# POS s10 troubleshooting

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/pos-s10-troubleshooting/170577>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** chevrolet, s-10\
**Created:** [September 28, 2020, 10:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pos-s10-troubleshooting/170577 "2020-09-28T22:46:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dmclocknasty\_171153](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dmclocknasty_171153/32/22703_2.png) [@Dmclocknasty\_171153](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Dmclocknasty_171153)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2020, 10:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pos-s10-troubleshooting/170577/1 "2020-09-28T22:46:32Z")

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![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/5/8/58f53bf2d7e88b04e85528cdafadbac213c3e600.jpeg) My s10, with a 4.3l Vortec, is acting funny. It requires me to give it gas to start up, sometimes dies before I’ve backed down my driveway, or when I put it into drive. Idles rough, and smells of gas when driving. I’ve ran sea foam to clean the carb already. Drives fine, once she’s going, just the gas smell and a serious lack of power. She dies if I try to goose any, as well. Any suggestions??

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**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2020, 11:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pos-s10-troubleshooting/170577/2 "2020-09-28T23:28:54Z")

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What carburetor are you posting about? That model S10 would not have a carb from the factory, it would have fuel injection.

So why don’t you explain more about the year, the miles and the mods done to your truck other than the obvious from the picture cowl induction hood scoop?

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**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2020, 11:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pos-s10-troubleshooting/170577/3 "2020-09-28T23:40:34Z")

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What model year?

1996 or 1997?

Does it have one of the various central fuel injection systems . . . there were quite a few, and once you tell us the model year, I’ll have some more idea where this may be going?

There’s no way you have a carburetor . . . I can see from the picture that the truck is far too new for that.

I’m pretty sure you’ve got a fuel pressure test port in your engine bay

If you have a gauge, hook it up and let us know what you’re reading

Is the check engine light illuminated with the engine running?

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**Author:** ![Dmclocknasty\_171153](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dmclocknasty_171153/32/22703_2.png) [@Dmclocknasty\_171153](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Dmclocknasty_171153)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 12:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pos-s10-troubleshooting/170577/4 "2020-09-29T00:49:52Z")

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The check engine is on. And, I’ll show you what’s going on under the hood. It’s a 94, but it’s not stock and I didn’t build her.

I don’t have anything to check that port out, personally. But I’ll look around!

When I got her plugged in, the reader at O’Riely’s won’t read. The wiring was a mess when I bought it.

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/9/d/9d79f382c4fb3ab921489288ec4b78a7d47a3c14.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![Dmclocknasty\_171153](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dmclocknasty_171153/32/22703_2.png) [@Dmclocknasty\_171153](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Dmclocknasty_171153)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 12:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pos-s10-troubleshooting/170577/5 "2020-09-29T00:52:17Z")

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Full disclosure, I’m just learning as I go along. I was told it has a carb, it looks like what I’ve seen. But, the engine isn’t stock. Here is a picture:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/9/d/9d79f382c4fb3ab921489288ec4b78a7d47a3c14.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![edb1961](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/edb1961/32/122_2.png) [@edb1961](https://community.cartalk.com/u/edb1961)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 3:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pos-s10-troubleshooting/170577/6 "2020-09-29T03:28:04Z")

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I believe that is Throttle Body Injection (TBI) with 2 injectors. The enclosure and bracket on top do not look stock. I have the same setup in my 93 Caprice with a 5.0 V8. Never had any problems with it. Perhaps an S10 forum can help with the TBI issues.

Ed B.

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**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 3:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pos-s10-troubleshooting/170577/7 "2020-09-29T03:53:42Z")

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A 94 will not have an OBD ll port , those did not come along until 96 for most cars, 95 for some GMs. I am not familiar with GMs, leaking fuel pressure regulator maybe?

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**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 3:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pos-s10-troubleshooting/170577/8 "2020-09-29T03:55:32Z")

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Your truck seems to be 2 - 3 years older than I initially thought

you’ve got TBI . . . which to some people looks like a carburetor

> [@edb1961](#):
>
> The enclosure and bracket on top do not look stock

I’m not entirely sure. I looked up a 1994 S-10 4.3 on rockauto . . . because op has not yet told us the model year, so I made a guess. And it shows a round air cleaner, which is what I would expect here

> [@Dmclocknasty\_171153](#):
>
> When I got her plugged in, the reader at O’Riely’s won’t read.

O’Reilly won’t be able to help you pull codes because your truck definitely isn’t OBD2-compliant. And those parts stores usually only have OBD2 code readers, which doesn’t apply to your situation. Although you didn’t tell us the model year, as far as I know, there was no such thing as an OBD2-compliant S10 with a 4.3 TBI engine.

There’s a procedure for counting blinks, in regards to retrieving trouble codes. And there’s also scanners and code readers which have adapters for pulling codes from those earlier OBD1 vehicles, such as yours.

As for the gas smell and lack of power, have you ruled out leaking injectors yet?

I can see two of them in the center of your picture

There’s also a fuel pressure regulator in the lower part of that TBI unit. Could also be bad and/or leaking

I’m just mentioning this because you said you smelled raw gas, so there might actually be raw gas, as in a fuel leak . . . ?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dmclocknasty\_171153](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dmclocknasty_171153/32/22703_2.png) [@Dmclocknasty\_171153](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Dmclocknasty_171153)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 7:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pos-s10-troubleshooting/170577/9 "2020-09-30T19:34:58Z")

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Could it just be a funky o2 sensor? Telling the engine it’s lean, thus pouring too much in?

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**Author:** ![ledhed75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@ledhed75](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ledhed75)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 7:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pos-s10-troubleshooting/170577/10 "2020-09-30T19:43:05Z")

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With all due respect…that Check Engine Light is trying to tell you what the problem is, or at least give you a direction. Until you know what has triggered the light, you’re just shooting in the dark.

Get that code read (or count the flashes), and then go from there.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 7:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pos-s10-troubleshooting/170577/11 "2020-09-30T19:49:03Z")

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> [@Mustangman](#):
>
> What carburetor are you posting about? That model S10 would not have a carb from the factory, it would have fuel injection.

I think it was Throttle-body-Injection (TBI). They were temperamental.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 7:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pos-s10-troubleshooting/170577/12 "2020-09-30T19:53:30Z")

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Originally a dog-legged threaded rod was attached to the throttle body case to attach the breather. I can only imagine that someone lost the rod and built that piece of hardware to replace it. That throttle body is easier to rebuild than most carburetors and the diaphragm in them was deteriorated, most likely from ethanol fuel, on the vast majority of those that I rebuilt.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dmclocknasty\_171153](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dmclocknasty_171153/32/22703_2.png) [@Dmclocknasty\_171153](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Dmclocknasty_171153)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 11:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pos-s10-troubleshooting/170577/13 "2020-09-30T23:56:44Z")

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The plug in for the meter didn’t work. I should just fix that first?

I know, I know… my truck is turning out to be a complete shit-show.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dmclocknasty\_171153](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dmclocknasty_171153/32/22703_2.png) [@Dmclocknasty\_171153](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Dmclocknasty_171153)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 11:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pos-s10-troubleshooting/170577/14 "2020-09-30T23:58:57Z")

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So, if that’s the case, what do I do to fix my problem?

I’m new to all this, but I’m trying to learn.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2020, 1:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pos-s10-troubleshooting/170577/15 "2020-10-01T01:19:26Z")

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Read the codes and follow standard diagnostic test to determine the cause and if the throttle body is pouring enormous quantities of fuel into the engine it’s likely a bad throttle body which you can replace with a factory rebuilt unit or rebuild it yourself.

Even someone very familiar with the system you have cannot guess what the cause of your problem is without investigating and unless you live in the 38804 zip code I won’t be available. You need to do the leg work and honestly, when you do you likely won’t need any help from us with the diagnosis.
