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420A DSM won’t start

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Isma

Probationary Member
10
0
Aug 17, 2022
Ontario, California
I have a 96 gs and it doesn’t start. It cranks but won’t turn on. Tan it through the obd nothing came up. Recently had my camshaft sensor replaced. Took it to a mechanic and said it might have something to do with my wiring harness.
 
If you get nothing from the OBD2 connector my first checks would be to make sure the PCM is getting power. On the 2gNT (assuming you don't have a Spyder) the PCM is in the engine bay as are the fuses.
 
Wait- the OBD does not work, or you just get no codes? Following answer based upon OBD works but no codes seen.

OK- Time to divide and conquer the problem. Any strange dashboard lights staying on that did not before? Probably not. Check the connector to your camshaft position sensor- did it become disconnected? IF not- Your engine needs 4 things to start- air, fuel, squish and spark, hopefully at roughly the right timing. Air and compression are likely just fine. These things are usually an ignition or fuel problem, something affecting all 4 cylinders.

Get an assistant to help you. Pull a spark plug boot, plug a screwdriver into it, and while your assistant cranks the car in neutral and the brake on, observe if you have spark from the screwdriver to ground. If you do, the computer is likely getting signal from the position sensor, and it is probably a fuel problem. Turn the car off, get back near the fuel tank and see if when your assistant moves the key from off to on (without turning it over) if you hear the fuel pump whirr.

Let us know what you have found and we can proceed from there.
 
If you get nothing from the OBD2 connector my first checks would be to make sure the PCM is getting power. On the 2gNT (assuming you don't have a Spyder) the PCM is in the engine bay as are the fuses.
How do I check that?
 
OK Isma- we need answers from you. When you plug a code reader into the OBD port, do you get communication? Does the OBD port work or not? If it's a dead port as Steve says, check all of the fuses in the engine bay- you might have one blown that powers the computer. If the OBD port does communicate, you need to proceed with more traditional divide and conquer debug to figure out what you are missing.
 
OK Isma- we need answers from you. When you plug a code reader into the OBD port, do you get communication? Does the OBD port work or not? If it's a dead port as Steve says, check all of the fuses in the engine bay- you might have one blown that powers the computer. If the OBD port does communicate, you need to proceed with more traditional divide and conquer debug to figure out what you are missing.
It works but the obd does not give me a code
 
Ok- so the computer is likely fine. Did you check the connector for the cam position sensor? Is it still plugged in? Was the car running normally the last time you ran it- any funky behavior before this happened? Does it try to start at all, or just no trying to start at all as you crank it? Does it crank at normal speed as before, or cranking slowly? Can you tell if you have spark? That would be my next check. The more detailed information you can give us the more we can help.
 
OK Isma- we need answers from you. When you plug a code reader into the OBD port, do you get communication? Does the OBD port work or not? If it's a dead port as Steve says, check all of the fuses in the engine bay- you might have one blown that powers the computer. If the OBD port does communicate, you need to proceed with more traditional divide and conquer debug to figure out what you are missing.

I replaced my spark plugs a couple of weeks back. I hear the fuel pump go off.

It ran fine before. The sensor is connected. It cranks at normal speed. I’m not very mechanically inclined but I really want to learn. I took it to a mechanic and they replaced my camshaft sensor.
 
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Here is a picture of my engine bay
 
Check for spark. Use one of the old spark plugs if you have one- pull a plug wire, plug the old spark plug into the connector, hold the plug against something metal that is grounded, have an assistant crank the motor and see if you get spark. A screwdriver can work if you don't have a spark plug, see if it arcs if you hold the screwdriver about a 1/4 inch or so from grounded metal. Be careful or you will get a shock and dance around for a bit :)
 
Ok- Good. And thank you for the picture of the engine bay- that helps. You need to see now if it is a fuel problem. You need to get some starting fluid spray. Disconnect the air intake from the air filter box, or take out the air filter. Spray for a second or two into the intake, and crank it. See if it fires at all. If it does, you have a fuel problem. If it does not fire at all with the starting fluid, check your timing belt or do a compression test. Questions?
 
Ok- Good. And thank you for the picture of the engine bay- that helps. You need to see now if it is a fuel problem. You need to get some starting fluid spray. Disconnect the air intake from the air filter box, or take out the air filter. Spray for a second or two into the intake, and crank it. See if it fires at all. If it does, you have a fuel problem. If it does not fire at all with the starting fluid, check your timing belt or do a compression test. Questions?
Yea is there anyway I can talk to you over the phone? I feel like that it’d be easier to communicate and help me out that way.
 
Let's keep it on the forum. Take some time, evaluate where you are at, and write up what you can. I suspect there is more to the story than it was just running and now it's not- The work you have had done suggests problems in the past. Let me know if it fires with the starting fluid. If it does not I'm worried about your timing belt.
 
Let's keep it on the forum. Take some time, evaluate where you are at, and write up what you can. I suspect there is more to the story than it was just running and now it's not- The work you have had done suggests problems in the past. Let me know if it fires with the starting fluid. If it does not I'm worried about your timing belt.
Alright I understand that. The timing belt is fine. The belt had already been replaced when I had bought it. All I did to it was set the time because it wasn’t set properly.
 
You're not mechanically inclined but you set the timing because it wasn't set properly? How did you do this? And was this before or after this running problem? (I'm assuming before...)

And don't over do it with the starting fluid. Just a quick squirt in the air box with someone cranking the car should do.

When you pulled the plug did it appear to be wet on the porcelain (fuel soaked/fouled)?
 
You're not mechanically inclined but you set the timing because it wasn't set properly? How did you do this? And was this before or after this running problem? (I'm assuming before...)

A mechanic did it for me. I took an auto mechanics class in high school so all I know is the basics.
 
I took an auto mechanics class in high school so all I know is the basics.

If you are going to own a 16 yo DSM your heading down one of two paths, crash course in becoming a DIY Mechanic or poverty paying others to fix it. To avoid the second most of us learned the first. In some cases long before DSM's ever were created.

Get the manuals, read them and search the forums here for answers. Then ask the questions you haven't figured out.
 
I can see in your image that your mechanic spliced in a new connector pigtail for the camshaft senor. I would check to make sure there are still good connections. They just look like basic crimp connectors which can come loose with tugging or vibration.

The picture is not the best angle to see it, but I'm only seeing 2 wires from the connector currently. It's a 3 pin sensor and needs all 3 wires connected for functionality.
 
Isma-

I see you are selling your car, so I assume you were able to get it running. Some good folks chipped in to help you on your problem. We would like to know what problem you found, how you found it, and what the fix was. The point of a forum is to exchange information and your experience for others to benefit from. If you found the forum helpful, please give back by sharing what you learned.
Thanks!
 
Oh Geez- My bad- I see it STILL WON"T START. Did you try the starting fluid? It's worth trying. Let us help you. It will be a LOT easier to sell if it's running :D
 
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