the car will crank but wont start!!!! please help

[trenee1019]

My car started hesitating very severley and the engine light started flashing. Shut it off then tried to restart but wouldn't start. Found out I had starter failure. Replaced the starter, however now the engine only cranks but won't start. I smell fuel from the exhaust so I know it's nothing fuel related. I think it may be MAF sensor or crank positioning sensor. Please let me know if I'm on the right track.

[grandprixgtx00]

to get started here...year of your GP and what motor? also...how many miles?

[trenee1019]

Sorry, 1999 GP with 3.8 and 111,000.

[grandprixgtx00]

well your first step is to get the code pulled from the system and see what you get, why the SES light is on...IF it still is. usually when the SES light is flashing it means you are getting a misfire code.

going by your mileage...have you done a tune up? look at the wires...do they still have numbers on them (1-6)

[trenee1019]

I had not done a tune up yet. I just recently bought the car @ 109,000 and yes the wires still read the numbers 1-6. I will try a tune up and hope that it's not the sensors.

[tblake]

unplug the MAF sensor and try to start it.

Mine did that too recently (severe hesitation) unplugged the maf and it ran just fine. Replaced the maf, and all is well.

[Mickey#1]

Seems strange that the starter went at the same time it started hesitating.
Are you sure the battery is good?
I'd also check the battery cable connections & all the fuses.

If all the above is good then:
check for spark at each of the three front cylinders
check fuel pressure
check for fuel injector pulse

If all the above is good:
Try unplugging the MAF
Try unplugging the TPS

[trenee1019]

Okay, so here's the current status. I replaced the starter and got turnover but nothing else. So I went and unplugged the MAF and TPS but only got the same results as before. I then replaced all spark plugs and got turnover and fire however it would immediately die. My SES light no longer comes on but my TRAC OFF light comes on. Based on previous forums I can only assume my Crank Positioning Sensor puked. So I bought the sensor and will install it tomorrow. I smelled fuel on the old plugs and out of the exhaust so I know it's getting fuel. I'm not sure about fuel pressure though.

Any other thoughts, I will take any advice possible. I had never had one issue until now. Everything is going at once!!!

[Mickey#1]

Turn the key to run a couple times & then check for fuel in the vacuum line that goes to the fuel pressure regulator.
Does it have the supercharger?

[tblake]

Just replace that Crank Position Sensor before you go any further with diagnosis.

[trenee1019]

So here's the deal. I installed the crank positioning sensor and the car starts however the exhaust is pure white and it runs crappy. Took it to a shop and found out there is coolant mixed with the oil. They say the intake is bad and leaking coolant into the engine. I don't understand that. My coolant was low however it wasn't overheating and the temp gauge didn't show anything unusual. So there going to install a new intake and charge me $300 with labor.

I'm no mechanic by any means, but something doesn't seem right about this. What do you guys think??

[accuab]

These cars have been known for the intake manifold gasket to go bad and cause coolant to leak into the oil. Open the oil cap and see if there is a milky looking stuff in the oil. If it is, then that gasket needs to be replaced. Even if you aren't a mechanic you could probably pull it off with a little help from someone that has worked on cars a little more than you have. Otherwise, look for a mechanic that works out of his house or one that you know. It could save you some cash.

[Mickey#1]

That might explain the starter not working , the engine may have been hydrolocked. Was the nose on the starter cracked?

If it's not too late have them use metal framed intake gaskets.

[trenee1019]

I got my car back finally. They replaced the intake gasket and flushed the oil to clean out the coolant from the engine. They also had to replace the MAF sensor because it was throwing out a code. Its been running better than ever until today. This morning when I started the car I heard tapping from the engine which got louder as I accelerated. However when I got to work it was much quetier and barely noticeable. I popped the hood and listened closely, it sounds like the tapping was coming from one of the pulleys rather than the heads. And when I got home I couldn't hear the tapping at all. WTF. My SES light came on again, autozone said my MAP sensor is going bad which explains my crappy MPG. And to top things off, I have had as most others the hard shifting which I was waiting on the weather to clear up to replace the pressure solenoid. However, ever since my car broke down my transmission sometimes slips from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th. Why???? I read somewhere to use Seafoam as an additive in the tranny until I can repair the solenoid. Is that true?

BTW, the nose of the starter was broken off. Here's a list of all my repairs during one weekend:
Starter ($185), AC Delco plugs($37), Crank Positioning Sensor with labor ($105), Intake gasket with oil flush and coolant flush with labor ($250)

Need to replace MAP sensor and tranny Pressure Solenoid. Thank you all by the way for your help this past weekend. Couldn't have done it with out you guys. I love my GP and tend to keep it. I'll post a pic next post.

[Mickey#1]

Sometimes these engines will develop a rod knock after the lower intake failure. I'm afraid that might have been the tapping you heard. I'm not sure if the noise from a rod knock would go away so maybe I'm wrong. Time will tell. Hopefully some others with personal experience will chime in.

Baby the car for awhile & keep the volume down on the radio. If the tapping gets louder you might want to pull over before it puts a rod through the engine block.