RRC- Intermittent no start

110user

Well-known member
Looking for some advice, I have an intermittent no start issue on a 1993 LWB.
About 150k on the clock, runs perfectly...except for this.

Every once in a while, she wont start. Turns over fine just no catch. Seems like spark or fuel. The two times its happened I haven't had anyone around so I can't be sure its getting spark.
I pulled the fuel pump inspection plate.Pump could be original, but terminals are not corroded (truck is crazy clean). I cleaned them anyway with no change.

The problem is that it is very intermittent, but I'm hesitant to drive it now. I keep trying to get it to happen in my drive way with no luck.

What should I start replacing?

Its about time for cap/rotor/wires/plugs so I'll do that regardless. What about the file pump relay and the pump?
Coil? Ignition?

I'm all ears but want to be strategic about it.
 

O2batsea

Well-known member
Check around the coil first. There are several wires there and all are important to make the thing go. Over the years the insulation gets very hard and brittle. the wire vibrate, the insulation fails and the wires fatigue to the point that maybe only a couple strands are actually still intact. Or maybe they have broken thru. The white/black wire carries the timing signal to the ECM, so if it breaks...game over. The white wire is the coil's spark timing wire coming from the ignition module...more on that in a second. The other wires are ground.
Be sure the ground wires are cleanly connected to the (very questionable) bolt on the wing panel. Take it apart and clean it for corrosion.
Ignition module failure is common. This can cause rough running, hard starting and general misery. It is located on the side of the distributor and to replace it you really need to remove the distributor from the engine to get access to the tiny (5mm?) screw heads. Replacing it is fairly straightforward but a royal PITA.
With clean and solid coil connections, new ignition module and the cap rotor wires plugs you should have great starting. If this full tune-up fails to remedy the issue then you probably need a new fuel pump.
The fuel pump is in a cartridge that is accessed thru a plate on the cargo deck. You will see a big plastic ring that screws the cartridge to the tank. The fuel lines are compression fittings and the wires have spade connections.
Undo all that and lift the cartridge out. You can replace the entire thing with an aftermarket unit for a couple hundy, or take the pump out and replace just the pump. It's not too bad a job to do the latter. They don't make genuine cartridge assemblies any more so you have to buy whatsis from blue bag. Fuel pump itself is a NAPA part and I will have to dig up the part number. I think it's a Delco pump. I think they are about $70 nowadays.
 

rocky

NAS-ROW Addict
Sounds so familiar.
Next time it does that, check the fuel rail's schrader valve to see if there is any fuel pressure there. Do it when cold only. You don't want fuel spraying out on a hot exhaust manifold....
Remember
Fuel, Spark, Air, Compression, Timing. All need to come together to make things happen. I replaced my plugs, wires, coil(s), rotor, cap, battery, temp sensor etc but still had an occasional no start scenario. Some of you witnessed it at WR two years ago...

At VOBS, my fuel pump died the morning of the event. I'm now convinced my occasional no start (often when wet) was due to a fuel pump that wasn't in the best of health. So far so good with the new pump.
 

110user

Well-known member
Thank for the input all.

I'm going to go through the ignition then start driving it around town only. If it happens after that I'll do the fuel pump.
 

Jeff B

Well-known member
My 91 RRC did this a year ago.
Ran fine, just random no start.
One time out of fifty.
Finally died once while running when I bumped the key.

I retrofitted a Carling Off-On-Momentary switch kit from Jason Lavender and it?s been fine ever since.




.
 

blueboy

Well-known member
There is a bad batch of OEM rotors out there as well. Mine were lasting around 1,000 miles before going bad resulting in a dead Rover. These were LR Lucas supplied rotors in LR bags. Part labeled made in Spain yet still failed. Installed a red rotor from RN which is supposed to be a better manufactured part. Also now carry spare rotors just in case.
 
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