Car Won't Start

[flashlight]

So last Thursday my car died on me thankfully after I got to the parking lot at my apartment complex. So far I have gone through and replaced the distributor cap and rotor also the spark plugs and the fuel filter. What should I check or do next? The symptoms before it died was it was sluggish getting going at stop lights. Then in the parking lot after I had parked the car it ran for about 30 more seconds then coughed and died. I have a 94 Geo metro with about 173.5K miles on it, it's the manual transmission with the 1.0L engine. I'm not sure but could it be possible that my MAP sensor has conked out and needs to be replaced. Please help!

[RossT]

Your signs and symptoms indicate to me that your fuel pump is shot. It could be other things but make sure you have fuel pressure. Have someone turn your key to the "on" position , but not all the way to start. While they do that listen down by the fuel tank, you should be able to hear the fuel pump turn on, it should "buzz" for a few seconds as the key is turned to the on position. If you hear a buzz sound, you will need to check for fuel pressure. Sometimes as they go out, they stop delivering the correct amount of pressure, but just enough to keep things barely running.

I had a 91 that would start and idle fine, but you couldn't go up steep hills. New fuel pump solved the problem.

[flashlight]

When I turn my key on part way the fuel pump does make the buzzing sound. Which I know is it pressuring the fuel tank. So is there a way to check if it is going without taking it out of the tank? The thing is my car doesn't even start. It turns over but won't catch. Meaning I can't even get it to idle for me.

[Crvett69]

make sure the rotor is turning when you crank engine. if its turning them pull air cleaner off and have someone crank it while you look inside throttle bore with flashlight carefully. should see a spray of gas coming out the bottom of injector while its being cranked. if all that checks good run a comression test. also plug diagnostic fuse into fuse box and see if you get any trouble codes

[RossT]

I agree with what crvette above stated. Check for fuel and spark first. If you have those, run a compression test. You can buy a cheap tester at walmart for about $25. I can post a link on how to do it if you want. Also make sure your timing belt has not snapped.

[yotazuki]

Could be timing belt.

[91Caprice9c1]

In one of the first two threads this guy started over all this he mentions backfiring. Confirming at least some degree of fuel and spark.

Never the less, FLASH, these gentlemen have WONDERFUL SUGGESTIONS FOR YOU and MAYBE YOU SHOULD perform some DIAGNOSTICS as they are instructing you to BEFORE YOU START ANOTHER thread?!?!?!

It's your old and rusty brake drums... the ones in front.

-MechanicMatt

[twyztedsteele]

I would say timing or ecm, also make sure plug wires are plugged up right. I have hooked them up wrong and got the same problems.

[91Caprice9c1]

See... this is what happens when we have 4 threads dealing with the same car and problem. People viewing the forum don't know the development and progress of a particular problem.

It all began with a thread he started when looking for a MAP sensor. IIRC his dad was 90 some-odd percent sure this was his problem.

Some of the other guys and I swayed him away from this misguidance and steered him into discovering a degrading timing belt.

Of course, having no way to trace back all the history, you thought this thread was still alive but in reality, another was started after this one in which he revealed the real problem: a bad timing belt. It's a shame because you miss out on all the reasoning behind all the advice we gave and the outcome thereof.

So, let us credit Flash for teaching us all a valuable lesson. Stick to one thread when summoning advice for a particular problem.

-MechanicMatt

[femaledriver]

Sorry, but in this persons defense, I just got started with this forum and had no idea about how to even post a question. Thats why if you look at my problems with questions and stuff, I have it more than once. But, thanks to this forum, I got a ton of great information, Thanks Metro Roy.

[Woodie83]

There's something about your name that makes it so you can do pretty much anything and we won't get impatient. girlz r kewl. Flashlights are neutral.

[91Caprice9c1]

I'm pissy...

In any case...



-MechanicMatt