car and letting it charge a bit before trying

Re: Quick question about spark color
 

eh i dunno, whats the voltage

do a tdc check.. its possible he did a 150k timing belt/chain tuneup and fucked it up, compression is a little low, that's like in the 6.5:1 lawnmower range at 120psi..

Re: Quick question about spark color
 

I ------- hate people that talk about spark color, if it jumps a 3/4 inch gap the ------- thing will run.

Re: Quick question about spark color
 

Your cranking compression is on the low side.

Try doing a wet compression check to see if the rings are sealing as they should be. If you see a huge jump, then they are either stuck from sitting for a lond time, or toasted.

Big jump = going from 110 dry to 190+ wet.

I doubt that the spark is your issue.

Also, with the fact that you could get it to fire with your hand over the TB sounds like there is a pretty significant vacuum leak.

You will definitely want to check out the coolant temperature sensor issue. If the code was stored in history and is not currently set, then it may have been left over from a previous service, but whoever worked on the car didn't reset the DTCs.

Re: Quick question about spark color
 

120psi is much higher than that ---- the minimum spec for my car is 100psi,I have 120psi compression on a fresh rebuild granted its a very low compression engine but not 6.5:1 I would check the timing marks though to see if it jumped a tooth, I don't know much about the j-body cars but one of my friends is all into them

you may want to try www.j-body.org

Re: Quick question about spark color
 

Before priceless up there gets his panties in a wad... Sorry I didn't read the whole damn post attention span slipped when I read cavalier. Go over the simple things instead of throwing parts at it. If you got spark you got spark. Do you have the correct fuel pressure? Are the plugs just fuel fouled? If someones been in the timing cover possible timing is incorrect.

Re: Quick question about spark color
 

100 psi of cranking compression is getting pretty close to the borderline for combustion.

If memory serves me right, 80 psi is considered the absolute lower limit for combustion to occur.

Meh, it sounds like there are multiple issues, but trying to diagnose a car over the internet is rarely productive.