Car won't start after going in ditch.

[humburgler]

I slid into the ditch yesterday in my 1g talon and now my car won't start. It started for like 10 seconds then when I put it into reverse as it was being pulled by my friends truck it turned off then when I tried to start it again it wouldn't turn over. I got it towed and now its sitting in my garage. My garage isn't heated that well so there is still some snow in the engine bay and in the exhaust. Also all my lights work and my heater turns on when the keys in ,but as i said when I try to start it it won't. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[93ETGOCART]

check your cables going to your starter

 

[shockracer]

Does it Turn over or try to start? i would take an air compressor and blow out as much snow as i could. check the oil to make sure u didn't get any water or matel shavings from leaning sideways. check your connectors for water and your spark plugs for snow and/or water.
i had slid off the road a cupple of years back in a different car and i had popped off a cupple of senser's and got water into the spark plug shaft.

GL hope that helped

 

[GooeyGus]

Is there any check engine light?

I would check the CAS.

Many people report having a dead cam angle sensor after washing their engine. What happens is water gets on or around the sensor, then the car starts and runs briefly until steam forms in the engine bay. This steam gets inside the sensor and condenses and ruins and/or disables the sensor. The same thing could easily have happened with the snow.

To test, you can turn the key to the on position, pull the cam sensor off (make sure to mark the position it was in! Rotating this either way will effect your timing. It is important to put it back on with the same orientation) and manually spin the little thing on the end. When you spin this you should hear the MPI relay (behind your radio) click and your fuel pump will turn on. If it doesn't, its bad. If it does, you know the sensor at least partially works. This sensor also tells the ecu when to fire spark. So, check for spark.

 

[humburgler]

Well its doing everything but turnover so i don't think it could be any of those. Maybe I'm wrong though. No there isn't a check engine light on.

 

[bluegs03]

Ok if the car isnt turning over then its either your battery (which it isnt because your lights are comming on), the cables going toward your starter, or your starter. Also check for a blow fuse

 

[falcon8r]

Funny thing about electrics in autos is the way it uses resistance. The headlights don't have the draw of a starter motor. Check out Ohm's law> If the battery connections are corroded the amperage needed to run the starter is not there. Clean all the connections at he battery and apply some di-electric grease all over. tres...

 

[Lofty]

Funny thing about electrics in autos is the way it uses resistance. The headlights don't have the draw of a starter motor. Check out Ohm's law> If the battery connections are corroded the amperage needed to run the starter is not there. Clean all the connections at he battery and apply some di-electric grease all over. tres...

Edit: Misread your post.

I'm dumb. I read it as headlights don't have a draw OFF the starter motor, not of. Derp.

 

[hayourwifeleftu]

like a couple people said check the wires to the starter. if you pulled the little i think black/yellow wire off the little tab on the starter the car wont even try to turn over.

 

[GooeyGus]

I think he is trying to say that the car DOES crank, just doesn't start. A lot of people use the term 'turn over' to mean the engine starting.


To the OP:

what happens when you turn your key? The engine tries to start (cranks) but never actually does??

 

[humburgler]

some people at my school told me that it could be the fuel shut off switch and that would make sence for teh reason it started for a short time but wouldn't start after that. i'll check tonight.

does anybody know where this switch would be?

nvm just found out dsm's don't have those. Well like when I try to start it it sounds like it wants to start but it won't. I'll check my connections to my starter tonight.

 

[Lofty]

some people at my school told me that it could be the fuel shut off switch and that would make sence for teh reason it started for a short time but wouldn't start after that. i'll check tonight.

does anybody know where this switch would be?

nvm just found out dsm's don't have those. Well like when I try to start it it sounds like it wants to start but it won't. I'll check my connections to my starter tonight.

Jesus, stop being vague.

Does the engine crank? YES OR NO

 

[humburgler]

Timing belt skipped, bent valves.

 

[m0nk3estylez]

That's weird never heard of sliding in a ditch will skip a timing tooth unless your tension went out!!