[Shotimes] Three Basic Reasons for Hard Starting....was: Re: My Nickle an...

[George Fourchy]

On Thu, 12 Dec 2002 21:29:28 EST, IdriveaSHO@aol.com wrote:

>Any guesses on that one? Maybe the Ignintion coil pakc thingy? 

I was talking about an otherwise complete, healthy car that had not been majorly
disturbed like swapping an engine.  If you have taken everything apart and put it
back together, and it won't start, you have to start at the beginning.  What does it
have, what does it not have?  Ignition, Fuel, Compression.  Make sure it is getting
spark with a timing light.  Make sure fuel pressure is getting to the injectors. 
Then you have to make sure the injectors are getting triggering power.  This
obviously assumes the mechanicals of the engine are working correctly so that there
is compression.  Is the valve timing correct?  I'm sure it is, but you get the
picture.  Whatever you have taken apart you must check to eliminate that function as
a problem.

If there is spark in the plug wires, as shown by an inductive timing light, then the
problem MOST likely would be fuel, or perhaps the PCM is not powered, like I
mentioned with the bad battery cable ends (the quickest indication of this is a dim
CE light).  Make sure that round single wire plug down in front of the battery is
connected.  (That was the problem with the black car that got a new engine at my
house this last spring.)  If you have a humming fuel pump, it is connected.

George