Somebody please help quick

[.38 special]

My car is stuck at my buddy's house. It just died as I was pulling into his driveway. I wasn't driving it hard. Now it won't start. The motor does turn over but just won't ignite. What I've checked.

spark--the spark is blue so seems hot enough
fuel--good also and injectors are opening
valves are moving-so the timing gear is also-so timing chain is ok
crank pos. sens is in place and connected.
cam pos. sens is spinning

I guess it would have to be timing, but why would it just die out of the blue like that? What else should I check? tomarrow I will borrow a digital volt/ohm meter.

Anyone please help, so I don't have to call a wrecker--they always scratch something.

 

[TURBOV6]

Crank sensor?

 

[turbojimmy]

If you had spark AND fuel you'd at least have some popping or firing. Are you sure you have fuel? The injectors might be opening, but there might not be any fuel there (bad FP? FP relay?).

Jim

 

[.38 special]

I might be wrong, but I think if the crank sensor goes out, then there is no spark. I do have spark. And the sensor is in place, so I don't think there is anything wrong there.

I do have fuel pressure reading on the guage. I can hear the pump when I turn the key on. I cut the power from the fuel pump and turn the key on to start to see if the pressure would drop.--It did therefore I know the injectors are opening. When I hooked the power back up the fuel pressure rose again.

Please help, anyone with any more suggestions?

 

[cmokem]

Maybe try resetting the ecm...the orange wire behind the battery...unplug it wait a second then plug it back in

Just a thought

Bob

 

[tazgn]

You have all the basics, it looks like one of those little gremlins to me... Is the cam position sensor tight? In other words did it spin on you? Maybe it went bad. Any codes in the ECM? Any blown fuses? This sounds like a tough one since you have all the normal things working right,

Derrick

 

[drive805]

just a quick thought

check your TPS if your gettign no signal it won't start i have had that happen before

 

[Louie L.]

Check for :

Sounds like either the tab in the cam sensor wheel broke, or bad fuel pump.

This is taking into cosideration that u did have spark .

Both very easy to check for.

Good Luck

 

[salvageV6]

How many miles on it?

Original timing chain?

 

[.38 special]

I've been working on it for two days. Can't figure it out. I've reset the ecm a couple of times. I have fuel pressure and the injectors are opening. the timing gears are not original. They are metal--I didn't do it. The chain did not break because the valves are moving. I've borrowed a cam sensor cap, and that didn't fix it--it could be bad also but what are the chances. I don't know about the tps, but it was ok at I think .48 about two weeks ago. How does the module normally go out. I have been looking at the spark and it doesn't look like it is sparking consistantly. If the module is out will it spark at all. And if any of you have lost a module did it go out like that--all at once, just quit running? I have two coil packs and they both should be ok--I've swapped them and that didn't fix the problem. I will try the module tomorrow or the next day. But in the mean time any suggestions would be helpful. I will let eveyone who is following know if that fixes it. Sorry so long.


By the way does anyone have a used cam sensor---I broke the little bolt holes that hold the cap on--piece of crap. I have it held on their pretty tight though with tiny nuts but don't know how long this will hold.

 

[.38 special]

ttt

 

[turbojimmy]

Originally posted by .38 special
How does the module normally go out.

When my module went bad, the middle coil pack would fire weakly and intermittently. It caused a rough idle/stumble that I spent close to $1,000 in the wrong parts and over a year trying to fix it. After bringing it several places, including a well known TR shop, Jim Testa finally figured it out for me.

It is possible, though, for the module to fail completely but then I'd *think* you'd have no spark. But if you can dig one up, give it a whirl. There's not much else given what you've already checked.

Good luck,
Jim

 

[.38 special]

Thanks Jim. I just don't know. Im trying to find someone in my area who has one I can borrow, to make sure that is where the problem is coming from. Cause if I buy a new one, it is a non returnable part and I just don't have 200 dollars to throw away.

 

[.38 special]

well everyone, I went to Conley's today-they weren't open yesterday, and Chris tested my coil and module. I didn't know they could test the module. They both tested fine. So, obviously the problem isn't in the ignition module. I went to the dealer and got a new crank sensor (not too pricey-$60). I'll have it on there tomorrow. Has anyone reading had their crank sensor crap out on them even though it was still in one piece? I've heard that they rarely go out unless they hit the pulley. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

I'll keep everyone updated

 

[half fast]

I'm in the boat business and we see a lot of water in the fuel system.Make sure you have fuel at the injector rail and not water.Just a thought.I feel lost when these buick regulars start talking about what thier cars are doing or are not doing .I hope mine just keeps running. good luck and keep us posted

 

[LC2 ROD]

wont start

Did you find the problem yet?
salvagev6 asked about milage, how many miles on the engine?
You don't seem to think it's a timing chain cuz you can see the
valve's move or the cam sensor move. Most timing chain's don't break, the cam gear get's wiped out or the chain stretches and skip's teeth. In both case's the cam will still turn. If the engine crank's with a strange rythem then I would look real hard at the timing chain. You only need three thing's for a engine to run, fuel, spark and air. You say you have fuel and spark> Let us know if you fixed it yet. Or at least let me know, I am dying here.

 

[okboo]

have you checked your MAF

 

[.38 special]

I don't think that it is water in the gas because I think it would start, run like crap, but start nonetheless.

Rod--You are right, it very well could be the timing chain stretching and jumping time. But, the car has 80,000 on it, and even less(I don't know the exact # of miles since I didn't do the mod.) than that on the after market timing gears. That's why I didn't imediately take off the timing cover.

I haven't got the crank sensor on since my post yesterday. I'm still at work--shhhhhhh. I will however, have it on before the end of the year (at midnight).

So I guess the timing cover is coming off if the crank sensor doesn't fix it

then if I put new timing gears on it and that doesn't fix it--I'm gonna push it out in the road and light that s.o.b. on fire

 

[.38 special]

Oh yeah--it is not the MAF. Mine is about 2 weeks old and I went through 3 of them before I found one that was calibrated right. And even with the bad ones on there the car wouldn't idle, but it would start.

 

[Black Demon]

Crank Sensor

My car went into "limp-home" mode last year, and I new it was the MAF. Turns out I was wrong. After borrowing a good MAF, checking ignition module voltages, grounds, voltages at the computer while cranking etc.. Turns out to be the crank sensor. The voltage return was less than 6 volts if I remember correctly while troubleshooting. At first I was skeptical as the sensor was never hit by the pulley and I thought the car would not start if the sensor went bad. Changed the sensor, car started and ran perfectly.....until the MAF died a few weeks later, but that is another story.