A couple years ago, I spent too much money on a non-running 1986 Fiero SE with the distributor yanked out and in the trunk that I was told was running "until a few months before that". I bought this Fiero as my first project car.
It seems like I'm having very similar issues to 72and86 in this
thread.
I've slowly been replacing damn near everything on it except the actual engine. It seems to run slightly better with diagnostic mode jumpered. If I give it gas, it will start and run, but when I let go of the gas pedal it dies. If I baby it and let it warm up, it will idle for a minute or two before it dies.
Based off the advice in the other thread: I've been able to get it to run with the IAC taken out, during which I can hear air being sucked into the IAC hole very loudly. When I cover the hole it dies almost immediately. I can audibly hear the IAC doing things after the engine dies so it appears the connector is working. The fuel injector fuses are new and good.
I've replaced the starter, battery cables, battery, ground straps, spark plugs, distributor, ignition coil, and plug wires. It has a new fuel pump, fuel tank, and fuel lines. I hear the fuel pump run when I turn the key. I had the fuel injectors cleaned (was told 3 of them were not working correctly by the machine they used at the shop, so I replaced those with new refurbished ones). I replaced the EGR valve, EGR tube, and the vacuum lines. I just replaced the IAC again.
Here is a
video of the car barely "running" after I rebuilt the distributor when I first got it a couple years ago.
Video of the car "running" today, after I replaced the rest of the things and put a new distributor in it.
Whenever I can get over being frustrated at the car again, I'm planning to start the process of yanking the exhaust headers to check for leaks since they seem to be causing a loud ticking noise (at least that's what I HOPE is causing the ticking noise) and I see a lot of smoke coming out of the area around the header on the back of the engine especially where connects to the exhaust tube below the EGR valve. Would leaky exhaust headers cause the massive vacuum leak symptoms I'm experiencing and prevent the car from idling? The cat was removed by a previous owner and replaced with a straight pipe. It smells very strongly of gas whenever the car starts and runs (I always assume that's linked to the cat being removed?), even though the engine is acting like it's lean and can barely idle.
Is there something I should be looking at or rechecking before messing with the exhaust? I was planning to make this car like new again, but I didn't know I was going to have to do that before I ever drove it.
[This message has been edited by wwcvel (edited 11-13-2021).]