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

 

[kchaazz]

^^ Check engine light comes on only when the coolant temp sensor isnt present at all- i.e. not plugged in, or so damaged that the ECU cannot "talk" to it, from my experience. Consider this- it takes MORE fuel to start a cold motor, less fuel to start a hot motor.
1. Youre injectors are WAY too big for a stock 450cc global setting- dont even drive the car like this or you could damage the motor and turbo seriously due to all that extra fuel ending up in your oil.

2. You say there is an adjustable fuel pressure regulator present. Does it have a gauge? When you get the 450cc injectors back in, start the car and pull the vacuum line off the regulator and put your finger over the end of the line to plug it. Look at the gauge; it needs to read 37.5- 38psi with the vacuum line off. Adjust as necessary, put the vacuum line back on.

3. If you are still having starting issues after doing those ^^ two things, either change the coolant temp sensor, or get a logger hooked up and see if the coolant temperature the ECU is seeing coincides with the actual temp of the car (For example, if the motor's cold and the sensor says its 200 degrees, its ##)

4. The coolant temp sensor is very important. It tells the ecu when to go into open loop fueling, where your timing advance should be, how much fuel to be throwing in etc.

5. If your sensor checks out and you still have an issue, you may need to reinstall the FPR solenoid, as some cars have a hot start issue without this as its absence can cause fuel to literally evaporate in the rail on a hot motor...

 

[JAX2Ganey]

its your fuel pressure solenoid.

 

[Gasolinebaptism]

The 660's would cause you to run really rich.
Anyways, I'm on the side of the CTS as well.
If the CTS is supplying a reading, even if it doesn't logically make sense, it won't throw a code.
But that reading may be well off what it realistically should be.

 

[Krayth]

Greetings DSMers!
I've got a car that decided to quit. I posted the situation over at 2carpros so I'll post in that conversation so far in the hopes that one of the fine folks here might have a few ideas.

Car is a 97 Eclipse N/T with a rebuilt 420a manual non-turbo. Ran fine for a month, died, then would not fire again. New spark plugs and timing belt. Replaced plug wires, coil pack, CKP sensor, CAS from a used car. Cam alignment is fine. There is fuel at the rail, can hear pump. Sparks from the 2 and 3 coil pack, no pulse to 1 and 4. Good compression. No CEL or retrievable trouble codes. Ran signal tests on CKP and CAS as per the Haynes manual. CAS was within range. CKP voltages were off, replaced with another used one that tested closer to range. Tested the pulse to coil 1/4 again with a test light and I think it pulsed. Came back later to test spark on 1/4 and again nothing, no signal pulse from ECM. It makes all the right noises when it cranks, but doesn't fire.

I've spent hours searching forums and reading threads about a similar issue with the #1 coil, but none with happy endings for the 420a. Is this still being caused by the CKP? What else can I do before dropping the cash for a reman ECU?

Replied on October 03, 2011

Check grounds. Check the wiring to and from the coil pack.

Replied on October 03, 2011

Grounds are good, continuity from ecu to coil is strong, no visible cuts or damage to wires

Replied on October 03, 2011

Update from tonight: I turned the crankshaft to check timing, the marks were lined up just right at TDC. I retested the CKP sensor and CAS sensors following the tutorials here ( Part 1 -Chrysler 2.0L, 2.4L Index of Articles )
The results were that while turning the crankshaft by hand the CAS was generating an on/off signal with values of 5.00v and 0.055v
the CKP was generating a signal of 4.98v and 0.046v or 0.009v or 0.012v.
Then I tested for spark again: the 2/3 coil was firing normally, but still nothing from 1/4
Could this be the ECU? I have some brand new sensors on their way just in case, but if they don't help, is there anything else I can test to prove the ECU is bad?

I appreciate any additional input

 

[talon_tempers]

OK it was the CTS but the car never had a hot start problem until I removed the vpc and went to stock maf, coincidence?

Replaced the fuel pressure solenoid as well. fuel tank holds less pressure. JK perhaps its the charcoal canister

 

[Infamous33]

If you are getting spark at all, you should be able to rule out the CKP and CAS.
The coil recieves power from the ASD relay and the pcm grounds the B/L wire for one side of the coil pack and B/R wire for the other. You can test this by using a test light connected to power and probe one of those wires while cranking. If the test light blinks during cranking, that grounding circuit in the pcm is good. Test the other wire and see what the result is. If you don't see the test light blinking on either of them, and you are certain the wiring from coil pack to ecu is good, then you need an ecu

 

[spydergstftw]

ok i need help fast so I am sorry if this has been answered, from my quick search i did not find anything that didn't have to do with installing other parts or stopping the sputtering after a certain point. OK well I was headed to school on tuesday when a car in front was going super slow to take a turn. there was nearly a half mile of open road in front and i was in a hurry so i stepped on it and as soon as I went WOT the car started bucking and sputtering.
I pulled into Sonic and began checking over what i could (car broken into week before and they stole all my tools so i didn't have much to go on). Well from visual, I could see no blow couplers, loose hoses, nothing that would cause a boost leak since i fixed all of mine just last month. well I tried to start it back up and the car would turn over but it wouldn't fire up, being late for class i called a tow to a trusted shop and they said they would take care of it.
Its thursday now and they said that they got it running after replacing the plug (which i was gonna do but i had to make it to my class for an exam) so I go and as soon as i get on the road, I am taking it lightly. I hit the 3k rpm mark and it starts sputtering again so i back off the gas quickly and limp it home (which is 3 miles away). I call the shop and they say to bring it back and they will ride in it and help me out so I dropped it off for the night.
Input? My guesses were plug wires (unlikely they are brand new same for coils), dirty MAS, or ecu?

 

[92PandaTalonTSI]

Since it seems to be at Wide Open Throttle (WOT) i might say something with the fuel. I know when I used to step WOT on my bad Fuel Pump it used to just cut off. From your profile I don't see any kind of aftermaket fuel upgrades. Do you have any sort of aftermarket Fuel Pump or Fuel Pressure Regulator (FPR)? Because if you have an aftermarket FPR I'd assume you have a gauge on it... You could hit WOT from neutral under the hood and check the gauge readings.

 

[Jay95GST]

Please give more information on your vehicle. You said it was broken in. What was done to it prior to you driving it and who did it?

 

[92PandaTalonTSI]

Please give more information on your vehicle. You said it was broken in. What was done to it prior to you driving it and who did it?

I think he means that is was broken into... like smash the glass and steal his tools. Which is why he didn't have tools to check it out himself. Also I would definitely do a boost leak-down test. Seems like at 3000 rpm is usually when a car has started some sort of boost so you might have some sort of coupler not attached. I know you said you checked them all, but doesn't hurt to test it with tools instead of vision.

 

[luismaster7]

hello guys im a new member. I recently purchased my 96 gst a few days ago and must say that i love it. However today i tried starting and it was a no go. My first instinct is that the battery needs a charge or something.

So i set up the jumper cables and after awhile it starts and whoopie! then i take the cables off and my car starts ilding low and after a few mins starts sputtering and then just dies. The car runs healthy as long as it stays connected to another cars battery

My dad and I are thinking its the alternator but we're not really sure. everything looks fine in the engine bay from the top and from the bottom no wires hanging or missing.

I've already read a couple of "car not starting threads" but i havent seen someone with the same issue as me. Any help would be appreciated

 

[hypergenesis]

hello guys im a new member. I recently purchased my 96 gst a few days ago and must say that i love it. However today i tried starting and it was a no go. My first instinct is that the battery needs a charge or something.

So i set up the jumper cables and after awhile it starts and whoopie! then i take the cables off and my car starts ilding low and after a few mins starts sputtering and then just dies. The car runs healthy as long as it stays connected to another cars battery

My dad and I are thinking its the alternator but we're not really sure. everything looks fine in the engine bay from the top and from the bottom no wires hanging or missing.

I've already read a couple of "car not starting threads" but i havent seen someone with the same issue as me. Any help would be appreciated

Sounds like the alternator.

Do you have a multimeter?

 

[luismaster7]

no =/. I went to get the battery checked and it came out fine. But i dont wanna have to get the alternator checked without first diagnosing what could be some other possible causes of this.

 

[hypergenesis]

no =/. I went to get the battery checked and it came out fine. But i dont wanna have to get the alternator checked without first diagnosing what could be some other possible causes of this.

Honestly it points to alternator. Check or change the alternator fuse but its either your alternator going out or you have a bad ground. Honestly invest into a voltometer Harbor Freight gives them out for free sometimes so just snag one of those. Also even if you have the alternator tested it doesn't mean its good if it passes. I had mine pass from 3 different places and when I switched it everything got fixed.

Armin

 

[luismaster7]

oh alright man thanks for the info. will do.

 

[Krayth]

Thanks for the response!
When I got home tonight I rechecked the wires: no visible damage and no resistance on a meter check. Then I tested both signal wires the way you suggested with an LED light: 2&3 coil blinked during crank, 1&4 just goes dark and no blinking.

Guess I'll be ordering a computer in the morning and hope that solves it.

 

[johnovision27]

+1 check for grounds, and make sure all other "big" wires are fastened securely.
Secondly, if you don't have a multimeter, go get one! They aren't that much. Easy way to check if your alt is good, boost your car, start it, then check the voltage across the battery. anything less then 13, and your alt is toast/getting close to being toasted.

Post back with results. Cheers

 

[hypergenesis]

Get one

Test voltage at battery with car off
Test voltage at battery with car on
Test voltage at battery with car on and everything electrical on
Test Voltage right at the alternator

These will tell you a good bit about what might be wrong.

Armin

 

[spydergstftw]

yeah some one broke into my car, they stole my tools so i cant work on my car. and i will do a BLT asap once i buy all the stuff and make a tester again. no fuel upgrades yet. those will be the next mods I buy. But i want to get this fixed asap its my only car and i have work at 5

 

[92gsxbafaro]

are you hitting fuel cut? because thats what it sounds like to me

 

[91awd26]

May have a bad injector/injectors. My 90 threw a fit when one of my injectors went bad.

 

[Mrdocprofessor]

It sounds like the tps to me

 

[luismaster7]

so i was testing it out today and off without charge it was measuring 11.xx. i gave it charge and it measure to 13.07 off and when i turned it on it was measuring like 13.11. so it is most likely the alternator correct. I didn't measure the alternator directly because i didnt know how to do that .

 

[hypergenesis]

Yea its your alternator if your cars on and running mid 13s in voltage the alternator is going out same thing happened to mine last week. If you take it to get it tested it might pass but thats the cause of your problem if not the battery. Also check the alternator fuse before doing all of this.

Armin

 

[PotatoFlakeSTi]

Alternator, or wiring to the alternator. Clean connections on the alternator.