!!!rod help!!!!

[Drewet88]

just a quick update. I checked my local auto-zone. No luck.

So I checked my local kragens. They sell engines.

Now I'm waiting for the money.

And now my car wont start at all. The guy from Kragens lives right by me and wanted to check out the engine so he tried starting the car and the only thing that happened is the car tried to turn over and the lights dimmed.

I didn't want to try starting it with the cracked rod so I didn't start it for a while.

The guy says the cracked rod shouldn't stop the car from starting and I may wont to trace that problem down so I can fix everything @ once.

Is this a good idea or does he not know what he's talking about?

[GTP Dad]

Yes it is a good idea to check out the problem and try to solve it that way the car will be ready to go when you get the new engine.

[Drewet88]

Alright thankis for the help GTP dad.

Its a new battery so I'll start by checking the other obvious possibilities.

[GTP Dad]

One thing to check is to make sure the battery is fully charged. Sometimes even new batteries can be weak. Also check the grounds and the connections to the starter. They are the most obvious places to start. Also make sure you are getting fuel. An easy way to check for spark is to spray a little starting fluid in the throttle body. If it fires then check the fuel system. Sometimes fuel pumps will go bad if a car sits for an extended period of time. Let me know what happens.

[Drewet88]

Well I even tried jump starting the car today so I THINK I can rule out the battery.

But when I turn the key the engine All of the lights dim, (the dash almost completely turns off) and it only tries to turn over one time before silence.

I hear the fuel pump turn on so I don't think its bad.

According to my Haynes Repair Manual it can be a number of things so where should I start.

O and GTP Dad thanks for all your help, I'm going to spray a lil starting fluid in the throttle body tomorrow and see if that helps.

Could bad spark plugs stop the engine from turning over?

[tri-power]

I know you said you tried to jump it, but it still sounds like a battery or starting problem. Try jumping the car directly from the other car by bypassing your battery. You can do this by connecting the positive directly to the battery positive cable and the negative to a motor ground, like the motor bracket. If you still cant get it to crank over, try looking into the starter or solenoid.

[GTP Dad]

Check all grounds, a bad ground can cause the problems you speak of and can cause a failure of the car to turn over properly. But check the starter connections too like tri-power said.

[Drewet88]

Well I took tri-powers advice and connected the jumper pack directly to the car. No luck
Now the car doesn't even attempt to turn over.
When I turn the key all of the lights turn off until I release the key.
All of the connections are good.
Someone told me it may be the alternator, I am going to take the alternator out and get it tested.

[Drewet88]

I bought a jumper pack and hooked that up directly to my engine as tri-power said, lil luck.
Back to old symptoms, trying to turn over but will not.
Still taking alternator in to see if it is bad, also taking battery to see if it is dead/dying.

[Drewet88]

I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this but I have to go under the car and pull out the starter to get it tested.

Any hints/tips.

[tri-power]

Well by trying to directly jump the car by bypassing the battery, you have ruled out the battery as being "The" source of your problem. This doesn't mean that it's ok but it's not your biggest problem. I doubt that the alternator is the culprit but getting it tested wouldn't hurt. It's definitely a good bet that it's in the starting system. Either the starter solenoid or the relay. I would make sure the battery is at full charge then try starting it again. If nothing or it starts hard, then have the solenoid checked. I know it's a pain to remove but I've seen that be the problem more often than not. I can't say thats the only solution but I think thats the right way to go. Hopefully you can find it soon.

[Drewet88]

Hopefully. I am going to pull out the starter monday, (not tomorrow SuperBowl)
From what I read in my Chilton manuel it is just 3 bolts and some wires, (I bet its a lot harder than it sounds)
The battery is good, I had it checked and recharged. I even tried 2 different batteries
Alternator checked out good. It passed all 3 tests
- Lamp/Diode Trio
- Regulator
- Rectifier

I checked every fuse with a line tester
Traced all wiring, everything is working finely
Checked all cables, all have power running through them
No corrosion anywhere
The belt is a little cracked/frayed but it is not to tight or loose

Engine attempts to turn over
There is gas
I hear the fuel pump coming on

The starter is the only other thing I think it can possibly be

Can bad spark plugs cause a problem like this?

[tri-power]

If it's trying to turn over now then it's probably not the starter. But it the system is the same as before then the solenoid is probably bad.

Ifit's cranking over fine but won't start, check the coil pack for spark to the cylinders. You may have a weak pack or ICM. Plugs could cause a problem but it would be easy to diagnose that. Pull them and see if they are burned out and check gap.

[Drewet88]

Alright.
Since its attempting to turn over its more likely the solenoid?

Since I'll have to pull out the starter to get to the solenoid should I just get them both tested?

Can you even test a solenoid?

O and when you say a weak pack or ICM I have no idea what you mean. So it would be pretty hard for me to check that out.

[tri-power]

If it's attempting to turn over, I'd say leave the starter alone for now. Lets check spark. The coil pack is the part delivering spark to the cylinders. Your car doesn't have a distributor so it ises the coil pack instead. The icm is located right under the coil pack. Both are connected togther so it may look like one unit. It's located in front on the passengers side, and should be easily identifyable by the spark plug wires connected to it. If you find one wire not recieving spark, then the wire directly across from it should also be without spark. If you find that none have spark, then the icm is bad.