car wont start at car wash!!

[jarredsoon]

Hey everyone. what do you think of this. I took my car home from the shop after getting a new motor in, all was well, car ran fine. Took it to the car wash, and then it keeps stalling after I put it in gear??? then won;t start at all, ??? What do you guys think???

Thanks Jarred.

 

[d90dan]

Do you hear the fuel pump run? After a wash, I've had water get in my pump relay and kill it.
Do the basics first, check for spark and fuel.

 

[jarredsoon]

OK so I let my car sit for about an hour and then it started and then I let it idle. I put it into gear and step on the gas and it would stall. Ahhhh.... so then I tried and tried and it started again. so this time I let it idle, then put it into gear and did not step on the gas. So then i idle'd it home and when I rev the motor up to about 2500 rpm it begins to choke and hesitate. But at a higher or lower rpm it does not choke and runs just fine? Is this a timing issue b/c it runs fine at ilde of 1000 rpm.

What do you think??

 

[Jan Larsson]

Had the same many years ago, into car wash (this was before I had my TTA repainted) and could not get it started at all ... turned out the starter motor (actually solenoid) died on me .... got a new minisatrter and never had a problems since.

 

[Louie L.]

Check for water intrusion in both the Crank sensor plug and rear connector plug to the fuel tank.

 

[Mark E.]

Sounds like my friend's T-type when the ecm connector got wet.

 

[Razor]

Sounds like a bad MAF :redface:

 

[Hardway]

Fuel pumps can die without warning and it sounds like yours is dying. I had the same thing happen on my '88 IROC and '90 GTA. Once after a tune up, the other after turning the car off to get my mail. Threw in a new Walbro and they ran great till I sold them.

 

[j13smiley]

personally i'd be more worried about this...

I took my car home from the shop after getting a new motor in,

... than the car wash. the way i read it is you just picked up your car with a new motor swap and stopped to wash it on the way home. car hasn't run right since... i'd be taking it back to the shop...

 

[Hardway]

Now that your car is home pick up a fuel pressure gauge from any auto parts store and check your pressure. Rev the engine up and watch if it falls drastically. I don't disagree with j13smiley but I would properly rule out some of the things that are known to be causing these symptoms.

 

[jarredsoon]

Well here is an update. The fuel pressure gauge shows lots of fuel, 44-50 lbs depending on throttle position, and the car has ran just fine since. I even washed it again at same car wash and no problem.

I think maybe a connector for my msd box may have got wet or maybe my ecm somehow??? I'm not sure but the car runs great now, thanks for the help.

Jarred.

 

[shorti28]

My old GN did the exact same thing. Pull out your ecm and see if it got wet. My windshield leaked and the water runs right down the inner passenger side trim post right down on the ecm. Give that a check. If it was a while ago have someone squirt a hose on the top of the windshield while you watch the ecm. What was happening to me was the ecm plug would fill with water and short out. I do hear the leaky windshield is very common on our cars.

 

[wagon]

I had an issue like this and the cam sensor was out of adjustment. Sometimes it wouldn't start, or when it did, it idled fine, revved fine but would die when you shifted it, even before the tranny seemed to engage.
That's one thing that I would check.