1993 Escort LX Won't Start

[ILSteve]

My son's 1993 Escort won't start. Here is what we have done so far.

We checked to see if the fuel filter or the fuel pump were functioning. They seem to be. Also when we pull spark plugs out they smell of gasoline, so we are guessing gas is getting into the cylander.

We checked to see if we were getting spark off the plugs. We are.

We took the timing belt cover off enough to check to see if the timing belt was intact and the cam was turning. All seem to be fine.

And yet the car just won't turn over. When you turn the key the starter seems to be functioning, spark is coming to the plugs and the cam is turning, but the car never sounds even close to starting.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

[daclub]

I had something similar happen....just had to change the battery...it wasnt all the way dead just 2 of the cells were thus not enough cranking power to turn the car over all the way

[ILSteve]

Originally Posted by daclub

I had something similar happen....just had to change the battery...it wasnt all the way dead just 2 of the cells were thus not enough cranking power to turn the car over all the way

We actually attempted to start the car while jumping it, and that didn't seem to have much of an impact. Thank you though for your response.

[nditech]

Do you smell fuel? If not it sounds like a fuel pump or the injectors. Also under the hood is a fuse block which has a fuse for the injectors. I think i have also read on the board some where that the fuel shut off switch could have tripped. Hope this helps some.

[ILSteve]

Originally Posted by nditech

Do you smell fuel? If not it sounds like a fuel pump or the injectors. Also under the hood is a fuse block which has a fuse for the injectors. I think i have also read on the board some where that the fuel shut off switch could have tripped. Hope this helps some.

Actually had not thought about the injector fuse.

I did take the hose off the top of the fuel filter and tested to see if fuel was coming from the tank... it was. So that leaves off fuel pump tripped off, or bad fuel pump, or a fuel filter problem. I also did smell gasoline on two spark plugs I removed to check. So I was thinking that gasoline was getting to the cylander, but maybe not.

I'll check that.

[nditech]

you should be able to smell the fuel with out removing the plugs. I know after rebuilding mine withe the coil unplugged and turning the motor over it smelled just like when you flood an old carburator.

[turtle725]

you said you took the timing belt cover off to look and see if it moved. But did you check to see if it was alligned? if the timing is off you would get all of the above system showing it working just not sparking at the right time. You might get a back fire or smell gas in the exhaust.

[ILSteve]

Originally Posted by turtle725

you said you took the timing belt cover off to look and see if it moved. But did you check to see if it was alligned? if the timing is off you would get all of the above system showing it working just not sparking at the right time. You might get a back fire or smell gas in the exhaust.

Yeah, that was one of the first things I thought. Though I didn't take the entire cover off, the belt appeared to be tight. Also, there is no backfiring or exhaust. Its as though there isn't any explosion of gasoline at all... which just seems odd to me. It would seem to me that if I was getting gasoline and a spark in the same place that I would be getting some sort of explosion.

Am I missing something?

[ILSteve]

So, let me ask this:

If the timing belt slipped, would I still get some sort of firing? Even if it were valve problems? My thought was yes.

We are getting absolutely no firing or backfiring or anything. That is why I keep thinking that I am not getting gasoline into the clyander. Am I thinking about that correctly?

[Marko11]

Have you checked for a restricted exhaust?? ie) converter plugged?

[ILSteve]

Originally Posted by Marko11

Have you checked for a restricted exhaust?? ie) converter plugged?

Hmmm... that is something that I haven't checked.

[Jet-Lee]

We had an Acura (yes diff car but same problem). It was the battery. We tried jumping and it didn't work. Tried charging the existing, didn't work. Put in a new battery and all was well.

[turtle725]

So, let me ask this:

If the timing belt slipped, would I still get some sort of firing? Even if it were valve problems? My thought was yes.

We are getting absolutely no firing or backfiring or anything. That is why I keep thinking that I am not getting gasoline into the clyander. Am I thinking about that correctly?


Yeah I think you are right there should be something. One more question you said it won't turn over? Do you mean when you turn the key the engine won't do anything or that it won't start? When you say it won't turn over to most people that means when you turn the key the starter won't spin the engine. It sounds like it is turning over, just not starting. I don't know how much work your willing to try but if you really want to know if gas is getting to your cylenders you could take out an injector and try to start the car and see if it sprays gas.

[ILSteve]

Originally Posted by turtle725

So, let me ask this:

If the timing belt slipped, would I still get some sort of firing? Even if it were valve problems? My thought was yes.

We are getting absolutely no firing or backfiring or anything. That is why I keep thinking that I am not getting gasoline into the clyander. Am I thinking about that correctly?


Yeah I think you are right there should be something. One more question you said it won't turn over? Do you mean when you turn the key the engine won't do anything or that it won't start? When you say it won't turn over to most people that means when you turn the key the starter won't spin the engine. It sounds like it is turning over, just not starting. I don't know how much work your willing to try but if you really want to know if gas is getting to your cylenders you could take out an injector and try to start the car and see if it sprays gas.

Right, the starter motor turns, the timing belt spins the cam. All that stuff happens. So that piece of it is occurring. There is no "firing sound". We took one of the spark plugs out and got a nice spark in regular sequence... enough so that if there was gasoline in the cylander it should have exploded, right?

I am back to thinking that I need to check the injectors and see if they are sending gas to the cylanders. I am thinking of changing out all of the fuses under the hood to start that process.

[turtle725]

Well technicaly ( I think not a mecanic) if perhaps your timing was off and the piston was on its way up to down or at the bottom of the stroke it wouldn't nessicarily have enough compression to ignite the gas. However I would check all the injector first. Fuses never hurt they are cheap and easy to check.