Starting issues - No / Doesn't / Won't Start - MERGED

[prodsm]

All "my car won't start" discussion threads are merged HERE. We've basically made it easier for those who insist upon not searching by grouping together all threads from those with similar issues so you can just scroll through and see some possible solutions. To search for info within this thread, use the "Search This Thread" feature in the black bar about 3" above what you're reading right now.

Could be anything from a loose battery terminal to internal engine damage, and literally everything in between which may involve the electrical, fuel, and ignition system...possibly even something that you screwed up while working on the car yourself. While it's unlikely we're going to diagnose and solve your problem over the internet, feel free to discuss any possible solutions.



I live in Canada and right now its not very warm out, about -30c
my car does not have a block heater too keep it warm.

I tryed to start my car this morning and it wouldent start, ive had this problem before but this time, the car doesnt crank at all it just makes a sound that sounds like an electric drill.

Whats wrong.

Thanks

 

[Kalabalik1]

Thanks a whole lot all you guys.

The car finally started yesterday.
To the FACTS: I took my head out and found out that I made a SHITTY ASS job on the head. Really shitty job with the gaskets and the raise with the shims (the sandwich technic will never work).
So I did it properly now, bougt a new head and a cometic gasket.
BUT it now is hard to start and idles very poorly and runs crappy but goes well over 4000 rpm.
Went to the mechanic to check injectors, sparks, CAS, and some small stuff he checked and it all seemed fine but he thinks still that my spark plug cables may be causing this because i have two cables from an hyndai sonata from the scrapyard and two cables from a lancer V6 or he says it's maby also something wrong with the Airflow Meter because the spark plug cables still checked out good with a strobe light that checks cables while it idles.

Now when I barely came home with it from the mechanic it wont even start. =O(
Im so close I know, PLEASE DSM expert, PLEASE.

Now I threw a screwdriver on the windshield window and made a small crack at the bottom of the windscreen.
I mean soon there will be nothing left of this car.
It's really and honestly driving me NUTS!!

I need desperate help, thought i was really going to drive it this weekend.
I guess not this time either. =O(

ps: i have a MAF Translator, should i test with it and what settings should I use?
O r what in the H**L should i do?????????????????????????????????????????????

Yall are great people for helping a fellow DSM:er out.

Sincerely Alex.

I know I mention this a lot on a lot of other people's problems with start up, but Check the injectors. When my car wouldn't start up, it was because the injectors were clogged up to the point where it wasnt spraying, but dripping. Therefore, the injector clicked, and fired, so I smelled the fuel but wasn't getting the right fuel. Plus the PSI was reading corrdctly at 43PSI. So always keep that in mind. I pulled the injectors out, pushed in the pin with my fingernail and tried blowing through it. When it was super difficult to blow through three of the four, I discovered I was running on 1 good cylinder the whole time which caused my car to run like poop. This will happen if there is anything in the fuel system or if the car was sitting for a while without the correct fuel stabilizer added to it. Since the car was shipped, I'm assuming that it was sitting for a while. And by the way... three days without the car not starting isn't anything compared to the year and a half it took me to get mine running

I'm really gonna check that today.

I swapped the spark plug cables with new BOSCH ones and I mounted the MAF translator with all the settings at zero. It didn't start up.
But after i changed the four small pins on the translator that says ON on the first one and CTS on the fouth one, I put them all facing up and the results was:
Started up all of a sudden after cranking a couple times and reved up fine and had good idle, but when i reved it up and released the pedal it wanted to die off again and i pumped the gas and it came back to idle again.
I could drive it normally, but then after i went to the gas station to fill her up it wouldn't start at all, not even cold, i came back for it after a couple off hours. Had to be towed, AGAIN. Tried to start it with different settings on the MAF but still nothing, it wanted to catch sometimes but still no luck starting it. Tested again with my brothers car battery because i sucked out mine, with the same settings on the MAF as when it ran. STILL NO LUCK. Caught a couple of times wanted to start but still NO.

What the F is wrong with this ricecoocker???


PS: Nobody has been answering for a while.......HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Im a newbie so yall know.
I wanna learn.


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Same shit today, started good with the MAF, drove it a little, came back home because I didn't want to go anywhere just so it can quit on me again.
But when I came back, the car still didn't start warm.......so I kicked in the side fenders.
This really ain't for me Iv'e noticed.

I need to go on UFC or something.
Soon the car will look like it's from the scrapyard.
Dents all over because my frustration.
I REALLY REALLY HATE IT!!!!!!

CAN ANYBODY MAKE ME LOVE IT????????????? I have put it out for sale.......cant take it anymore!!

 

[fonzi90Tsi]

Check the Transistor. My car wouldnt get spark when it wasnt connected.

 

[Ikeelyou]

Did you ever get your problem figured out or do you still need help?

 

[iBoostDSM]

The more I think about it that plug may be for cruise control, and I don't have that anymore. So I think the ecu caps are out of the question. Someone told me that if the cel comes on when putting the car in the on position the ecu is probably fine. Plus there's no smell from the caps like I read about. My next bet would be the Cam angle sensor.

Looks like it's turning out to be the CAS. I did the troubleshooting guide and that's what it led me to.

 

[iBoostDSM]

Found out it was the timing belt, it somewhat snapped. It didn't really snap, the "fingers" tore apart from the main part of the belt and wrapped around a gear. The tear is about 4-5 in long and it happened as I was stopped. The belt did not jump any teeth and the timing is still dead on.

What are the chances that I did bend some valves?

So I replaced the timing belt and did a compression test. Results were 150 across the board!!! Everything is still fine! Some tell me I'm lucky.

 

[sharky559]

neeed help.. just bought a new starter and it still doesnt start. when i put the key in and turn to ACC the lights on the dash come up.. the beeping sound works to. and when the key come to the start position all i hear is a click, also the pump doesnt turn on.. need help

 

[datbmac]

Check all your power and ground connections to make sure they are all tight.

 

[crazyquik22023]

If the fuel pump isn't turning off plus the starter solenoid isn't getting a signal, you probably have an issue with your ignition switch.

 

[sharky559]

all my grounds are nice and tight. and the pump doesnt turn on

 

[bryanwheat]

These cars don't prime the fuel pump with the key in the on position. The key has to be in the start position for the pump to run. It sounds like a problem with either the starter relay, trigger wire or battery cable connections.

 

[StarFawkes]

Have you checked your battery with a multimeter?

 

[ed1380]

after you check the battery connections, give the solenoid on the starter a good wack. I'm battling the same thing on the 97

 

[95'RS-T]

Check your starter relay. Do you have an extra to switch it?

 

[phantom_19]

When my car just "ticked" trying to turn her over. I noticed that the battery terminal on the positive side was getting hot. I cleaned the terminal and the battery nipple, and it started right up. Don't think a new starter would be seized up.

 

[sharky559]

ok i got it to start. Had to start it by getting a wire and hooking it to the starter and then to the positive side of the battery. but still something is wrong. why when i turn the key to the start postition it doesnt start. could the stater switch be bad. bad that it doesnt send that 12v to the starter

 

[bryanwheat]

Are you talking about the small signal wire or the big supply wire? If it is the small signal wire than there are a few things that could be the problem. The wiring itself could be shorted out, the starter relay could be bad, the clutch switch could be bad, or the ignition switch could be bad.

 

[sharky559]

yup not the power supply wire. I hook it to where the small signal wire was

 

[mchustle]

A quick an easy fix for this is a push button start. Run a wire from the prong for the starter to a push button inside the car, hook it up to one side of the push button, then run a wire from the other side of the push button to the positive terminal of the battery. Then all you have to do it turn the key to the on position then push the button to start it. RACECAR

 

[sgx1098]

Are you talking about the small signal wire or the big supply wire? If it is the small signal wire than there are a few things that could be the problem. The wiring itself could be shorted out, the starter relay could be bad, the clutch switch could be bad, or the ignition switch could be bad.

I agree with this post.A bad clutch switch will do exactly what your car is doing.

 

[ed1380]

You can unplug the clutch switch and it'll start without it.

 

[sharky559]

thanks for the help people. i think i am going to put a push start

ed1380 i unpluged the clutch switch and still no start. it's ether the starter relay or the ignition switch could be bad. I think but for right now it push button time

 

[turtlebain]

Update: This issue has not been solved, but it has been fixed.

I gave up and called AAA to tow it to my mechanic (1 mile away). The guy that came to load it onto the flatbed said he might as well take a look. He started doing all the same checks I had, battery charge, fuses. It cranked just like it did before when he had the charger on it, but was not starting. He had an idea that it could be the immobilizer preventing the spark from happening.

I thought, that's a great idea and I hadn't even thought anything like that before. We got my keys, and the battery on the key fob were dead. We pressed it hard, still no luck. We looked inside the car, and I see where I had pulled the ecu out for checking caps & such.. plugged it in, and it started right up.

Next day, I installed NGK BP8ES spark plugs, and was playing with audio wires for the new Pioneer AppRadio, the best solution for the iphone I could find. I went to start it up, and again it cranks like it did before. I checked all the connections, and they were all there. I tried clicking the unlock button from the key fob like what seemed to solve the issue before - nothing. Locked it with the key fob, then unlocked it with the key fob - nothing. Removed the ECU, waited a minute, then installed again - nothing. Cranked extra long with extra gas - starts. It seems to have these issues when the battery gets disconnected. I still haven't found the exact trigger for starting. You better believe I cranked extra long and gave it extra gas the first time it wouldn't start, and it didn't do anything then.



This is all leaving me so very confused

 

[ed1380]

The start relay is behind the left knee of the driver. Its on that beige plastic piece. Ill have more info when I look at a wiring diagram next time I'm on the computer.

 

[sharky559]

thank you ed1380. that would help me very much

 

[95tsiawd0330]

I was installing a universal 02 sensor in the rear and was trying to figure out the wires on the harness that runs to the ecu.So i figured i should grab the multi meter and check the rear o2 plug that runs to the ecu the color of the wires are yellow/red/black/black to see what wires get power.When i touched the red wire with my multimeter i made a mistake and touch the black and red wire togetter with the lead of my multimeter.So when that happen i got a click sound by the ecu.Now when i try to start the car it will start up and shut right off and if i try to give it some gas it will start up do a quick rev and shut off. can someone think of what is going on here is there a rear o2 solenoid?I checked all the fuse and all are good.Iam runnin ecmlink v3 and car ran fine before this.also it seems to me that the car is dumping to much fuel.