Car Wont Start :(

[per0xide]

i got a new job... and went to it yesterday.. car was running fine... no problems with it, actually seemed to be running better than normal.. had lots of available power...

so this morning, i start to go to work, and i used the remote start.. car didnt start... the alarm tried a couple of times to start the car, then gave the signal that it gave up.. so i got in it, and tried to start it with the key... it'll crank, but wont turn over... simillar to what it'd do if it were out of gas.. however, it has a 1/4 tank of gas in it..

so i thought about vtolds' thread, and waited about 10 mins, then tried again.. still the same problem.. i got it to stutter for a split second, but after that, it goes back to cranking..

the SES light is on, and the security and battery lights are on solid however, which would lead me to believe that it would be a different situation from vtolds'. does anyone have any ideas as to what it'd be? i poopty about calling in on the second day of my new job..

[per0xide]

also, you can hear the fuel pump kicking in.. and its a 2000, and its got about 106k miles..

[Vtolds]

wait for the lights to go out before you try to restart it, if your security light is on then it is the same problem I had and you probably need a new ignition.

[per0xide]

how easily is that replaced?

[per0xide]

the waiting thing isnt working... so it probably _is_ the ignition... because i went out just now and tried to start it, and had the same problem...

[Whitetigerboi83]

for the security light and stuff got to leave the key in the on position for 10 min then it'll go off try that .. but yeah it sounds like the ignition is gone bad

[Vtolds]

for a temporary fix try having a new key cut. I had one made and it worked perfect for a long time.

[ptrudel]

Originally posted by Vtolds@Aug 23 2005, 07:49 AM
wait for the lights to go out before you try to restart it, if your security light is on then it is the same problem I had and you probably need a new ignition.
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if its the ignition cylinder the security light flashes....this is different...sounds like there may be no spark comin from the coils...mine did that last year right around this tiem...ended up needin new boots, plugs, coils...they would arc to each other...was quite weird :blink:

[per0xide]

think it could be the fuel filter? cuz i never changed that.. i know that'd make it seem as if it were out of gas, but im not sure if it would make the SES light come on...

[misslindseysue]

Mine wouldn't start right for a couple days.. the battery cable was loose. All the lights were flashing, it gave me the willies. I still need a new battery, but it fixed the problem temporarily to just wiggle the cable.

[ptrudel]

Originally posted by per0xide@Aug 23 2005, 01:59 PM
think it could be the fuel filter? cuz i never changed that.. i know that'd make it seem as if it were out of gas, but im not sure if it would make the SES light come on...
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it did for me cuz it made the engine misfire....did ya get 'er runnin yet? once you get it goin get it scanned...that'll tell ya whats goin on fer sure

[alero168]

Originally posted by per0xide+Aug 23 2005, 06:38 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(per0xide @ Aug 23 2005, 06:38 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'>so this morning, i start to go to work, and i used the remote start.. car didnt start... the alarm tried a couple of times to start the car, then gave the signal that it gave up.. so i got in it, and tried to start it with the key... it'll crank, but wont turn over... simillar to what it'd do if it were out of gas.. however, it has a 1/4 tank of gas in it..
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[/b]
Originally posted by 2000_olds_alero@Aug 23 2005, 07:59 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-Vtolds@Aug 23 2005, 07:49 AM
wait for the lights to go out before you try to restart it, if your security light is on then it is the same problem I had and you probably need a new ignition.
Quoted post

if its the ignition cylinder the security light flashes....this is different...sounds like there may be no spark comin from the coils...mine did that last year right around this tiem...ended up needin new boots, plugs, coils...they would arc to each other...was quite weird :blink:
Quoted post
[/quote]

i had the same problem in the winter time, ran great one day and the next when i tried to use the remote start it just kept cranking without starting, i had to get it towed to the dealer and they fixed i dont remember what it said on the work report and my dad took it in for me so i have no idea what they said but i think i do remember it being the ?ignition cylinder? and actually they had to do it twice b/c the next day i tried the remote start again and had to do the same, so since then ive been scared to use the remote start, and ive had the alarm for over 2 years now and this past winter was the first time and only time this happened :knockonwood: .

oh yeah it was under warrenty too so it was free, have no idea what they normally charge.

[per0xide]

It works now :) a lot better than it did before too.. because before, if i was going about 75mph, and tried to drop it down (not manually) to pass someone, it wouldnt drop down, and felt like i lost about 100hp..

so i took off the fuel filter.. and tried to blow in it, and couldnt.. so i replaced that.. thinking that more than likely solved the problem.. but then i still couldnt start it... most it'd do is sputter for a split second, then go back to cranking... reminded me a lot of when i try to start up my r/c car.. so keeping that in mind, i didnt try it for an extended amount of time so i wouldnt run down the battery... so i put it to the on position, waited on the fuel pump to stop making noise, then turned it to off, then back to on, and so on for about 5 mins, trying to prime it, assuming i got an air pocket in the lines from when i changed the fuel filter... that didnt work, so i disconnected the fuel line that runs to the fuel rail to see if it was even getting gas to the engine, it wasnt.. when i took off the air box, i noticed my throttle body is dirty... much dirtier than the last time i removed it.. some kind of black stuff was in there, looked like it was almost coated with oil... dude at the auto parts store later told me that was normal.. but i stressed out about that for a couple of hours.. and then... when i was about to give up, my dad decided to go get some gas for it... even though it had a 1/4 tank already.. so we went to the auto parts store to get a 5 gallon gas can, because the gas stations only had like a 1/2 gallon one, which i thought was useless... especially since most cars need 1/2 gallon of gas just to fill the fuel lines... but thats when my dad mentioned my dirty throttle body, and they said it was normal.. they also said something about a valve on the fuel rail that i can loosen that'll release any air thats in the lines... we never found that... but after putting the 5 gallons of gas in it, it started right up... and has been running fine since.. although today while i was sitting in traffic because some moron ran over a tree.. the temp gauge went over the halfway point by like an 1/8th of an inch.. even though i wasnt running the a/c, but im assuming if i flush the coolant system and replace the coolant, that that'll resolve that..

but im gonna replace a bunch of stuff on it within the next two months anyway, like the rotors (my back ones are warped), brakes, spark plugs, coolant, and im probably going to get a wai (it floods a lot in the town i work in) and a new muffler...

for now though, im happy it runs..

[per0xide]

i also am now afraid to use the remote start...

although i used it today when i was leaving work.. but i've decided not to use it in the mornings anymore until at least winter gets here, and it gets to where its actually cold outside...

[alero168]

so in the end you needed gas??? that what it seems like youre saying like you replaced stuff but it didnt work until it received more gas, if that's the case maybe your gauge is off... and that temp thing is normal i think you can search for that it's been brought up before, if youre just sitting in heavy traffic it's gonna go up no matter what especially in the summer time... well i dont know you could be in alaska or northern canada or soemthing, then it'd be weird.

[ptrudel]

Originally posted by alero168@Aug 25 2005, 11:03 PM
if youre just sitting in heavy traffic it's gonna go up no matter what especially in the summer time... well i dont know you could be in alaska or northern canada or soemthing, then it'd be weird.
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wtf is that supposed to mean? :angry:

:P jk...nah man, i'm in northern ontario, and it does that too...its normal...it does it in the middle of winter too if i sit too long...no worries

[per0xide]

Originally posted by alero168@Aug 26 2005, 03:03 AM
so in the end you needed gas??? that what it seems like youre saying like you replaced stuff but it didnt work until it received more gas, if that's the case maybe your gauge is off... and that temp thing is normal i think you can search for that it's been brought up before, if youre just sitting in heavy traffic it's gonna go up no matter what especially in the summer time... well i dont know you could be in alaska or northern canada or soemthing, then it'd be weird.
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no, it was deffinately the fuel filter.. but i'd ran out of gas in it before, and it didnt start when i just put in 2 or 3 gallons.. i had to actually put about a 1/2 tank of gas in it before it'd start.. it seems like the primer or pick up for the fuel pump isnt at the bottom of the pump or something.. works great now though...