Hello Dear Camaro Enthusiasts,

I am new here and need your advice guys.

I bought 1989 Camaro RS V8 Auto. Battery was kind of dead and I let car sit. It seemed like it shortened a computer. What happens is it cranks but won't start due to not sending fuel to injection system.

Fuel pump is fine.

My mechanic says it need a new computer, most likely.

I told him I can get one used for cheap, he says that's fine, however it may need to be reprogrammed.

Can used computer be just swapped? I really do not want to go with all that reprogramming stuff.

Thank you!!!

 

The ECM is in most cases are fine, you don;t need a new one. The fuel pump relay may be your problem. Also find a new Mechanic because dose not know what he is talking about(3rd gen ECM can not be programed)

 

Thank you BlackZ87! One thing though: the fuel pump is working, we can both hear it. Or it may just seem like it does?

It happened after car was sitting and battery was dying couple of times...

Again, many thanks.

 

does the car have VATS? if so, thats the problem 95% of the time

 

I will check, thank you. BTW, steering column was changed and wires are kind of a mess. The thing is it cranks, just wont fire until you put fuel in TBI manually (starting fluid).

 

If it was your VATS, the engine wouldn't even crank over, so it's not that. And even though you can hear the fuel pump, doesn't mean it's working right. I had a 91 Camaro with the TBI, engine wouldn't run but could hear the pump run. And the engine would run momentarily if I primed the TBI. I disconnected the fuel inlet line from the TBI, let the pump prime, and gas barely dribbled out. Diconnected the inlet line down at the filter, same thing. So I dropped the tank figuring the pump has had it, and found the problem was that the pump to sending unit rubber "hose" coupler was all split and crumbly. The pump was fine, just pumping gas right back into the tank. I'd check to make sure you have good fuel pressure at the TBI. You have to disconnect the line though, as there isn't a gauge fitting to check it like how fuel rail FI systems have.