YACT: Please help, care won't start! (edit: success!)

[yobarman]

My 90 Lumina is in danger again!

I went to my car yesterday, turned the key and NOTHING. no response from the engine. CD player wouldnt turn on. So i get a jump from campus safety... the CD player turns on, the engine rolls over but it doesn't actually start... does this sound like a battery problem or something worse?
alternator? starter?

Anyhelp would be appricaited because i would like to know what the problem is before i go looking for a 1000 different solutions.. Thanks a lot!




EDIT: So i replaced the battery and now the engine turns over. The battery was dead before but now it's brand new but it still won't start. It could've been the alternator but now it has power, so that shouldn't be a problem.

If the engine is rolling over now and not starting the only thing i can think of is the starter, but i just got that replaced last summer Any ideas?

now with pics... yep it's an engine hehe..

pic_1
pic_2



Edit 2: So i go to start the car today after giving up on Friday for the weekend... well it started. dont know how and dont know why. Maybe the new battery need some time to juice the car up or something i really dont know. but hopefully it stays working. thanks for all the help guys!

 

[bunker]

My guess is battery or alternator. Rule out the battery by taking it to a shop and have them test it, should be cheap enough, if not free.

 

[Quixfire]

Originally posted by: bunker
My guess is battery or alternator. Rule out the battery by taking it to a shop and have them test it, should be cheap enough, if not free.

I would start with the battery too.

 

[yobarman]

Originally posted by: Quixfire

Originally posted by: bunker
My guess is battery or alternator. Rule out the battery by taking it to a shop and have them test it, should be cheap enough, if not free.

I would start with the battery too.

k, but i dont wanna pay for towing if i can get a ride to the store for a battery first... you think if i buy a battery and try it out on the car they wont have a problem with returning it if there's a problem?

 

[boyRacer]

That happened to my mom... drained the battery on her car and my car couldn't jump start it... never had that happen before. Anyway... tow truck comes and jump starts it...

 

[yobarman]

Originally posted by: boyRacer
That happened to my mom... drained the battery on her car and my car couldn't jump start it... never had that happen before. Anyway... tow truck comes and jump starts it...

yeah i didnt leave the lights on or anything, but i did have the wipers on full blast when i turned the car off but i dont think that would do anything.

recently i wasnt having any problems starting the car, and it just stops out of the blue

 

[Mr N8]

I know that Autozone and Checker Auto will test your old battery for free. Napa may, also, but I'm not sure. As for the alternator in that car, its about the time that it would be going. If it is that, its a relatively easy job. Just give yourself about 2-3 hours, and you can have the job done. Less time if you've done that kind of work before.

 

[notfred]

If it was the battery it would have started with the jumper cables attached.

 

[yobarman]

bump for progress:


EDIT: So i replaced the battery and now the engine turns over. The battery was dead before but now it's brand new but it still won't start. It could've been the alternator but now it has power, so that shouldn't be a problem.

If the engine is rolling over now and not starting the only thing i can think of is the starter, but i just got that replaced last summer Any ideas?

 

[Nyical]

not to sure but dont think its the starter if the engine is turning over, sounds like your not getting spark or fuel, have either one of those checked out or PM Viper GTS and there are
a few others here on the board that could point you in the right direction.

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: yobarman
bump for progress:


EDIT: So i replaced the battery and now the engine turns over.

I told you that would happen 2 hours ago.

If the engine is rolling over now and not starting the only thing i can think of is the starter, but i just got that replaced last summer Any ideas?

If the engine is turning over, it's not the starter either. I assume you'll come back in three hours and say you bought a new starter and it still doesn't start.

Things to check: Are you getting spark? Take off one of the spark plug wires, and hold the end near (but not touching - maybe 1/4 inch away from) the spark plug. Have someone attempt to start the car. A spark should jump from the wire to the end of the spark plug. If it doesn't, the problem is with something in the ignition. If it does spark, it's possibly a fuel flow issue.

 

[yobarman]

Originally posted by: Tyler

Originally posted by: yobarman
bump for progress:


EDIT: So i replaced the battery and now the engine turns over.

I told you that would happen 2 hours ago.

If the engine is rolling over now and not starting the only thing i can think of is the starter, but i just got that replaced last summer Any ideas?

If the engine is turning over, it's not the starter either. I assume you'll come back in three hours and say you bought a new starter and it still doesn't start.

Things to check: Are you getting spark? Take off one of the spark plug wires, and hold the end near (but not touching - maybe 1/4 inch away from) the spark plug. Have someone attempt to start the car. A spark should jump from the wire to the end of the spark plug. If it doesn't, the problem is with something in the ignition. If it does spark, it's possibly a fuel flow issue.

the battery was close to dying anyway if you're going to be a dick about it.

i dont know about taking the engine apart, that's pretty hardcore and we dont have many tools around here, but ill ask around

thanks for the help so far guys

 

[XZeroII]

It sounds like the problem is with your car. Try starting someone else's car and see if the problem goes away.

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: yobarman
I dont know about taking the engine apart, that's pretty hardcore and we dont have many tools around here, but ill ask around

Removing a spark plug wire involves grabbing the wire and pullnig kinda hard. You need no tools at all to do it, replacing a battery is more difficult.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: XZeroII
It sounds like the problem is with your car. Try starting someone else's car and see if the problem goes away.

thats harsh. thats real harsh

 

[yobarman]

Originally posted by: Tyler

Originally posted by: yobarman
I dont know about taking the engine apart, that's pretty hardcore and we dont have many tools around here, but ill ask around

Removing a spark plug wire involves grabbing the wire and pullnig kinda hard. You need no tools at all to do it, replacing a battery is more difficult.

yeah especailly in my car... but i got a big engine block sitting there... im guessing i unscrew that? or are the spark plugs supposed to be outside of the block? sorry for the stupidity but ive never done engine work

 

[Nyical]

Pulling a plug is rather easy on an engine, if your not to sure how to do it get the help of someone who can or better yet get a manual for the make and year of your car or truck.

Hell thats how I learned to work on my 99 S-10.

 

[XZeroII]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: XZeroII
It sounds like the problem is with your car. Try starting someone else's car and see if the problem goes away.

thats harsh. thats real harsh

Hey, I'm a software engineer. We'll get this problem fixed up in no time at all.

 

[notfred]

Spark plug wire, not "spark plug". See the wires going from the distributer to each cylinder (the distributer is a round thing with a bunch of think wires coming out of it)? Follow one of those wires to the engine. Grab the end of the wire that attaches to the engine. Pull. There, you removed a spark plug wire. Now hold it near the spark plug (or anything that's metal and grounded... like the engine block) and have someone turn the car over and watch to see if it sparks.

 

[yobarman]

alright well my friend left for the day so im gonna see if anyone can help tomorrow, thanks for the tips ya'll

 

[notfred]

Why even ask for help? I suggest you just call a damn tow truck and have a mechanic look at it. You're obviously neither qualified nor willing to try and fix it yourself, so what do you plan on accomplishing tomorrow?

I explained exactly how to test for spark, and you're not even going to attempt it. You have to unplug a wire for pete's sake... if you can't do that, you really think you're gonig to get it fixed without towing it to a mechanic?

Why even bother asking for advice if you know beforehand that you're not going to take it?

 

[yobarman]

Originally posted by: Tyler
Why even ask for help? I suggest you just call a damn tow truck and have a mechanic look at it. You're obviously neither qualified nor willing to try and fix it yourself, so what do you plan on accomplishing tomorrow?

I explained exactly how to test for spark, and you're not even going to attempt it. You have to unplug a wire for pete's sake... if you can't do that, you really think you're gonig to get it fixed without towing it to a mechanic?

Why even bother asking for advice if you know beforehand that you're not going to take it?

I'm sorry i forgot to mention i'm not an stretch armstrong where i can start the car myself AND hold a spark plug out like you said. I said that my friend left for the day and ill see if i can get help tomorrow, if i had anyone else to help me right now i would go test it but no ones around. Geez man i just asked for your help and i respect that but you gotta flip sh*t, what the hell crawled up your ass and died...

 

[Marshallj]

If the car was being jumpstarted and it still wouldn't start, you know the problem at that point is not your battery (since jumping uses the other guy's electrical power) and it's not your starter (since your engine is cranking)

Two basic things to look for at that point are fuel and spark. Is your fuel pump working? Are you getting spark?

Does the car try to to start at all? Do any cylinders fire?

 

[Marshallj]

Did you check the error codes yet?

 

[yobarman]

Originally posted by: Marshallj
Did you check the error codes yet?

nah i dunno how to do that. i dont have a manual for the car