car not running

[ca18datsun510]

alright, im trying to buy a pulsar, its got a ca18de, non turbo180,000 miles but the guy says it runs but its been sitting since the summer

so as im talking to him on the phone he starts it, and i hear it running. so, i take a ride out there to look at it and give him the money, when i get there he says he had it running, but he shut it off and it wont start again. the car just cranks and cranks

when he cranks it, i smell fuel, so im hoping the plugs fowled out, but since i didnt hear it in person i dont know what else it could be, so if anyone has any ideas please help. he might just give it to me now, so i would really like to get it running buy the weekend. thanks

[Trigger]

more then likely its the plugs....let us know what happens though

[float_6969]

I would imagine it's something trivial like plugs, loose connection in a wire, stuff like that. It's easy to check for spark, so that's where I'd start.

[boost_boy]

That's a very funny car and it could be anything including much of nothing. First, see if the thing has spark and if it has no spark, suspect the CAS or ignitor and even the ecu. Just too many variables to conclude on just any one of them. But like I said, very funny acting car; could even be battery related.

[float_6969]

So whats up with this, did you get it figured out?

[ca18datsun510]

alright, i just got back from a second look at the car.

sometimes it starts, sometimes it doesnt. i think its the ignition switch, in the dash. i was talking to the guy and he said he lost his keys and had everything changed, and has had problems since then. the passenger side door wont open, and sometimes the key will turn back in the ignition, but wont kill the power to the car.im waiting for him to get back to me on my offer.

oh, and the throwout bearing is making noise, and once the car fires up in runs good and smooth, but its smokes a bit.