Strong Crank but doesn't start
 

I've been reading the forms, watching Youtube videos, and trying a bunch of different things, but the problem still persists: From rest my engine will start slightly then die, maybe a second (if that), then it will go back to cranking with no start.


How I got to this point: Few months ago I changed out the fuel injectors(the new injectors were sent out for a cleaning). Cleaned up the intake and valve covers, put in new value gasket, intake manifold gasket, and new egr gasket. During this I found a ton of carbon in the lines, discovered it was from the carbon canister. Got a new one + new pump. Cleaned out all the lines that was packed with all that carbon, traced the lines to a metal sensor that's on top of the intake manifold. Took that apart got all the carbon out of that sensor cleaned it with sensor cleaner. Put everything back together, tightened everything down evenly, hooked up all the connectors and vacuum lines, went to start it... and all I get is cranking.

When I crank it, I smell gas from the hood, and believe that the sound I hear from cabin is the fuel pump pressurizing(haven't tried starter fluid yet, or fuel pressure). I also have a spark.
Before doing a bunch of research I purchased a cheap OBDII scanner: got an intake temp sensor, and (I think) crankshaft sensor (or camshaft) error, before I erased the codes as I thought that could help and the errors would come back after:/

I've gone over the lines and connectors a few times, cleaned up the ground connectors, used a jumper to temporarily add more ground, checked the cam and both crank sensors(they all had a good ohm reading, but got all replacements to be sure). I have continuity between the crank (REF) (one by the water pump), I will check for continuity for the other crank sensor, and cam sensor.

I found that my crankshaft pully wasn't aligned to the water pump aligner, earlier today I was able to get it back into alignment but no change, and after going to start it, its back out of alignment (could it be my engine isn't in time?)

At this point I am concerned that I have a broken wire somewhere (when doing to the injector replacement I had to rotate the harness up and out of the way, though I was careful it was brittle), or that my engine is out of time. But i'm really hoping that I missed a fundamental step. I want to double check the fuel, next step I could think of is trying starter fluid to see if the engine will run on that. I am also concerned about my crankshaft not being in alignment(is it always suppose to be aligned with the water pump?)

It's on a chain timing system so highly unlikely that it's out of timing. ok both cam/crank sensors are working. if it starts for a sec then dies, maybe there's a hose not connected correctly, is it a 99? I remember the 99 has lots of hoses in the vacuum gallery easy to mess it up.

Its a 97. It did have quite a bit of hoses, and I was worried about their connection, but I have gone over the diagrams for the vacuum lines a few times and cant find anything that looks like its connected wrong.

Got some starter fluid today and sprayed just a little into the air intake ( after the maf sensor ) to see if it would start up... it did not, the crank sounded slow, and then came to an abrupt stop and a not good sound from the engine (like a deep clunk). I'm really hoping that I didn't bend a valve... but not really sure where to go from here.

Alright slightly better news today. Tried cranking it again today, and it didn't make that awful noise. That is weird why it would just from adding starter fluid. But I really thought it was going to start today, first crank it started (like usual, rps go up like it's going to start engine cranks... but it doesn't hold and dies) after that it won't start again it will just crank... until you leave it be for awhile.

Pulled a spark plug today and cranked the engine, a lot of fuel sprayed out! It is my understanding that just a small amount of fuel is suppose to come out. This is making me think that this whole time it were bad injectors? (Which I think I'm only able to test by getting new ones?). Could it be another sensor that is making the injectors spray that much fuel into the cylinder? Is there something that I am able to test before pulling out all the injectors again?

When I pulled one injector the car sounded like it wanted to keep running making me think that the cylinders are flooding when I go to crank. But then I wonder how could all or most of them would be bad... What sensor would tell the injectors to push so much fuel (as they seem to be doing?)

If you read about fuel injectors, you'll find one of the most important parts is the pintle cap.

A pintle cap is plastic and turns pressurized fuel into a spray pattern (like an aerosol spray can nozzle). Guess what... They get old and brittle and start to break and sometimes just let go and get sucked into a cylinder. Usually no remarkable damage because it's plastic and melts upon ignition.

If one went, the rest will be copy cats soon enough! Well that's what the statistics support. maybe soon or wait a while. But never when it's convenient.

It's not like the controls for one injector went rogue. They all get the same sliding signal based on throttle position. One just puked. Take a picture and post it here of what the spray end looks like!

Now the question is what do you want to do?

And I'm doing mine right now. And everything else I can while in that deep. I didn't wait til mine became an immediate problem (when I didn't need it. Like WINTER!) ~228K. No Garage!

Hope this makes sense!

Remove the dip stick. Then smell it.

does the oil smell a lot like gasoline.

Rub the oil from your dip stick with your fingers.

Next, dip your finger into new oil. Rub with your fingers.

does the oil in tge oil pan seem thinner than fresh oil.

Does the dip stick show an unusually high oil level

I changed out my injectors, and all this is happening after that change. I am currently waiting on another set of injectors to arrive, I'm going to install those and see where I'm at.

Chinese or rebuilt OEM?

I no longer have fuel pressure. Strange cus originally I was having alot of fuel enter into the cylinders, and it was being flooded preventing it from starting... but I added some starting fluid and now the car starts right up!

I checked all fsm ec-363 and followed all the steps for fuel pump diagnosis. All conituities checked out. The one thing this didn't talk about was was voltage running to the 2 wires connected to the fuel pump. There are 2 connectors: 2 pins and 4 pins. The connector with 4 pins has voltage running through it, but the other connector, 2 pins, didn't have voltage. Should it?

Is the 2 pin connector what powers the pump?

All the continuity tests were with the connector with 2 pins, and everything was good.

My next plan is to verify the fuel pump works by trying to put 12v to the connector with 2 pins

1. injectors sent out for cleaning can come back stuck open, apply and remove 12 volts to them to make sure they click open and close
2. throw your original oem crank and cam sensors back in. If you bought aftermarket, you'll be lucky if the car starts

That might be what happened the first time when I got my injectors back, but now I don't have fuel pressure. It appears that the main plug doesn't have power. I did see a post from a different website and it was diagnosed by not having power to pin 18 in the ecm? Not sure how they diagnosed that.

Hydrolocked...happened to me when a pintel cap broke dumping loads of fuel into cylinder. But you have no fuel pressure now..
did you put voltage to the 2 pin connector yet? That would be my guess as 2 pin connectors are usually just power supply connections..

Just put 12v to the 2 pin connector, sounded like the pump was running, but no fuel came out, maybe I have to have power to the other connector at the same time? Maybe it is the pump went out, but even if that's the case I should still be getting power to that connector... I'm gonna have to look at the wiring diagram for that connector see where it leads

Im having a similar problem and am now seeing that the antitheft system can cause the crank no start, do you have any info or knowledge on this?
Im also having a strong crank no start and have done everything you have except mess with the carbon canister or change the injectors (mainly because I didnt want to take off the manifold) but I tested the wiring and it was all fine.

how likely is it that its the antitheft system acting up?

My issue was the injectors. I changed out the injectors again, and was able to get it to start but now I have cylinder misfires... I don't think my 97 has an anti theft system.