Stratus turns over but won't start...very strange please help!

[schoepbr]

I got into a mild car accident about 4 months ago in which i hit the front left of my car against an embankment at about 40mph. after pulling my battery out of my wheel-well and fixing the bumper my car ran fine again. about 3 weeks ago i drove it 30 minutes up the road to a store and when i came out to get in my car it started then puttered then died. i tried to restart it with no luck. it eventually did start after 10 minutes and i drove it about 2 miles before it puttered again and died. i eventually got it restarted and i drove it the 30 minutes back home.

it ran fine for a week then i went to another store about 20 minutes away and the exact same thing happened. i got it started in the parking lot and managed to get it home. now it's sitting outside, it turns over just fine, but it will not start.

i'm wondering if i knocked something loose when i had my accident because i'm sure there are no major mechanical problems since it will run once it starts but it just doesn't like starting.

any suggestions or hints or tips as to what to look for or at?????

thank you!

[ctwright]

My nissan did the exact same thing not long after hitting a deer, it wound up being the the screw that holds the rotor button in place inside the distributor. It gave us problems for a bit, then just wouldn't start at all. The problems were because it being loose and then no starting because it came completely out.

[schoepbr]

I'll look into that, thanks! Anyone else have any ideas???

[ctwright]

Normally I'd ask first though whether you are getting gas and spark, have you checked that yet? I just said what I said above just because it reminded me when we hit a deer and had similar problems seeing how you mentioned being into an accident shortly before the problems.

Check that you are getting fuel, and check that you are getting spark as well, and get back to us.