Help with car not starting.

[WisconsinCutlass]

The car has been parked for the winter since September. Motor is an olds 350 with hei petronix distributor. During the winter I changed the distributor cap, rotor, ignition modual, and spark plugs. Went to start it last week and can't get it going. If I flip the choke on the carb closed it'll start but wont stay running without staying on the gas. It also has lots of white smoke coming out the exhaust when this happens. Once I turn the car off after the initial start it wont start again no matter what. I can turn the choke on or off and no difference. It does seem to backfire sometimes only with the choke off. Any ideas on what I screwed up. Did I possibly mess the timing up when changing cap and rotor? Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[pontiacgp]

I'd double check to make sure you have no loose connections in the distributor and you didn't mix up the spark plug wires. The car has been sitting so it won't be unusual to have to run it at a higher rpm for a while to clean out the system. If the car starts with the choke on but won't keep running that could be the brreaker isn't operating properly and isn't pulling the flap back. The white smoke may be just condensation built up

 

[Dayzedandkonfuzed]

I'd double check to make sure you have no loose connections in the distributor and you didn't mix up the spark plug wires. The car has been sitting so it won't be unusual to have to run it at a higher rpm for a while to clean out the system. If the car starts with the choke on but won't keep running that could be the brreaker isn't operating properly and isn't pulling the flap back. The white smoke may be just condensation built up

X2 on the plug wires. That white smoke could be unburned fuel, caused by either the wrong firing order (wires,) or cracked plugs. I know the latter from experience, and I also had a white fog out the tailpipe. Just because the plugs are "new" doesn't mean they aren't cracked.

In my store (auto parts,) I tell my staff not to put spark plugs on the shelf that have been dropped, I simply write them off and throw them out.

 

[WisconsinCutlass]

Well I feel really dumb now. Went out and checked the plug wires turns out 3 of the 4 wires weren't on the right cylinder on the passenger side of the motor. When I did the distributor cap I must of messed the wires up on that end cause I never unplugged them from the spark plugs. Thanks for the help guys. Now I need to top off the transfluid and wait for the yard to dry so I can get the car out of the back garage.

 

[pontiacgp]

Don't feel dumb, a bunch of us "geniuses" have also messed up the spark plug wires and more...