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

 

[steve]

Check the TPS signal voltage. If it's pegged at 5v then it may be triggering "clear flood mode".

I don't think the factory code actually does that. I know DSMLink does.

 

[Junfan]

I think we need some more info on exactly what was removed to do the swap. Did you remove connectors for ISC, closed throttle from the top side and on the bottom you will have temp sensor, o2 etc... to get trans out. They are all normally right in that area. It sounds like maybe you are in limp mode. There is just to many things so give as much info as you can to the things you removed and then put back.

You changed the firing order you said as well can you explain more why changing the trans you changed the firing order.

 

[twdorris]

A ruptured diaphragm in the fuel pressure regulator could explain a lot of this. Fuel could have flowed back into the intake manifold via the vacuum line and basically filled/flooded *everything* with fuel.

 

[2er0]

I think we need some more info on exactly what was removed to do the swap. Did you remove connectors for ISC, closed throttle from the top side and on the bottom you will have temp sensor, o2 etc... to get trans out. They are all normally right in that area. It sounds like maybe you are in limp mode. There is just to many things so give as much info as you can to the things you removed and then put back.

You changed the firing order you said as well can you explain more why changing the trans you changed the firing order.

the firing order was swapped for the dsm link that was using a earlier ecu. my biddies car was the same way. well im gonna suspend this thread right now. i always felt it was a timing or firing order problem. on a hunch i removed the cam cover. when i looked at the cams i could see one of the timing marks but not the other. soo im assuming that i skipped timing sometime when i was rotating the engine to remove the flex plate. soooooo thats why its not working....



damn

 

[Junfan]

I gotcha. Sorry to hear that hope you are back together soon.

 

[boost97gst]

That gear selector thing for the auto has to be in the park or neutral position. What ^^^ said, 2nd or 3rd post. I have mine tucked under my airfilter. I need to find the pin-outs and ground the proper wire and then it can be removed.

 

[silvreclips]

Wow you guys are quick to say he needs a rebuild... His compression test was obviously done cold since the car doesnt run and his numbers dont seem bad for a cold test. You might have toasted the head gasket when you overheated would be my only concern. Heres what I would do: pull the intake manifold off and clean everything first. Check intercooler pipes and the intercooler for gas. Check your fuel pressure regulator out. Pull the plugs and turn the motor over to try and clean any gas out of the cylinders. Let it dry out for a few days and then reassembly. Deffinately change the oil and filter and then try and start it. Replace anything the gas might have destroyed. Sounds like you have a pretty big mess on your hands

 

[vl4bad]

A ruptured diaphragm in the fuel pressure regulator could explain a lot of this. Fuel could have flowed back into the intake manifold via the vacuum line and basically filled/flooded *everything* with fuel.

yes that is what may have happened, i touched something with the wrong wire on metal while the ignition was on heard my regulator get quiet and bam gas flooded through my BOV first then when i blew back into the bov like a moron it all flooded out of my turbo... what is a ruptured diaphram in the fpr even mean? sorry i lack of knowledge im still new to wrenching but im getting there

Wow you guys are quick to say he needs a rebuild... His compression test was obviously done cold since the car doesnt run and his numbers dont seem bad for a cold test. You might have toasted the head gasket when you overheated would be my only concern. Heres what I would do: pull the intake manifold off and clean everything first. Check intercooler pipes and the intercooler for gas. Check your fuel pressure regulator out. Pull the plugs and turn the motor over to try and clean any gas out of the cylinders. Let it dry out for a few days and then reassembly. Deffinately change the oil and filter and then try and start it. Replace anything the gas might have destroyed. Sounds like you have a pretty big mess on your hands

yes, gas definitly destroyed some if not most of my seals...im almost sure there is no gas left in my cylinder heads i left the plugs out for three days after this all happened, and then now almost a month later i took them out again...also gas has leaked its way out of my intercooler piping already my coupler on the right side (if your facing the car from the front looking at it directly) feels like it was eaten through by gas because there was a small leak after a while that came from there but it stopped so im assuming it has left the system. the intercooler piping has weird bolts on it so i cant really take them off...i need some tips on getting the intake mani off....how cn i diagnose the FPR...last time i tried turning the motor over it would crank once but imediately stop. i got a new battery so maybe that was my problem, recommendaions on spqrk plugs and wires? im on a low budget but im looking for quality over quantity right now, i will upgrade to a coil on system later when i feel like the car is ready for performance upgrades not proper maintenence... thanks for all the help but i still need help so dont sissapear on me thanks bare with me! i dont want to see another dsm in the graveyards.

 

[DSM1G90]

? ... anybody thought about mentioning, or asking the OP about the ECU in his vehicle ..?

Iffy ECU's can also cause this issue.

 

[DSM1G90]

? ... anybody thought about mentioning, or asking the OP about the ECU in his vehicle ..?

Iffy ECU's can also cause this issue.

 

[vl4bad]

? ... anybody thought about mentioning, or asking the OP about the ECU in his vehicle ..?

Iffy ECU's can also cause this issue.

im pretty sure that my ecu is fine...
my car was working great before my thermostat caused ALL of this to happen by making me over heat to begin with so it isnt my ecu...
thermostat caused overheat which caused me to burn out my battery which caused me to burn out my alternator which caused my thermostat temp. sensor to get corroded and shit, idk i dont think its my ecu. i have an aem standalone system if that makes any difference .

Actually maybe its because of my temperature sensor does anyone know the proper color of the wiring for the two prongs that plug into the sensor any specific coordination because there just two normal prong connectors i dont know if it would matter which goes to which because they look exactly alike on the sensor...

 

[007jimmy]

i would take you spark plugs out, unhook your coil packs and then try turning it over. that should blow any remaining gas out of the system also check your oil and coolant for milky colored liquid. also smell your oil for a gas odor. if you see any milk then you need a headgasket.. if you smell fuel in the oil then you should probably change it shortly after getting it running again if you dont need a rebuild.

if everything checks out fine and the car still doesnt start then pull your plugs to see if they are wet. if they are then you have a detonation problem.. if it starts then now would be time for a boost leak test to check for any eaten seals like the diaphram and coupleres.

 

[flawlessTSI]

Maby hydro locked the motor the fuel that leaked in to the cylinders tried to compress and bent a rod or rods. Can you move the crank by hand? This happend to me. A injector stuck open and whal it was parked and leaked in to a cylinder and when I went to start it it went crank crank clank CLANK and it would not spin any more ha you can't compress a liquid it bends rods. Google hydro lock and ull see what it can do to a motor.

 

[DSM1G90]

unhook your coil packs

Pulling the MPI fuse is much easier - turns off the injectors.

 

[vl4bad]

Pulling the MPI fuse is much easier - turns off the injectors.

this is plug that is ontop of the fuel tank right?

i HONESTLY doubt there is any fuel still in the cylinder heads because the plugs were out for a good significant time... and all the remaining gas lays under the car that was there. i think the seal for my oil pan is destroyed,along with other rubber based seals around the motor that are there. im not sure im not so experienced with this type of situation, but we all gotta learn sometime..right?
i have to order new spark plugs online any recommendations?

ngk bpr7?
ngk bpr8?

someone explain which are better and why. thx.

 

[twicks69]

You are better off finding a professional mechanic with DSM experience to help you with these problems.

The MPI fuse is in the engine bay fuse box.

As for plugs, it sounds like the car is relatively a bolt-on setup, run NGK BPR6ES plugs at a 0.028" gap or BPR7ES plugs at a 0.028" gap above ~22psi on race gas. With pump gas or E85 you are best off for daily driving use on BPR6ES if you are fouling out 7's.

 

[New_kid]

My dad had the same problem with his 1987 bmw 635 csi, he left his car in a rain 1 day, and the windshield was letting watter into the car, and the ecu got wet, so he replaced it and it started working.

 

[vl4bad]

You are better off finding a professional mechanic with DSM experience to help you with these problems.

The MPI fuse is in the engine bay fuse box.

As for plugs, it sounds like the car is relatively a bolt-on setup, run NGK BPR6ES plugs at a 0.028" gap or BPR7ES plugs at a 0.028" gap above ~22psi on race gas. With pump gas or E85 you are best off for daily driving use on BPR6ES if you are fouling out 7's.

I havent fouled out 7's because i never had obtained new ones...
the car is not a stock setup at all its a fully built motor. but i just had bad luck with the thermostat which caused these catastrophic failures.
And im going to take it to the local shop by my house that works on imports such as evo's dsm, etc.
but i want to at least get it started up. for all i know it can be my starter but for some odd reason i cant find any info on where the starter is located/ how to remove it. or i wouldve done that to check that off the list of possible shit failing.


the car wont start with bpr6 i think those arent good enough... the car was running 25lbs of boost on high boost(this was the low setting for high boost).

My dad had the same problem with his 1987 bmw 635 csi, he left his car in a rain 1 day, and the windshield was letting watter into the car, and the ecu got wet, so he replaced it and it started working.

im almost 99% sure it isnt my ecu liek i said my car was working great but i overheated it because of a faulty thermostat. it isnt my goddamn ecu people. the car does have bad windshield seals and water does leak into the interior of the car but im pretty sure that water doesnt even go near the ecu because that is tucked under my dash good. maybe i have some blown fuses inside the car maybe those got wet? shit i need a few hundred bucks and take it to my local shop already. smh.

 

[dsmupcomer]

Hey guys. So I did an engine swap from a december '94 manufacturing date to a march '95 manufacturing date. When I got it all put together the car cranks but there is NO power going to the ignition coil. I read about an ASD relay and switched them out but still no power. I have a ground from the firewall to the intake manifold but not sure if 1 has to go to the frame. I've changed fuses, crank sensor, cam sensor and still nothing. I've even switched the ECM to see if it'd work and nothing... I hope someone can help. Its a 95 eclipse n/t

 

[uhlmanjoy91]

I had somewhat of the same problem and i fixed it with a afpr. i have a wally 255 pump and had the stock fpr and it was hard to start in the winter so i dont know if you have a bigger pump and stock fpr, but if you do it will help to get a afpr. hope it may help.

never mind i just saw your pics of your car i would go with the coolant temp...

 

[timsturbotalon]

Ok guys. When I start my car in the mornings or when its cold isn't suppose to idle at 2500 rpms or so then fall down. I'm just wondering. Car does idle fine now on start up about 1000 rpms

 

[asianandy87]

Do a compression test and then also try a leak down test to see if anything first.

 

[New_kid]

Water can go through everything dude, my dads ECU was in a plastic bag, and still got wet.

You can see the starter in 2 ways..It is either behind the motor mount on the left (driver's) side, pretty well hidden. Look about 6-8" directly in front of the left CV joint or under the battery. Just follow your positive battery fuse, it goes right to the starter.

 

[MoparDSM]

Did you ever figure out this issue? Sounds identical to mine - thanks

 

[New_kid]

This is what my dad always gets on his bmw. We replace the fuel pump, new battery, new starter, checked the spark plugs, everything working, but still doesn't start or starts right up. I am pretty sure its either the thing with Neutral or injectors.