So I thought my new 96' Disco was coming back to life, but now I'm not sure. I replaced the O2 sensors, plugs & wires, and it started up with little hesitation. Drove it around the block, and besides idling kinda funny, it seemed to be alright. I figured a bottle of carb cleaner might take care of that.

I tried to start it today, and after a few sounds like she might start, nothing. I pulled the new plugs, and they are black. I tried cleaning them up and putting them back in, but no start again.

I double checked, and I still have spark. Do I need to buy new plugs again, and then run carb cleaner through it right away? I guess I should replace the fuel filter and check the fuel pressure, and probably pump out the gas tank in case any of the fuel is bad.

 

I just remembered that when I used the scanner, the P0340 code came up for the Camshaft Position Sensor....maybe that has something to do with it?

 

That might, but they almost never go bad.
You say you bought carb cleaner, what kind and what did you do with it?
In the gas tank or in the throttle body?

 

I actually never used it. I purchased some cheaper carb cleaner, an off brand. I was going to use it yesterday in the throttle body, but couldn't even get the truck started to back it out of the garage. I literally had only driven the truck once around the block after replacing the o2 sensors, plugs & wires earlier yesterday.

Maybe everything is so severly carboned up from a previous owner using regular gas & not replacing the o2 sensors?

 

Lets start from scratch, do you have spark?
Do you have fuel pressure at the fuel rail?

 

I finally got back to work on this. I used my spark plug test light, and I have spark.

My fuel pressure tester says 38 psi with the ignition turned on. Then when the pump turns off, it drops down a little, to about 34.

 

Well your fuel PSI is good.
You have spark.
She should run.
SO it cranks over fine but just wont start?
Any back firing?
Does it fire up and then stall?
Are your plugs gapped right?

 

It didn't start at all until I replaced the O2's, plugs & wires. It ran really rough when it started for the first time, and so I drove it around the block. It was still running rough, with a really low idle. I shut it down and didn't touch it for a few hours.

Then I tried to start it again. It sounded like it wanted to start for a few moments, and then nothing. Just turning it over and over.

I pulled the new plugs (Bosch Platinum 2's) and all of them were black. They did seem wet though, like they were getting gas.

The previous owner said that it was running really rich for a while, but he didn't spend much time trying to figure out what the problem was. I suspected it was the O2's, and confirmed that they needed replacing by removing one to see how black it was. Plus the scanner spit out a P1185 code.

So I'm thinking that maybe the throttle body is so dirty and carboned up that it's fouling up the plugs? Somehow the plugs are getting all dirty.

 

Here are the other codes that also showed up when I first put a scanner on it. The engine wouldn't start when I first got the truck, so they were already in the system from the previous owner:

-P0118 (engine coolent temp)

-P0113 (IAT Sensor 1 circuit)

-P0183 (Fuel Temperature Sensor A)

-P0183 (Camshaft Position Sensor A)

-P0500 (Vehicle Speed Sensor A)

Could any of these have anything to do with it?

 

Nobody have any ideas?