1998 cavalier 2.2 wont start

[nathann]

i need help ive got a 1998 cavalier 2.2 , it will not start it cranks and has fuel pressure BUT it will not fire , ive got power at module , the module is new the crank sensor is new the cam sensor is new plugs wires all new but still has no spark at plugs , ive swapped out coil packs still same thing no start , the fuel pumps cycles when key is turned on still nothing , this car was not running when i got it i was told it needed a head gasket i replaced it but it looked to be ok , anyway i doubt it matters but i have not installed serpentine belt yet , but wanted to mention in case there is something with it causing my problem anyway any help would be great , im just stumped right now Thanks

[djc1980]

i have the same car as you and back in november i had the same problem i needed a new battery and alternator and now my car makes a jerking motion when i stop at a light and then start i cant wait to get rid of this car

[Ed_in_Akron]

Hey Nathann,

Ignition systems can be tough to troubleshoot. Be patient and recheck everything you have worked on. Make sure everything is connected...properly. No bent prongs, unexplained dangling wires, etc. Use a check list to make sure that you leave nothing to chance, otherwise problems will crop up later. I'll try to assist you, but I need to ask questions.

You stated " the module is new ".
Great start (no pun intended), but your car has several major components that control spark. These components are all called modules. Which one of these modules is the new one?

You stated " ive got power at module ".
Good again, but modules (in the very basic sense) will have two points in which you can check power. These points are input and output points. At which point did you check for power? Was it incoming power for the module or was it going out to the device it operates? How did you check to see if it had power, did you use a test light or a meter? Test lights will glow even if there is just a fraction of the intended voltage. Meters will tell you exactly what is present. What good is 1.5 volts other than it makes your test light come to life, when you positively have to have 12 volts to make your spark plugs snap, crackle and pop! What extacly was your power reading in volts?

You stated " plugs wires all new "
Did you ohm out your wires before installing them? Once again, you must use a meter, test lights will fail you here for sure. And don't just check for continuity either, that measurement means absolutely nothing on spark plug wires. You must check resistance (measured in ohms). It is not common to get a bad wire, let alone more than one but it has happened before! Buddy of mine had a whole box of them where the wires literally were not connected to the connector inside of the wire boot properly. He ohmed them out and found the out of tolerence reading. He got what he paid for.

You stated " still has no spark at plugs ".
I'm just guessing the plugs are new as well, since just about everything else is new. Did you properly gap them? Did you place a spark tester on the end of the cable and properly set its gap and check to see if a spark jumped the gap? If not get one of these, it is priceless in troubleshooting spark.

You stated " i doubt it matters but i have not installed serpentine belt yet , but wanted to mention in case there is something with it causing my problem anyway ".
Absolutely this CAN matter, not putting the belt back on may cause problems for you. Whether or not this is the problem, is unknown at this point. Put the belt back on. It will only take you a few minutes, then at least you'll know. As you start your car, most of the energy being consumed from your battery is going straight to your starter. Your battery can only carry a certain amount of power for its devices. It can only deliver this for so long..and nothing more. Your starter has a big appetite for volts and amps. Your starter has no where near the amount of resistance that your ignition system has. Current always follows the path of least resistance, your starter has much less resistance than your plugs. Since I don't know how old your battery is, or its amp rating, your starter (along with other devices) may gobble up all of your battery's available power, leaving very little to no reserve for your high resistance ignition system. It takes alot of volts to make your spark jump that gap, especially under compression. So 9 or 10 volts at your coils input would be too low and thus no spark. Your starter could be putting the drain on your ignition system. However when your belt is on and spinning your alternator, the alternator will be giving your system back even more power to use, even at cranking speeds. Now your entire system should have more than enough power to run your devices, supply your hungry starter and push that voltage through your highly restrictive ignition system and recharge your battery all at the same time. Put the belt on, just one less possible problem to consider.

Ed

[nathann]

Thanks Ed , the module im referrring to is the ignition module , it is new , i check for power at the module with a test light , i understand as you state i need to use a voltmeter to test exact voltage but the test light , would be dim if it only had 1.5 volts wouldnt ? im not sure just asking because it is very bright when testing using it , and the power im referring to is power at the ignition module when key is turned on , as for belt i installed it and same thing no-start , im not sure if i have injecter puls , how do you check that ? anyway the other parts are all new plugs wires crank sesor cam sensor , i will go back and check for bent prongs at connections though had not even thought of checking those , you know when you get to that point when putting it back together you kinda get in a hurry and its possible that could have happened , any more insight would be great , you can even email me directly at [email protected] if you want Thanks Nathan

[Ed_in_Akron]

Hey Nathan,

You stated " and the power im referring to is power at the ignition module when key is turned on "
Ok, that could be good news. But at this point we have dived a little too deep for the time being. We need to back up a few steps and take it from the top. There is three things you need to test for first, I'll list them in order for you. It does require a spark tester. If you don't have one, they cost about $15 at Advanced Auto Parts ( http://www.partsamerica.com ) and this is where I bought mine. It is made by Ampro and does a nice job.

1.) Connect your ignition system completely back up. Make sure to follow the directions included with the spark tester. Set the gap correctly on the spark tester. The spark tester gap is NOT the same as your spark plug gap. It is much bigger! Also make sure the rest of your ignition system is completely connected back up! That means your spark plugs are gapped and installed, plug wires connected to the spark plugs, plug wires connected to the coils, coils connected to the iginition module. You get the picture. If this isn't done, the test will fail. You will test each and every plug wire. Just disconnect one of your plug wires from a spark plug at a time and then connect that plug wire to the spark tester. Always ground your tester to the head of your engine! Crank your engine. Did a spark jump the gap? You may need to get a helper to watch for the spark. Obviously do not touch the spark tester or any part of it when performing this test! You could get shocked and burned! Turn off the key and remove the key from the ignition switch before touching any part of the engine! Test each plug wire this way, remember to reconnect the plug wire you just tested back up to its spark plug. After you have tested each wire, see below.

2.) Three possibilities could of happened.
a.) There was no spark on one or two or three wires.
b.) There was no spark on all wires.
c.) There was spark on all wires.

3.) Tell me which statement is true. a.) or b.) or c.)

Sorry, I don't want to sound like I'm being short tempered with you. When I type directions, I try to type straight to the point so it doesn't sound confusing. I could tell you what a, b, and c test results mean, but that would take pages of typing. I am just trying to keep this as simple as possible.

Now back to the part when you connected your test light to the ignition module. It obviously glowed. You said you turned the key on, but did you crank the engine over while the test light was connected? If you did, what did the test light do?

d.) glowed steadily
e.) blinked
f.) didn't light up at all

tell me d.) or e.) or f.)

You stated " im not sure if i have injecter puls , how do you check that "?
We will get to that after I find out the answers to the above. Very basically you have to get another test light, one designed especially for testing injectors. You just disconnect one of the injector electrical connectors and attach it to the test light. Crank the engine over and watch the light too see if it blinks. This is the only test light I actually will use anymore. To answer your question about test lights being dim if voltage is low. Yes, some will be dim, others won't dim, they'll be just as bright to the human eye as if it had 12v. It all depends on what type you have. LED's are popular light sources anymore. Depending on their circuits, 5v will make the LED glow just as bright as 12v. It's always a better deal to use a volt meter, then you know exactly what the voltage is. Downside is that a good meter will set you back a few hundred bucks. Fluke is a very good manufacture of meters, very fast, data hold, bar graphs, etc. I am an electronics tech so luckily I have one. It may of spoiled me against test lights. Best of luck. Oh yeah, sometimes I don't get home to late, so posting back to you obviously will be late at times, as long as I don't fall asleep first!

Later

















very basically

[nathann]

ok first there is no spark at any plugs , second there is no fuel coming from injecters AT ALL i pulled rail out and cranked engine and got nothing , and the light on module stays bright while cranking , and im using an old test light with a bulb not a LED light , im thinking my ECM minght be bad , ??????

[Ed_in_Akron]

Ok,
there is no spark at any plugs
I'll assume that you did use a spark tester to check this.

there is no fuel coming from injecters AT ALL
I'll assume that you placed an injector test light on here and it did not blink. The following items may be at fault.
a.) Bad crankshaft sensor.
b.) Bad connector, bad connection, bad wire or fuse.
c.) Bad Electronic Control Module.

Since you have already replaced the crankshaft sensor, that problem is nill.
You have already double checked all of your connections, wires and fuse and found all to be ok.
c.) is your only option. Replace your ECM.

the light on module stays bright while cranking
The problem is one of three items here.
1.) Bad ignition module.
2.) Bad connector or connention or electrical wire, or fuse.
3.) Bad electronic control module.

Obviously you already have a new ignition module, so likelyhood of that being bad is nill. You already double checked for No. 2 and found all to be good.
No. 3 is your unlucky number. Replace the ECM.
No. 3 is your only other option - replace your ECM.

Your correct Nathan, pull your ECM out. Call your local parts store to see if they have the ability too confirm this for you. Generally they will test it for free provided you purchase the replacement from them. BOL