My friend has a '96 GXE. The thing won't start, it turns and turns but it won't start. So it's definately not the problem with the alternator or battery.

First thing I tried was seeing if there's any codes. I don't know if we screwed up checking them or what but, the light flashed 5 times slow and 5 fast, meaning no error. So yeah that didn't get us anywhere.

Then the car has 90k on the clock so I thought the timing belt might have went. I unscrewed the oil cap, and looked at the camshaft while a friend try to start it, the camshaft moved, so the belt must be good.

Next up, ignition, took out the spark plug and put it against the valve cover, there's spark, when cranking, so the spark is there. Also when cranking a puff of air or smoke came out, so there's definetely compression. So what could it be?

You can smell fuel when cranking. Only thing that's wrong with it is that the o2 sensor is disconnected because it was cut when installing the y-pipe and it wasn't soldered back yet. Also my friend said when it first happened, the car actually started, and when he put it into drive it just shut off and he wasn't been able to start it since.

Do you guys have any idea what it might be? Or what should we check? I'm stumped.

Thanks in advance,
Mike

 

We don't have timing belts.. Chains > you

I'm betting on your starter..

 

It looks like you've done some good investigative work already.

Just to summarize:

1. The car is cranking (i.e. turning over) but not catching. Does the car turn over at a good rate or is it sluggish?

2. You have verified spark

3. You have checked for codes and only pulled 0505 - no fault detected

4. You smell fuel - so the fuel pump is likely ok.

You can still try a few things..

1. The engine might be flooded. Open the throttle wide-open (pedal to the metal) and try start the car.

2. Get some starting fluid and spray it down the throttle body and see if you get the car to fire. If it does, then you might have a bad fuel pump.

3. A bad Camshaft position sensor or bad crankshaft position sensor (there are 2 of those) can cause a no start situation like you describe. Check all three of these sensors (even though no codes have been set for them).

Cheers.

 

check wires-cam pos sensor,cr.pos sensor ref,cr.pos sensor pos!remove and clean them.

 

so can an Engine Coolant Temp Sensor.....or will it not crank at all

 

A faulty ECTS might cause an overly rich or lean mixture, but I've never heard of causing a no-start condition... are you sure about this?

 

Besides throwing all these possible sensor fixes, one should note if there are any CEL codes ....

 

NMEX - the OP stated in his post that he pulled 0505.

 

Yeah, that was the point of my post... Maybe some would go back and actually read it.


Also why I said starter... Because you know I hate that damn CPS As I ahd read the 0505 comment in the post.

 

Aah I got it... I'm still a little slow this morning

 

I had a similar problem like that and took me MONTHS and different mechanics to figure it out. and in my car it was the Camshaft sensor on the timing cover.

 

How long was the code there for?

 

well the reason it took me months to fix the problem was because it never gave me a code for cam positioning sensor. it gave me every code except for that one, gave me MAF and Crank codes, it only gave me the cam code the 1st time the car didnt turn on. after that it gave every code except cam. I dont suggest you try this but my mechanic told me to crank the car and while he was doing that i think he either grounded or gave power to the pins that plug into the sensor. and the car started and died wen he took it off. i am not sure what he did but that was a good way of finding out if was that... hope any of this helped

 

Thanks for all the help. Will try to checkout both sensors after I get off work if they don't get anywhere with it by then. This would be way easier if he had a factory repair manual or at least a hayne's or something so I could see where the sensors exactly are and how to test them.

 

well, i had similar problems, but when i tried crankin the car, it would whine when cranking, so i was told to take off the starter and re-grease the starter. so i did. after that the car would start but after 3-4 times. so the problem got alot better. i'm planning to buy a new start that has the 11 tooth, instead of what i have which is the 8-tooth. That should be it....

 

UPDATE

Had to move the car out of the parking spot, pushed it, then decided to see if it will start, and it did. Took it to the stealership, car drove perfectly fine there. They ended up replacing the camshaft sensor, they didn't even reset his ECU so the CEL is still on

 

i had the same issue, car actually died on me @ the lot and i took it to the stealership for repair. i posted a lovely thread on it, cam positioning sensor was bad and haven't looked back since. hopefully everything's alright, cuz the mechanics were unsure about what was wrong since that's all they did. they got it to start up w/the pedal to the floor (like it was flooded) but it would die randomly until they replaced that sensor. go figure.

 

My car died on me 2 days ago, when i drove to Shell for gas, it was oke when i drove there, started fine, too. All of the sudden after put $10 gas, go in and started the car, it wont start, the first tried i can hear the starter and after that dead silence. I kno its not my alternator or battery, is it my starter? I replace a starter like almost a year ago. What weird is that it was all fine, and then all of a sudden, dead. PS. I have a habit leaving my gas almost empty and then go pump it, not all the time but, mostly i waited for that orange like to light up, can that be a reason? I highly doubt it, but i just kno its bad.

 

I'm in the same situation with the same symtomps you described.
I was wondering if you found the problem?

 

Double thread jack ...

 

Sorry, I didn't know that wasn't allowed.

If anything I thought it would prevent having two treads of the same thing.

Also, I can't create any new threads. Don't know if it's a newbie issue or what.

 

Respectable


I'm just here to make some rules semi-apparent in a stupid way.

 

don't mean to ***** up this thread anymore than it already is, but with only 8 posts you can't make your own thread. need @ least 15.

 

Chekc your fuel pump and camshaft position sensor. That's how I fixed my problem.

 

Thanks for the replies.

I replaced the CPS first and still no luck.
Then I replaced the starter and it cranked right up.

A big sigh of relief.