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

 

[Spiers]

I don't see it being a HG. It's always ran at normal operating temps and Ive never had to add a drop of coolant. No exhaust smoke or coolant in the oil. I'm guessing timing jumped and that started to cause the surging and loss of power and bent the valves? Gonna check on the timing marks tomorrow.

Would I be better off taking this head in for a rebuild or buying a used one? I just want to get it back on the road reliably for as little money as possible.

 

[BogusSVO]

Line up and check your timing belt.

If you skipped, depending on how many teeth, you stand a chance of bent valves.

 

[95ttalontsi]

yeah deffinatly line up the timing marks just to verify. Its odd that you have 0psi compression in all the cylinders. Did you do a leak down test? try adding some oil to cylinder and recheck compression. Could have had a bad boost leak causing an extremly rich mixture that washed down the cylinder walls.

 

[boost97gst]

yeah deffinatly line up the timing marks just to verify. Its odd that you have 0psi compression in all the cylinders. Did you do a leak down test? try adding some oil to cylinder and recheck compression. Could have had a bad boost leak causing an extremly rich mixture that washed down the cylinder walls.

no matter how rich, you arent going to get 0 compression unless a valve is open or the rings are completely destroyed.

 

[eli96talon]

Im pretty sure you bent the valves in the head.

 

[Spiers]

Today

 

[missing floaty]

ok since ive owned the car i pu t a new ecu, coil pack, and icm so im gettin spark for sure now at the spark plugs and after cranking i can smell fuel and pulled the plugs and they are wet with fuel ok. Now i did a compression test here are the results. cyl1 100 psi cyl2 140 psi cyl3 132 psi and cyl4 140 psi even though cylinder 1 is dead shouldnt it still run or atleast idle??

 

[210 dsm]

What did you do to the car recently before it stop starting? Have u tried starter fluid, maybe it's not enough fuel pressure to start but enough to get the plugs wet.

Also u should change the plugs if they were soked with fuel. A set is like $9 at any auto parts store. Buy ngk part number 7131.

 

[mike orlando]

When your plugs are wet you need to take a blow torch and burn off the fuel. Get the plugs red hot until all the little sparkles of fuel are burned off. Do this quickly and efficently and with the plugs being dry and warm the car should start right up. Make sure if it doesnt start that you keep the key in the on posistion so you dont flood it again.

 

[missing floaty]

na i didnt bother buying new ones i cleaned them up with a wire brush and put them back and a yeah they are ngk plugs they look fine as far as condition. ill try starter fluid and see what happens oh and also when i fisrt try crankin it sounds like it is about to start then after awards it just cranks but then it doesn't try to to start any more while still cranking. at first i can hear it fire through my open exhaust

well i tried the starter fluid dealy and now its not even trying just cranking.

 

[mike orlando]

Like i said you need to heat the plugs with a torch not brush them off. HEAT the fuel off NOT BRUSH. Starting fluid bad idea.

 

[91eclipseDSM]

Ok car ran alright for the first 3 days had some back firing problems and after i let it sit for 2 days its wont start for me just cranks over

so i changed the coil pack with a used coil pack that a craigslist seller worked before

changed the spark plugs and spark plug wires and tried starting it i got a little flutter as soon as i stopped cranking it and then i opened my wastegate all the the way and got a loud back fire as soon as i "STOPPED" cranking it.

what else could be the problem? i took a spark plug out put it in the sparkplug wire and held them close to my valve cover and a screw driver and i saw no spark am i missing something?

and i also hooked up a fuel pressure tester and when cranked over the tester read nothing do i have to crank it over for like 15 seconds??? after i started unscrewing the tester gas sprayed out.

sorry to ask so many questions on 1 thread i have been troubleshooting my problems but no luck so i decided to ask you guys thanks.

 

[mayosdsm]

check to see if you have spark again, you should clearly see spark by the way you tested it, coils rearly go out, sounds like a cas, or cam angle sensor went bad and you have no signal, for the fuel issue, is it a good fuel pressure tester? can you hear the pump coming on?

 

[mayosdsm]

have you checked for spark? or just think your getting spark? also may be getting spark and fuel, and you compression is fine, it will run on that but you need timing to, check timing... engine needs timing, fuel, spark, and compression to run.

 

[91eclipseDSM]

check to see if you have spark again, you should clearly see spark by the way you tested it, coils rearly go out, sounds like a cas, or cam angle sensor went bad and you have no signal, for the fuel issue, is it a good fuel pressure tester? can you hear the pump coming on?

whats a cas? and im pretty sure its a good fuel pressure tester looks brand new and its a loaner tool from autozone its a quality tester.

 

[missing floaty]

the timing is fine and the oil pump was 180* when i checked then reset everything else was dead on. i tried it again with dry plugs. before i tried the starter fluid. no difference and i left the igntion on and took the cas out and turned it so i heard my injecters click and could feel them click but could they be sticking open somehow?

i got the car not running so i gotta figure it out.

 

[fierosail]

check the coils for good spark with a ohm meter and make sure when u check timing that the cam dowel pins are up . id aloe check fuel filter and fpr. after all that check your Mass Air Flow Sensor.

 

[fierosail]

id also check timing if u jumped a tooth it can cause that so id run a compression check

 

[TheEagle]

CAS: Crank Angle Sensor

Even bad compression doesn't cause a no start but it could show your timing is off, but this shouldn't cause a no start (and no spark) if it was running before, it'd just run horribly (like backfiring).

Check the whole ignition way. If its not the coil, cables, or spark plugs, look to what powers the coil .

Yes, coils going out is a rarer situation.

 

[TSI_93]

I just put on a new timing belt using the How-To on v-faq.com for a 1st gen. I was able to correctly set the belt deflection, and tension the belt. Auto-tensioner engagement is perfect. All the timing marks were still lined up after I let the car sit over night before proceeding to check them again. I did the 6 rotations to make sure everything was still in.

So I proceeded to put the car back together and try to start her up. Here is where the mystery begins. I have a few bolt-ons but not much really. The only sensors I unplugged during this ordeal was the one on the power-steering, and the CAS. Both have been plugged back in.

The CAS Seems to be in phase. I set the engine to TDC #1 and the timing marks where lined up across the cams, and the tick mark on the crank pulley was on the T mark on the timing cover.

Car is getting fuel pressure, Injectors are firing if you rotate cas by hand.

Car has spark on all 4 plugs, verfied both by pulling the plug wires and connecting a spare plug, and the arc to ground method.

Cas is a black lid and seems to be in phase. (notch lined up with dot and installed at TDC)

No CELs. Ecu seems to work, swapped with a bad one and the tach didn't move, CEL did not illuminate, boost gauge didn't move. So I swapped back in the old one and it does all these things.

Compression results are 120,105,120,120 on a cold engine.

TLDR:
New T-belt
93 w/ 7 bolt
Black lid CAS in phase
Injectors are pulsing
Spark Is present
No CELS
Still no crank.

I fixed the issue. I broke one of my own rules and, I installed a new 190 fuel pump during the down time, but didn't crank the car with just the fuel pump installed. Turns out the o-ring was loose so I stuck 2 of them on it, and the car cranked the 2nd time turning the key .

 

[WES_393]

Is it possible the trigger plate (if you have one) is installed backwards? The compression is a bit low. Even on a cold engine the 105 is 14% lower than the rest which is a bit beyond service limit. I would check the trigger plate (if applicable).

 

[TSI_93]

Is your CEL coming on for ~ 10 seconds when you start the car? Does the tach move when you crank it over? And does the stock boost gauge come to ~0 and then move as you crank the car over, then settle back to its previous position after you stop cranking.

If your car is behaving similar to the above, stick your head down in the foot well and see if you smell a nasty fish type smell. Could be a dead ecu.

Is your CEL coming on for ~ 10 seconds when you start the car? Does the tach move when you crank it over? And does the stock boost gauge come to ~0 and then move as you crank the car over, then settle back to its previous position after you stop cranking.

If your car is behaving similar to the above, stick your head down in the foot well and see if you smell a nasty fish type smell. Could be a dead ecu.

 

[TSI_93]

Car has a 1g 7 bolt, so its not got a trigger plate type crank sensor. It's just got the single cam sensor on the passenger side of the head.

The timing plate that separates the cam belt pulley from the balance belt pulley was dead on at TDC #1. So, I doubt its on backwards.

I agree that the Piston 2 compression numbers are out of spec. I am thinking valve seals since the car is not overheating, but I don't have a setup to leak down test. No oil/coolant mixing either. Still warmed up I believe all 3 will be in spec. 121 is the service limit, and the cold numbers are within 1 psi of that, except #2.

 

[Glover]

So is the car not firing? Or not cranking?

 

[chadillac2820]

The lights are going through a bulb check procedure when you turn the key to the on position. That is normal.

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