Mechanic HELP 1997 Protege not starting
 

here is my issue. car has not started for 1 week. was outside in driveway under -30F. battery is good- engine cranks but doesnt putt to start. I put charger on battery to recharge and put it in a heated garage to unthaw it. tried this over and over with no eval so proceeded below:

I took out the spark plugs and 2 were folwed with oil/gas, the other two were not. I aired out the pistons and put them back in. After cranking the car still didnt start to putt but cranked. I pulled them back out and all had alittle gas on them , so good, and noticed build up of gas on pistons. I then pulled out all spark plugs and observed spark off each sparkplug-seemed somewhat week, so I replaced all spark plugs. All wires look in good condition and are probably have 60k on them. The next day I decided to pull the plugs aired out the pistons and added a little starting fluid. Still no putt. Pulled out the plugs from the intake and put a lighter on the end of the spark plug and woof fire.

I also tried putting starter fluid in the air intake with no putt.

I checked the timing belt and wasnt loose or broke (was replaced 30k miles ago)- all pistons move up/down.

I also checked wiring harnesses for any breaks, water, etc. All look good.

Airhose is good, as well as air-filter.

I also have residual fuel coming out from the pressure regulator after trying to start for a while, thus one would think my fuel pump is good. If it was bad I wouldnt have gas on the banks right? I tried checking to see if I could hear a hum from the tank area but could NOT but did hear a hum from the engine area with the keys in the "on" position.

What else should I be looking for? Any advice would be greatly appreciated :)

BTW: the car has sometimes been hard to fire when it sat for a while but not always

Anyone?

sounds like a no spark issue.
check ignition coils for proper operation. test spark out put. check ignition fuses[check all fuses]. check for DTC's. check for voltage at crank sensor & cam sensor.
check all these things and get back to me, I will try to help you.

OK- I checked and have spark coming off of each wire. I attached to a spark plug and grounded-did seem slow to spark but I assume from rotor rotation. Can I test voltage output with a voltmeter? It did seem bright with new plugs.
I checked all under the hood fuses they were good. will look to book for incar fuses.


What is DTC's?

I checked resistance on crank sensor and was good, will test voltage.

I will test voltage at cam sensor. BTW:this car has an integrated distributor/coil setup. Book states I need a scanner to test but dont have. Can an auto parts store test.

I tried starting again after airing out the plugs and pistons. Still nothing.

I pulled the power off the battery to try reseting the ECU still no luck.

Thanks for the Help!!

fuel pump?
 

or fuel pump relay.:rolleyes::confused:

North- ok, I checked the voltage at both the crank and cam connectors, with sensors unplugged.
Crank connector has 2.0v on one pin, 2.5 on the other and gnd on the 3rd.
Cam connector I was able to see 12V on system main, & two other pins one with 5v and the other with 12. It shows in the book that I have to connect a scanner to test, can I test it some other way (since I dont have a scanner)? I have an oscilliscope if I could take it out from the cam and probe the signal wire, what would I want to look for?


Rockoe-im getting gas inside the plug holes and after continuing to crank it gets flooded. Also after airing it out and spraying starting fluid in the plug holes and in the air intake, it wont even try to start whatsoever but does continue to crank. So id think the fuel side is ok.

A DTC is an acronym for Diagnostic Trouble Code. -Is the "Check Engine Light" Illuminated? Can you get a hold of a code reader or Scan tool?
If the light is on, a code will lead you/us in the right direction to help with Diagnosis.

Is your firing order correct? double check that your Ignition wires are where they are supposed to be. Check the fuel system to be sure you are getting fuel.
Are you SURE that you are getting Fuel supply?
Are you SURE that you are getting spark?
Is the Distributor Cap & Distributor Rotor in good condition? All your Ignition wires are in the right place?
I am a Automotive Technician by Trade. However, it is very hard to diagnose your issue over the net.

Sounds like an ignition issue.
Triple check your ignition wire firing order. did you move them ...ever?
Also, when you checked the sensors with the harness disconnected all you have proved is that there is power getting to the sensor, not that the sensors are working properly.
I beleive the crank sensor should have 3 wires: one should be close to battery voltage[12.5v +/- ], one should be a 5 volt reference signal wire, and ground. There is a test to determine if the Crank sensor is operational with your DVOM-Digital Volt Ohms Meter, but I'm sorry I don't have it in front of me. I use ALLDATA for those specifications on my shop's computer. Sorry.

Triple check your ignition wire firing order. did you move them ...ever?
Nope never moved them. Car was outside and then after -30 degree storm never started again. Also the lengths of the wires when I did take them off of the spark plugs are lengthened only for each port-so you cant mess up otherwise alot of slack or not enough. When I took off the wires on the distribuitor I only took one off at a time to inspect and all looked good.


I beleive the crank sensor should have 3 wires: one should be close to battery voltage[12.5v +/- ], one should be a 5 volt reference signal wire, and ground. There is a test to determine if the Crank sensor is operational with your DVOM-Digital Volt Ohms Meter, but I'm sorry I don't have it in front of me. I use ALLDATA for those specifications on my shop's computer. Sorry.
I did conduct the Ohm test it was like 500+ ohms so the book says its ok. but it doesnt state anything about the voltages. I will try to look with it connected to the sensor.

I know i'm frustrated also since if something would just point to an issue it would be a lot easier err...
thanks a lot for trying to help me!!!