Car Starting Problems

I'm not sure but it could have a bad cam or crank sensor. Check with your local parts store and see if your car has one or both of these sensors. Here's what I found, (this was on a 96 and they have Throttle Body Injection, so I don't know if this helps, but I have a 92 metro vert as well, and it has TBI too) and lucky for me I had a parts car. I had spark and fuel to TBI, but TBI was not releasing any fuel. I replaced everything, crank sensor, TBI, and all sensors, I was going crazy. It ended up being some kind of square rectifier 2x2" on the drivers upper fire wall that has another sensor attached on the assembly. Swapped them out (whole assembly two 10mm bolts) and she fired right up.

sounds like you temperature sending unit is bad. very cheap part usually easy to fix however sometimes hard to find - buy an automotive book for you car or ask someone at parts store

Make sure the kill switch is off that is the switch next to the throttle. Also remember you need to have the a break engaged.

Does the gas smell like varnish? Did it need an oil change before it was parked. Six months is not long. I have cranked cars after four years. Bad oil is worse than bad gas - the valve lifters won't work. Change the oil (and filter) to 5 weight. Remove the spark plugs -if easy to get to -and spray wd40 inside chamber. Turn engine over 1 minute, wait five, try again. This to get oil moving and circulating again, replace plugs and use a small amount of starter fluid to assist firing

Overheating an engine can seriously damage the heads. Check for water in the oil. It may look milky.

The engine should run when you let the key go. The switch is most likely bad and will need to be replaced.

I found there was no How-To on fuel filter replacement on this site so I thought I'd add one. I just got done with it so here it goes:

First off, this was done on my 04 Explorer 4.0l with 29k on it. I've been suffering from the shakes at idle. It seemed to happen after getting gas at Delta Sonic.

Your experience may be different depending on model and year.

Tools:

ratchet

10mm socket

13mm socket

Ford fuel tool

rags

new filter

safety glasses

Step 1:

Pull fuel pump relay #48 and start truck. Truck may run and stall or not run at all.

#2

Block rear wheels and raise front end. Only the passenger side is really necessary. USE JACK STANDS

#3

Locate filter. It's on the passenger side at the front/top of the fuel tank. It has a plastic cover then an aluminum heat shield over it so you won't see it.

#4 remove heat shield. Held on by 3 13mm bolts

heat shield

#5 Remove plastic cover. Held by 2 10mm bolts

Plastic cover

Now you can see the filter.

#6

Remove the hose connections. The output side has a funky metal clip that needs to be slide towards the filter a bit then pushed up to disengage. Use the Ford tool to remove the output side hose. This goes over the filter tube and slide under the hose connection. You'll have to play with it a bit but the basic idea is to slide the tool under the fuel line connection releasing the internal spring and it'll pop apart. This is not fun since there is little room and you are on your back. The input side of the filter uses a different connector. It has a red plastic clip that needs to be undone. It's similar to the plug wire guides. I used nothing more than my hands. Once open gently push the 2 ends up to release the filter. It's kinda like a upside down U.

You know those black caps that are on the end of your new filter? They're great for capping the old filter while your working on it.

Ford Tool

#7 remove filter from bracket

Don't try pulling it out - that sucker is really in there. I used a rubber mallet to tap the filter out.

REMEMBER THIS IS A GAS FILTER - DON'T USE A REGULAR HAMMER!!! Use a block of wood if you have to.

#8 install new filter.

I put a light coating of grease on the new filter to help slide it back in. Should help with removal next time too. Make sure you have the filter in the right direction.

Filter in bracket

Reattach fuel lines. No biggie here - just reverse of removal.

Now is a good time for anti-seize on the bolts for next time.

Put the cover and heat shield back on.

Replace relay

Start truck and check for leaks.

Now here's the kicker. The truck ran beautifully! I only let it run long enough to check for leaks but there were no shakes!

Then I did what I always do to feel better about the busted knuckles and hard work I just put in - I poured the contents into a water bottle...

Damn! That's nasty! Remember I've only got 29k on my girl. How many do you have and when was the last filter change?? Go out and do it now!

When a magnet's polarity is reversed, the changing magnetic lines of force cutting across wiring induces a voltage in them. This principle is used primarily in motors.

Or perhaps this refers to applying DC power to a device in reverse polarity by mistake. If the device is well designed, it will have a safety diode in the power input area to prevent damage, but if the diode is not present, reversing the power polarity will probably destroy every semiconductor junction in it.

Most Likely You Are Seeing Condensation. When We Drive Short Drives Around Town, Ect. The Exhaust Pipe Doesn`t Get Hot Enough To Keep Water From Condensing Inside The Exhause Pipes. So When You Start Your Car You Will See This White Steam Comming Out The Tail Pipe. You Will Also See It Until The Exhaust Warms Up. I`m Sure By Your Question This Is What You Are Seeing. Hope This Will Help

Try removing both battery cables and cleaning them, if the are very dirty soaking them in a solution of water and baking soda will remove most of the corrosion. Clean the terminals on the battery as well.the reconnect both cables and retry. If this doesn't work try charging the battery or boosting it. Good luck

Most likely. Same thing happend to my ZX7R, if I have the starter button pushed in and hit the relay with the back of a screw driver I can get the bike to start.

These are the most common causes (not all inclusive of course): Bad battery, battery cable(s), starter, starter solenoid, ignition switch, clutch switch, neutral switch, fuse(s), bad ground, battery terminal corrision. Start with cheapest move to the most expensive. No seriously, proper diagnosis will save you the most money and time. Get it to a certified mechanic, better yet an ASE certified MASTER mechanic will hit right the first time.

I'd suspect a vacuum leak or a problem with the EGR valve, but if I were working on it I wouldn't replace anything until I've had a chance to check into it further. Clean the air intake mass air flow sensor with carb cleaner. . How can you crank it "in gear"??? You got sensor problems.

It IS possible. Tell us more-- does it crank over? Have you checked anything else?

Anything that is on and uses electricity. You may also have a dead cell in the battery which will drain the battery.

The alternator probably isn't putting out properly. Go to AutoZone and have them check the alternator. If the new battery went completely dead, and you know the alternator is good, the culprit could be a "slow draw". This would be caused by a trunk light that stays on when the trunk is closed, a vanity mirror light, glove compartment light, console light; something that you assume goes out when it's closed, but doesn't. Check all of your courtesy light switches in these places to make sure they make proper contact. A glove compartment or console door that doesn't close properly could be the culprit. Until you find the problem, disconnect your battery when you're in for the night! If you can't resolve it on your own, find a shop that has a low amps probe. It'll determine where the draw is coming from.

Answer Security problem, either your key is dead (if 2000 has a key chip, not sure) or something wore out in your ignition. Either way an automotive locksmith is what you need

first remove coil wire from dist cap and ground to engine next remove cap you will see a rotor. have somebody turn key as if thay wear going to start watch rotor if it does not turn either gear on the bottom of dist broke or timing chain.if it turns then you have secondary ingintion problem.if you get this far ask another question! I believe your model has a ballast resistor on the firewall; a white 4 prong unit. If it does, replace it, and if that solves the problem and your spark plug wires are old, they could cause it to blow again. Also check the fusible link coming direct off the battery. Good luck

one of the main reasons an engine runs on or diesels can be related to the fact that it is idling too fast. Set the idling down and see if this imporoves

with the information you've given, it sounds like a weak battery.

if you drive a stick you can bump start it by rolling down a hill or getting pushed by another car. put it in gear either 1st or reverse and while your rolling pop the clutch and hit the gas at the same time. in an auto I'm not sure but i heard the same principle could work but i don't recommend it you'll most likely drop your trans. another way is to hit the 12 volt battery with a 24 volt charge, just turn off your radio light any thing that runs off the battery that you don't want to risk blowing. i hope that i have helped you out.

The starter on a car requires a lot of electrical current to rotate the engine fast enough for it to start. When the car's battery doesn't have enough electricity to do this a battery from another car or another source of electrical current can be supplied (jumpered) to the car to "jump start" it.

I have a 2001 Saturn sc2 and i was reading the driver's manual about this because I had trouble too., It seems as though the car as steering lock where if if turn your steering wheel a certain way, then it locks the key from being turned. All you have to do is turn the steering wheel a little and then turn the key. It should work!!

Janie