What should I do with this 2000 Sunfire

Well I just bought this 2000 Sunfire with 97k miles on it and a dented in fender/ bumper for $700...seemed like somewhat of a good deal. Well other than the body work the previous owner had headers,intake and an exhaust put it...it seems like it has been beat on a lot but still runs okay. I am not sure if it was lowered it seems pretty low but it looks like stock struts and springs. The intake seems like its missing a tube to the hole on the top of the engine. The car shakes at and idle drops at stop light. I was told the waterpump and starter were replaced...what should I start with on this car? New sparkplug wires and sparkplugs?, flush the coolant? The engine also seemed pretty dirty so I was going to spray it with degreeser and then wash it out..is this okay?

Go ahead and degrease it....dump all the fluids and top them off with fresh ones...if the intake is not going into the engine, its gonna run like crap because it wont be sucking in fresh air, just the warm air floating around the engine bay....you also risk sucking in debris like the hood liner....

I sprayed 2000 sunfire with degreeser today then rinsed it...and now for some reason it wont start. I think water got into the spark plugs or something..do i just give it a few days untill its dried ? These engines are prett weird..do ou have to take of the engine cover to get to the spark plugs.

Water shouldnt get into teh spark plugs...more than likely you landed some in the intake or the alternator...you can wait for it to evaporate or you can run down to Autozone or some place similar and buy some spray-on electrical dryer...

I bought engine starting fluid today, sprayed it into the intake and what do you know it started...for 5 seconds then cut off. Then made a clinky type noise. I repeated this about 5 more times with the same result...as soon as i try to floor the gas it cuts off. im out of ideas as to what can be wrong.

How do I get ODB error codes from a sunfire...the old on off on off on isnt working

make sure u didnt get water int eh distriputator casue that happened to me would start for a couple of sec then die. then when i would get it to last it would run like crap. just go to a junkyard and see if u can buy an intake tube for the air filter and suff. if u want to get water out of aulternator and other stuff just take a blow dryer it will save u money. :iceslolan :2cents:

hmm well I kept spraying the engine starter fluid into the intake for a good 2 min to dry out what ever water was in the engine but It doesnt look like water is the issue anymore. I found a plastic type part connected to wires in my intake and it was connected to wires going who knows where...could this be the oxygen sensor? I included some pic

http://www.qnsrealestate.com/sunfire.jpg
http://www.qnsrealestate.com/sunfirefuel.jpg

That is your Manifold Air Temp sensor...looks like someone wired it back into itself???

And your car would run without one...mine ran like a champ with my MAT sensor looking like this...

http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/7267/10030647lu.jpg

The item you have circled on the top of the valve cover goes to the stock air box.


It would have a short hose on it. Since you don't have the stock air box, it has been left "open". Basically, it's a breather.

it will run without the MAT, but, you will waste gas, and you might get a CEL. the computer uses that sensor to determine when the fuel/timing needs adjusted for incoming air temp. so you might be burning a little extra gas and not run timed out right, but it will run.

I was told my prob could be either crank or cam position sensor, anyone know where they are located?

sounds like a problem I had the other week. It will only crank when you spray starter fluid in it right? Check to see if you are getting fuel.

really? How did you solve the prob, its def not getting fuel, but im not sure ifs its the injectors the sensor or the fuel pump

I just changed out the pump. Best way to figure out if its your pump is to check your fuel pressure or if you dont have a pressure gauge, just take the fuel line loose from the fuel rail and turn your key on... if no gas comes out then its your pump or your filter has the worst clog ever

Well here is an update, the engine runs when i pour gas into the intake..then cuts off when it runs out of fuel, i tested the injector wires and there is injector pulse when the engine is cranked...so i guess its not getting fuel. The fuel pump fuse is good and i switched the fuel pump relay with the ac relay and nothing. Im running out of ideas here...i dont get how the fuel pump would stop working after a simple engine wash.

The injectors have power going to them...do they have fuel? Check your lines, change your fuel filter...also, take out the injectors, put them in a bucket or plastic freezer bag, and try to start it...

Seems like the basic thing is there is no fuel getting to/through the fuel injectors...

I have done told you bro. fuel pump, tell you what, jack the rear of your car up, lay under it by the tank, have someone turn the key to the ON position (where all the dash lights come on), if you dont here the pump cut on for about 2 secs then cut off its your pump. Really you dont have to jack it up. just lay beside the rear wheel well.