Ok heres the short story my car hasn't been drivable since November last year. Found out my alternator was bad so I replaced it with a hi output alternator and it still wouldn't start well messing around with it more found out the coil module is fried replaced that. And here I am now with new spark plugs, plug wires, injector o-rings, new gaskets, coil pack, coils, with a 2 year old fuel pump. Everything seems to be working perfect but it still wont start. Im getting fuel, my injectors seem to be good there is no leaks and it still wont start. I went out today and started to work on it more and tried to start it and it misfired and backfired. Well i messed with it some more and now its not misfiring but its still backfiring. Im thinking maybe an O2 sensor so Im going to check them but do you guys have any other ideas what I should go ahead and check. or any ideas what might be wrong. It sounds like it wants to start but wont. Oh and also my battery keeps going low for some reason its a redtop optima I took it to autozone and had it charged and its been in the car for a week now and its already low any ideas on that too. Thanks everyone.
Check for fuel in the cylinder,if OK, check for spark,if OK, check the timing, then go from there,also you might have a short or some other electrical problem if your battery is getting drained,check your grounds first then inspect the wiring harness.
Stop replacing every part under the hood and get it properly diagnosed by a Mechanic
fuel is getting to the cylinder and there is spark but I have not checked the timing yet. All the parts that have been replaced needed to be my plugs were bad so had to replace those, one of the wires boots broke off so I replaced those and I pulled out my fuel injectors so I replaced the o- rings and whenever you take off the intake manifold you have to replace the gaskets so I replaced those. So im not replacing anything that doesnt need to be replaced. I have heard that alot of stuff go out when your coil module and alternator goes out, is there anything I should also be checking that has not been mentioned yet?
Thanks
Well if your getting spark and fuel,and it still isn't starting, I'd say your timing has to be off.How many miles are on your car,have you ever checked the timing chain or replaced it yet?It may of jumped time.
Simple thing but often overlooked. Is the #1 spark plug wire going to the #1 plug, 2 to 2; 3 to 3; 4 to 4??
This would give you non start, hard start, backfire situation, as would more serious things like a timing chain.
Double check it, triple check it. I assume you have wires? you didn't tell us what engine you are running.
Dave
sorry I have a 97 2.2 cav. I have taken apart the whole manifold and rechecked my wires and they all look good heres the order I have them in on the front where the plugs are it goes 1 2 3 4 and on the back looking down from the front of the car it goes 1 4 on the first coil then the second coil is 2 3 from top to bottom.
No I have not checked my timing chain. I got the car with 100k miles and now its got about 158k. How often should you replace the timnig chain, and how would you check it? thanks
You've done so many things it's hard to tell. If your battery is dying, have your alternator tested at autozone for free, could be a junky "rebuilt" alternator that you installed. Could be a flooded engine since you replaced the fuel injector o-rings. Did you soak the o-rings in oil before you put them in? I wouldn't worry about the timing chain. I wouldn't replace the oxygen sensor unless I had a check engine light for one. At this point, it seems like your throwing parts at the problem. Why not take it to a mechanic and have it properly diagnosed? It's been 8 months that your car has been sitting.
i cant get it to a mechanic its got air ride on it so its slammed right now. and no I didn't soak the o rings in oil I didn't know I was supposed too, I was looking at it some more and noticed that the long screw inside my starter is pushed out could that be the problem I didn't have the time to screw it in and try but today im going to. I have had the alternator tested at advanced and autozone autozone said its good and advanced said its faulty so I sent it back to the company I bought it from (knukonceptz) and they said that its running good and that those type of places cant test hi output alternators.
ok noticed I have lost my IAT sensor somewhere anybody have an extra one they arent using? for a 2.2 97 cavalier.
ok I found my IAT sensor hooked it up messed with my car finally got it started sounds great only one problem when I press on the gas it starts to die any ideas on that. and the intake manifold sounds dry like you can hear it sucking in the air but it sounds very dry its loud.
ok update intake still sounds the same and I noticed my oil smells a little like gas what could cause this? and I have a oil pressure gauge it says its hitting 100lbs. and the car still wants to die when i press on the gas pedal.
chris b wrote:ok update intake still sounds the same and I noticed my oil smells a little like gas what could cause this? and I have a oil pressure gauge it says its hitting 100lbs. and the car still wants to die when i press on the gas pedal.
You are NOT burning the fuel that the injectors are injecting into the cylinders. I'd suspect a clogged injector or two or three. The unburned fuel is seeping past the rings into the crankcase. Find out what the exact problem is, fix it and then CHANGE the oil ASAP to prevent engine bearing damage. 100 PSI of gasoline doesn't lubricate much at all.
A clogged air filter could also cause a rich condition as can a variety of malfunctioning sensors.
You will most likely need someone with an engine analyzer that can see what each cylinder is doing and start diagnosing the running issues and resulting unburned fuel.
The unburned fuel being ejected from the cylinder on the exhaust stroke can also damage your oxygen sensors and the catalytic convertor.
Dave
how can I tell if a injector is clogged and my catalytic convertor is about a year and half old so it should be good. I'll check the O2 sensors this weekend. I checked my oil today and its very thin so Im going to change the oil this weekend and see how it sounds. by the way I have a haynes but its not that specific but I lost the order of plug wires I have them as this right now the front of the car is going 1-2-3-4 and the coil working its way down is going 4-1-2-3 sound about right to all you 2.2 ohv people out there?
im having similar issues with the car wanting to stall as soon as you touch the gas pedal, its drivable but pulling off from lights is hell!
whats the procedures for checking the injectors?
u got me a lil worried here as after my car started running like @!#$, it sounded like its knocking a little bit, now im wondering if i have fuel in my oil and burning my bearings up....or if the sounds just related to the misfires
run a compression check on the cyls... that could cause a no start issue
oh boy, you've long pased the point of no return, lost your IAT what the Fudge, go figure, dam thing wont start without it, bought an aftermarket high output alternator, again, what the fudge, it's the 21'st century not 1970, you want to know why autozone said it is bad and the manufacturer disagrees, because it has too big of an output for your car, that's why autozone machine said it is bad, and the manufacturer just doesn't know any better, sensors on these motors and other instruments are sensitive to voltage, they comunicate by voltage, too much into the sensors, too much out, that's how you get wrong readings, and misfires, oh and did I mention you lost the IAT, what the fudge are you doing under the hood of that thing, remember!, it is fuel injected!, don't even get me started on the optima, put everything back to stock to the best of what you remember it is your best bet, that or have it towed somewhere, shop or scrap. good luck.
