car died !!! Please help guys !!

[aiki99]

OK....I was on the way home and car was running fine then about a few blocks away from the house car started to hesitate and lose power. I made it home but now car will not start. If I step on gas pedal while cranking it seems like it's about to start but doesn't..I did get it to start after a few trys but I had to keep the gas pedal floored to keep it running and it was just sputtering....no power !!!! details on car are tune up done last year, fuel system done in 2012 most relays are new......please guys put me in the right direction.....dirty injectors ??

[Bitsyncmaster]

Can you hear the fuel pump prime? First thing to do is jumper the RPM relay and see if that fixes the problem.

[Jonathan]

From your description it sounds like it is starving for fuel for one reason or another.

1.) Is your gas tank full or at least not empty?

2.) How hot was it there today? Perhaps your fuel in the tank was getting pretty hot itself from continuous driving as well as the ambient temperature being high and this is causing your pick-up hose under the fuel pump to sag. Kind of like a straw folds in on itself when you suck too hard on it.

3.) Maybe something plugging up the fuel filter? Is the filter new/old? Any reason to think something foreign got into your fuel tank and this has now travelled downstream somewhere?

4.) If you think the fuel pump itself is cutting in and out potentially, this could be a bad connection on the RPM relay or something wonky going on with the inertia switch killing power to the pump intermittently and briefly (not very likely I would guess). Or the pump is on it's way out. Has it been making a lot of odd noises of late?

5.) Could just be old gas too if your car was stored for the winter. Fill it up with fresh gas if you have that option.

[aiki99]

I tried a few common things.......I can hear the pump run when I turn the key and i did the jump with the RPM relay. I also swapped the relay with a backup one that i have..pulled the CSV plug....swapped plugs.... I checked voltage on the resistor and coil and all seem good...the intake plate seems to have good pressure after a few key turns but still no start.......Its an all of a sudden starting issue...was running fine just 2 hours ago.....

[aiki99]

fuel pump was replaced in 2012 but i did recheck 10 mins ago and looks clear with nothing blocking...car was not stored for winter since we kinda dont have a winter :biggrin: have been driving around town running errands for the past few weeks with no problem...no cold or hot problems..

[Jonathan]

Hehe, yea, I figured about the no winter thing :)

Can you remember where you got your last fill-up? Maybe the gas wasn't fresh or got contaminated somehow? It's easy to rule out if you can start with a fresh tank of gas you know is ok.

In the meantime, maybe get into the fuse and relay area and ensure everything is tight and making good connections. What many of us do when we "un-winter" our cars is to go through each fuse or relay and take them out and put them back in a couple times just to inspect and rub off any corrosion. Could be something as simple as a connection got loose. You know how silly these cars can be ;)

[aiki99]

Very true.....Since daylight is gone I'll hit the fuses and relays in the morning...I hope its that simple !!! fingers crossed !!!

[aiki99]

but would that make the car all of a sudden hesitate and lose power while still in motion ??

[Elvis]

Fuel spraying ?

Spark ?

[aiki99]

ok...check all relays and fuses...all good...check fuel spray....5 injectors look good...didn't check last one :biggrin: !!!.....checked spark and i have spark but how do i know if i have enough spark....bad coil ?? i have 4.8v on the positive side of the coil...

[Ron]

4.8v on the positive side of the coil...That's to low. Check the wiring at the ballast resistor (loose/corroded/etc.) You can temporarily apply 12v there for a test...

If you suspect fuel, give it a shot of ether/starting fluid below the air plate...

[aiki99]

Jumped the 12v to the resistor and got 12v to the positive side of the coil....still no start..........anybody in the area of Broward County / Ft Lauderdale ?? maybe a second pair of eyes might see something I'm missing......

[Ron]

Did you try jumping to the coil?

[aiki99]

yes....also went straight to the coil with 12v.....still nothing

[Ron]

I'd " keep the gas pedal floored to keep it running " and CAREFULLY give it short shots of fluid to see if it would rev up "normally". If so, I'd put a pressure gauge on it (suspecting the filter, pump, WUR, PPR o-ring, etc). On that thought, does it have rest pressure?

EDIT: RE "Enough spark"
Get a spare plug, ground it to the block and see if its spark is fine and blue, rather than fat and yellow/orange.

[aiki99]

Cant get it started at all.....When I try starting with pedal on floor or pumping it trys to start but doesnt fire....as for spark...I have spark but since I'm by myself hard to see if I have good spark and turn key at same time.....any one man methods ???

[Ron]

Did ya try the starting fluid at all?
...if no clues there, you can bypass the key and make the engine turn over by making sure the transmission is in Neutral and the E/Parking Brake is set, then, using a jumper from the WR (White/Red) wire on the starter solenoid to 12v. Touching the jump point is what most do...)

[aiki99]

Didnt try starting fuild since all injectors were firing really good but if you think it might work I'll give it a shot tomorrow......I'll also pick up a remote starter so I can check spark.....Is there any other options to try....

[nullset]

Didnt try starting fuild since all injectors were firing really good but if you think it might work I'll give it a shot tomorrow......I'll also pick up a remote starter so I can check spark.....Is there any other options to try....

You need a friend to turn the key.....that's the easiest way.

That said, I believe Ron told you what wire goes where to cause the starter to turn over.

Do you have a timing gun or some way of checking spark reliably?

[aiki99]

I'll pick up a timing gun if it will work for checking good spark....could this no start issue be an ecu problem ??

[nullset]

Engines need 4 things:

Fuel
Air
Spark
Compression

Starting spray will help you determine if it's a fuel issue.
Air is most likely not an issue.
Spark can be tested by one of several ways. A timing light is one way.
Compression can be measured with a compression tester, but isn't likely to suddenly cause the engine to die unless you severely overheated.

Your most likely problems are either fuel or spark. I'd get a timing light and also a fuel system pressure tester.

Have you gone through your fuses? Have you tried shorting the fuel pump relay, like Ron suggested?

[dn010]

I fried an ECU (idle) once and the car still ran - just terribly.


I'll pick up a timing gun if it will work for checking good spark....could this no start issue be an ecu problem ??

[Ron]

I'll pick up a timing gun if it will work for checking good spark....could this no start issue be an ecu problem ??A timing light will not tell you the quality of the spark, only that you have spark, which you already know.
But, sooner or later you will need to check the timing...but you have to have it running to do that.

Yeah, it could be the ECU, but unless you have a spare and are willing to risk blowing it too, it is usually best to go through the process of eliminating other problems...
Meanwhile, the 4.8V is something you can check a little deeper -- You jumped it , but something could be robbing the circuit. To check:
Ensure that the battery is fully charged.
Disconnect the W/Y wire at the coil (+) terminal and record its voltage with the switch ON. Repeat while cranking.
If you still get low voltages, try jumping 12V to the coil (+) again (with the W/Y wire removed).

It sounds like you might have fuel, but you might need to measure it, use starting fluid, or a gauge...something more than looking at the spray to eliminate/suspect it (it's a one direction test).
Also, having too much air is basically the same as not having enough fuel, and V/V -- check for vacuum leaks.

All of the tests suggested in this thread make sense to me...please review and report back on the ones you are able to do but haven't reported back (or that you can't, need clarification, etc.).

Rest Pressure? How long?

HANG IN THERE!!!

[Andrew]

I would check all spark related ground connections, especially the resistor ground. I would also check the plug for the pulse wire to the distributor. If that is loose / disconnected it will cause a no-start for sure.

Also double check to make sure the tube from the IAC motor to the throttle body has not popped out... I had that happen about 10 years ago.

At this point, the car is probably flooded and the battery is probably low on charge; thus, I would put the battery on the charger and start checking and cleaning ground connections.

[andy blackmon]

Once upon a time while going around 60 mph my car died, I coasted to a stop. I had it towed home and called Warren at DMCH. He told me to go tighten the nuts on the ballast resistor at and sure enough one of them was very loose. The car fired right off, so just maybe you also have a loose nut (no pun intended).

[Bitsyncmaster]

Once upon a time while going around 60 mph my car died, I coasted to a stop. I had it towed home and called Warren at DMCH. He told me to go tighten the nuts on the ballast resistor at and sure enough one of them was very loose. The car fired right off, so just maybe you also have a loose nut (no pun intended).

It's always the nut that holds the steering wheel....8)

[David T]

It's always the nut that holds the steering wheel....8)

Sometimes the most dangerous part in the car is the nut BEHIND the wheel!!!!!

[aiki99]

Finally !!!! car is up and running again...It was a combination of things...First thing the main problem was a faulty coil....with having that caused the plugs to get fouled up.....weak spark fouled plugs....NO START.....New plugs, New coil and we are back !!!!! Thanks guys for all the info and putting me on the right track........