Motor turning over won't fire!

[imola.zhp]

Well, I bought the $100 cam-shaft sensor today, I'll be taking it back on my way home...

I put it in and the car did fire up for about 2 seconds, then died. Then it wouldn't start again, just as it was doing before. I don't think the sensor had anything to do with it...

I have fuel, I have spark, does auto-zone or O'Reilly's rent a compression tester?

 

[nullbyte]

Yeah, borrow a code reader or steal one if you have too. When it's flashing get the code read before you drive it or it will get worse!

Take a look at your timing belt, make sure the tensioner didn't break and it didn't slip.

A misfire can also be a fuel issue as well, if your cylinders aren't receiving fuel reliably. The key is that CEL code. If it is a misfire in only one cylinder, it's probably a bad injector. If it's a random or multiple misfire code, that FPR is a good bet.

^^^ If you find that it's a misfire in only one cylinder you should try swapping injectors

 

[deathtrigga]

yeah i mean i was going to get it tested i just brought the car from the shop to my house and it didn't start up this morning. It was the first thing i was going to get done. But my dad only ordered the fpr because that's what the mechanic next to our shop told him.

 

[nullbyte]

well, changing the fuel pressure regulator won't hurt it and could fix the issue. But still get the code read first. I'm anxious to see what it is

 

[slavrenz]

As am I. you should see if you can return that cam sensor

 

[imola.zhp]

^ I am, she told me that they were not supposed too take it back if it had been used, but you can't tell. I'm just going to say I was scared to used it because I couldn't get my money back...

A friend of a co-worker has a code-reader, he's brining it Thursday.

 

[imola.zhp]

She is ALIVE! (cabpatch)

Left her in the shop (at work) all night on a battery tender (battery started to get weak after 4 days of cranking). Tried to fire her up, nothing...

Pulled the plugs as I thought I should start re-checking what I had already done. Plugs were new, of course, and smelled of gasoline. While out I first peaked into each chamber and mentally noted the position of the piston as best I could. I then "bumped" the engine and checked again, pistons moving up and down, thats good. Then, while plugs were out, I saw no reason NOT to try what Deathtrigga said someone did on his car. I found an air-trigger with a long narrow tube on the end of it. Hooked it up to our dry-air here at work and blew into each chamber for some time. I then put a very slight amount of starting fluid in each chamber, replaced the plugs, wires/coilpacks, and cranked, and cranked, and cranked.

She slowly putted to life! Along with her squeeling, stretched-out, alternator belt.

CEL on, NOT FLASHING, and at first I did not notice the rough idle as she was idling high (cold-start). I backed her out and drove her around the facility for a few laps, came back to the shop, turned her off. Waited a few seconds and she cranked back up, but again, slowly with no foot on pedal, foot on pedal made her come alive.

Shut her down, unplugged the battery (ecu reset), came back 30 minutes later, hooked back up, cranked, still have a CEL.

I'm thinking I have some bad fuel, water, trash, whatever. We have some water treatment for fuel here at work, I'm going to put some of that in and when I get brave, I'll run her up to Vato-Zone and have them read the CEL code. I'm guessing water or some other trash has messed up an injector. I'll keep yall posted...

Thanks for all of the help!

PS: Car seems to run fine at higher RPM's, just a rough idle. Would that be an injector? What else could it be?

 

[nullbyte]

good work on getting it running again. it sure does sounds like a water or something go in there. Let us know what the code is though!

 

[deathtrigga]

wow thats excatly what happened to mine except it didn't work the next day hope yours does. i just replaced pcv selonoid and the fpr but it didnt start, but i was told i had to clean plugs b4 i could start because its definitely flooded in there. Also i took and cleaned all 3 plugs except 1 because there seems to be a Round rubber peice sitting onto of the plug. It seems like a seal or something. I don't know how or why its there i gotta check it out right now brbb

 

[jamesk]

check vacuum lines.

 

[imola.zhp]

wow thats excatly what happened to mine except it didn't work the next day hope yours does. i just replaced pcv selonoid and the fpr but it didnt start, but i was told i had to clean plugs b4 i could start because its definitely flooded in there. Also i took and cleaned all 3 plugs except 1 because there seems to be a Round rubber peice sitting onto of the plug. It seems like a seal or something. I don't know how or why its there i gotta check it out right now brbb

Thats the bottom of your boot from one of your "slaves" or one of your coil packs. I first threw in a set of coil packs thinking that was the problem. Well, when I went to remove them to return them, the boots fell off around the spark plug. Look at the boots/coils you have out, 1 of 3 wont have a bottom "boot" on it...

You'll have to remove the valve cover to fish it out. Lots of 10mm bolts, shouldn't take you too long, I removed mine twice yesterday messing with it.

I don't have the "flashing" CEL, so hopefully my issue was just bad gas. I let her sit for 3 hours and she fired right up. I'm putting some fuel treatment in the tank and will let her sit overnight.

Probably wont be "brave" enough to take her to vato-zone until Friday. I have school most of the day tomorrow, but will try to start her up when I get here...

check vacuum lines.

A friend on another board suggested that, I checked before, but will check again, there might be one split, or pinched that I didn't catch...

 

[deathtrigga]

GOT HER RUNNNING BABY FINALLY! Ok so yeah it was the boot of the coil pack a the bottom, just used a pick to get it out. the new thing i did today was i took out plugs cleaned them and then stuck paper towel down the cylinder to get the gas that was stuck in there if any. After that i changed FPR, and the solenoid valve and she works like a charm! i guess my mechanic was right. i noticed after i got it running i was leaking anti freeze bad. I dont know excatly why so i ended up refilling rad and it hasnt really leaked since. ANother problem was i kept stalling out everytime i came to a stop, realized intake was off, tightened it, runs like new =) thank you guys

 

[imola.zhp]

^ the flashing CEL is gone too?

Congrats!

 

[deathtrigga]

Ok guys i drove a little longer and its still leaking like a motherfucker. What do you guys think? im so lost i just replaced the radiator 2 weeks ago, it has to be good

 

[imola.zhp]

Radiator hoses?

Maybe one is split or just not on tight?

 

[deathtrigga]

I didnt get much of a chance to check the hoses as it was real dark. flashing cel IS gone. Actually i haven't seen one cel yet. but anti freeze dumps all over the flooor and she st arts to overheat. I Have to drive her to schoool today though i dont have anyother car lets see how it goes. I can never seem to find the god damn leak it seems to just appear from no where

 

[slavrenz]

Sounds like you may have a severly blown head gasket, especially if you've been running it overheated. DO NOT run your engine overheated - I realize that you still have to get to school, but it would be cheaper to hire a taxi every day than it would be to replace a seized engine . More likely however, I would check all of your hoses and clamps; it's also possible that your thermostat has quit working, and the pressure buildup is causing a leak to form somewhere.

 

[deathtrigga]

welll i didn't get to drive it to school because this car sucks. Today again it didn't start this is really driving me up the wall now. It got towed to the mechanic i predicted since the start that it could be a blown hg but people kept saying its probably not. I am starting to realize that it really could be. Im going now to check whats going on with it at the mechanics ill get back to you guys.

 

[deathtrigga]

guys official problem : blown head gasket (argh)
this REALLY sucks. code kept coming back cylinder 1 misfire. threw some cloth into thhat b**** pulled out the cloth, coverd in green. smelled plug smelled like fresh sweet coolant.

 

[imola.zhp]

^ sorry to hear that...

Mine has started the past two days just fine, but still idling rough, though less rough every day, and still a CEL.

I believe/hope I just got some bad fuel that has now passed through the system. As for the rough idle, I believe/hope it is due to one of the two coil packs missing the very bottom boot that goes around the spark plug. As in, the piece might not be properly lined up on top of the spark-plug. I bought a new "coil connector" today, so I'll swap that out this weekend and bring her home from work. If the CEL does not clear on the trip home, I'll stop in to vato-zone and have them read the code for me. I believe/hope the trip home will clear any further bad fuel in the system and clear the CEL...

I'll keep yall updated...