Car won't start!!

[a.Lpha]

Well, I got the hole in my exhaust welded shut but now my car won't start. It had some problems starting right after I collected it, they claimed it was like that when I dropped it off, it wasn't but it did have blue exhaust on start up. It still cranks perfectly and eveen if I pump the gas, it won't start. Any help/ideas?

 

[Thermactor]

Well, in any no-start situation we have the three main things to check: Air, fuel, and spark.

 

[a.Lpha]

I'll add when it was running though it ran normally. It wa just at startup.

 

[Thermactor]

Can you pull a spark plug to see if it's wet, or fouled?

 

[a.Lpha]

Well, in any no-start situation we have the three main things to check: Air, fuel, and spark.

It's pouring with rain, it and I aren't at home, I'm just wishing for forum magic.

 

[Zuffen]

Sorry, right out of Forum magic.

You'll need to do the usual checks.

Check if you have spark. Pull a spark plug cover and then a lead and see if you have spark when cranking the engine. Put a spark plug in the lead and sit it on the cam cover and you should see a blue spark when you crank the engine.

Check if you have fuel pressure. Try cracking a fuel union to check if you have pressure in the rails. Can you hear fuel returning to the tank? Do you have fuel in the tank.

I'll assume you have air!

When you figure out what you don't have we may be able to break out the Forum magic.

 

[cribbj]

It's a long shot, but try disconnecting your battery for a minute or two, then reconnect it, in order to reset your ECU.

Sometimes cars with electronic EMS' do not like to be welded on, and their brains get scrambled occasionally. Maybe just a simple ECU reset will put you back in business.

 

[a.Lpha]

Still not home, still pouring with rain (times like this i really do hate this side of the country). I tried to disconnect the battery, left it off for 10min, and still nothing. I don't hear the fuel pump doing anything, so that's what I personally think it is. there's too much rain and I have too few tools to check anything else now, so i'm towing it to a garage owned by a friend so we'll see how she works out.

 

[cribbj]

I don't know jack about systems in a Lexus, but I do know a bit about Supra wiring. Perhaps the roll over switch tripped, or the immobiliser system kicked in?

I've not heard of the OEM fuel pump just giving up the ghost completely like that. There have been delivery problems with old worn out Denso pumps, but at least they're still turning & trying.

Now if it's a Walbro, they're famous for quitting with no warning. I wouldn't own one of those for that reason.....

 

[stevechumo]

Hopefully you didn't have any short circuit while welding. Check all fuses to make sure they're ok.

 

[a.Lpha]

It's nice now, so i'll start my checks. it's up at a garage, but they aren't gonna take a look at it till later today, so that gives me time to have a look and maybe take it back without paying anything (friend's shop).

 

[a.Lpha]

I'll restate that the car was having a few problems starting with a bit of blue smoke for two or three days before this incident. As the lexus isn't really my daily driver any more, it didn't get used too much and then the last time I tried to start, it cranked for a while, but now nothing, just cranking.

 

[stevechumo]

Is there any fuel smell? Here's 1 of my true and funny stories. 1 time, my SC just kept cranking but didn't start. I looked for every possibility that can cause from checking sparks (good), fuses..etc. I smelled a lot of gas. And it turned out the gas ran out. There wasn't enough gas for the combustion, so the injected gas couldn't be burned. Gas smell but no gas. LOL.

 

[a.Lpha]

Still unsure as to what the problem is, but there is a 3/4 tank of gas in the car, so it's somewhere in-between the tank and the engine.

 

[a.Lpha]

Crank position sensor was really dirty, it starts perfectly now, but could that be going?

 

[a.Lpha]

the position sensor was cleaned**

 

[cribbj]

Leaking front main seal?

 

[a.Lpha]

I'm not too sure to be honest, I didn't do any of it. I gave up hope and designated the problem to my trusted mechanic. There was some blue smoke before this problem was fixed, now there's nothing.

 

[stevechumo]

Congrats on the issue that is fixed!

 

[a.Lpha]

Well, it would happen at night. Car's outside and won't start. I noticed there was some water in the exhaust, but she had no problem at all starting today. Now, she won't even turn over. Last time it was a dirty crank position sensor, I don't even know where to begin now, could the sensor be broken or dirty again, a covering that should be there is broken off?