Author Topic: Car won't start....please help. (Read 5043 times)

Sophia69IS · « **on:** November 26, 2010, 01:10:19 PM »

Okay...car was running fine yesterday, no problems.
Went to crank it up today...won't even start.

The engine turns over...I have vacuum...I have new spark plugs...so I thought maybe the fuel pump (which is less than a year old) because I cannot hear it priming.

After taking out the backseat and listening...I can hear the fuel pump pumping when I crank the engine...but it still doesn't prime when I put it in the "on" position.

Some reasearch on the internet has some people suggesting I get a new crankshaft position sensor....I don't really want to drop money on a new one of those or a new fuel pump if I don't have too...I am on a really tight budget right now.

I already checked the fuses.

I need to drive this car to work Monday...any ideas and thoughts would be awesome...thanks!

KenC · « **Reply #1 on:** November 26, 2010, 01:26:14 PM »

Use a multimeter and check the resistance of the crank and cam position sensors. Easy to do. Crankshaft sensor should be about 500ohms, and the camshaft sensor should be about 1280ohms.

Sophia69IS · « **Reply #2 on:** November 26, 2010, 01:49:04 PM »

I have a multimeter...but how exactly would I go about checking them?

Put the meter prongs on either end of the sensor?

P.S. Thanks for your quick reply. =)

Sophia69IS · « **Reply #3 on:** November 26, 2010, 02:03:16 PM »

Okay...figured it out....they were both running right around where you said. ^__^

Any other ideas? =P

KenC · « **Reply #4 on:** November 26, 2010, 03:51:58 PM »

Pull the plugs and verify spark.

bmwm42 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 26, 2010, 06:28:27 PM »

Check fuel relay see if injectors are firing ur

DesktopDave · « **Reply #6 on:** November 26, 2010, 07:13:31 PM »

You have an e30, right? I'll assume you do.

Did the car run after the plugs were replaced? It's easy to mix up the plug wires. Any other work you've done recently on the car?

You checked the connection and the resistance on the crank sensor, that's excellent. Did you check & make sure the crank sensor nose is right next to the trigger wheel? It has to be very close to work correctly. I suspect it has to be clean too. I clean mine every time I do an oil change with a paper shop towel.

Run us a stomp test too, let us know how it blinks. 1-4-4-4 is normal, let me know if it does that too. They're usually pretty useful.

Sophia69IS · « **Reply #7 on:** November 27, 2010, 08:03:13 AM »

Hey sorry my internet has been down.

Yes, the car is an e30 1991 318IS.

The car has run for about a week since I put the new spark plugs in. I have checked the crank and cam sensors.

I am planning on pulling the plugs to verify spark this morning.

....I am not sure how to do a stomp test???

Thanks for your replies everyone....^__^

Sophia69IS · « **Reply #8 on:** November 27, 2010, 08:04:10 AM »

Oh I also went down to O'Reilly's and argued with them to give me a new fuel pump....so they did and I installed it last night, however it made no changes to the situation. =/

Sophia69IS · « **Reply #9 on:** November 27, 2010, 08:15:41 AM »

I still don't understand why my fuel pump will run when the car cranks...but doesn't prime?

DesktopDave · « **Reply #10 on:** November 27, 2010, 08:32:32 AM »

IIRC, my pump only runs once the motor starts spinning. It's not like the older FI cars I've had that prime when the key goes to position II. The car is odd like that.

For the car to start, the crank position sensor must first send a signal to the computer, or else it won't let the fuel pump relay close to prime the system. It's a safety mechanism from Bosch.

Stomp test is putting the key in position II (don't start the car, that's position III) and stomping the gas pedal at least five times. If you get it right, the CEL will start blinking. It seems random at first, but if you count the blinks (fast blinks for numbers with longer pauses between them) it'll tell you some limited diag info. I'll bet you didn't know how far ahead of it's time this car was, eh? It's not OBDII, but it's close.

Sophia69IS · « **Reply #11 on:** November 27, 2010, 08:44:12 AM »

Desktop Dave....thanks...I did not know that this existed.

I just gave it a shot...and the code is indeed...1-4-4-4

Could it be the fuel pump ground? I don't even know where that would be located.

Sophia69IS · « **Reply #12 on:** November 27, 2010, 08:45:17 AM »

Oh and previously I have always heard my fuel pump prime before I turn the car to III position.

DesktopDave · « **Reply #13 on:** November 27, 2010, 10:23:34 AM »

A few people have had a loose connection on the pump. It isn't grounded through the frame...it has ground & power both in the wiring harness. Without a pressure tester it's hard to tell if the pump is good, but you tested it with a new replacement so I'd assume it's OK. The wiring, relay and fuel pressure regulator (FPR) might not be good though.

You also tested for spark, right?

You can also test the entire system by pulling the fuel pump relay, key in position II, and shorting the socket terminals 30 & 87 with a short bit of wire. The pump will kick on, FPR will open & send fuel back to the tank. You should hear that clearly (I was surprised at how loud it was, but you can't hear it over the motor normally). Ideally, you'd have a pressure gauge inline to test the fuel pressure at the rail.

I was hoping the car would give you an AFM code, but it thinks all is clear. Based on your answers I have three guesses about why your car isn't starting:
1. The FPR isn't keeping enough pressure in the rail.
2. The fuel pump relay or fuel pump plug isn't 100%, so the pump isn't developing full pressure.
3. The crank sensor is good, but dirty, bent or too far away from the trigger wheel. That sensor is responsible for a lot of no-starts with a 1444 code.

318lotis · « **Reply #14 on:** November 27, 2010, 02:29:10 PM »

my car is doing same thing. turns over, will not start. but occasionlly it stats. im thinking
ground problem, the other day i repaired glove box hinges and tighted it up maybe knocking computer/wiring harness...im still researching.
Have you tried tapping your fuel pump?