Help! Car cranks but won't start.

[BruceJ30]

The J was driving fine, i pulled into my girlfriendsand it was parked for 5 hours or so, i go back out to the car,it cranks, but won't start.

Any suggestions?

We've tried pretty much everything.

[gr8scott72]

The J was driving fine, i pulled into my girlfriendsand it was parked for 5 hours or so, i go back out to the car,it cranks, but won't start.

Any suggestions?

We've tried pretty much everything.

Might just be flooded. Try cranking with gas pedal to floor.

[driverdriver]

J's don't like short trips or a series of short trips. Its a known issue since when the car was sold new. Always let the car warm up and run for awhile before shutting off or the engine will flood.

[coolyun_98]

5hr is not bad. I usually park my J at my grilfriends for only 3hr.

[Victor]

I have never had problems starting my 1994 J30T after a short trip. In fact I mostly make short trips, and even shut my engine off at a long wait traffic light to save fuel.

[gr8scott72]

I have never had problems starting my 1994 J30T after a short trip. In fact I mostly make short trips, and even shut my engine off at a long wait traffic light to save fuel.

Just because yours doesn't do it doesn't mean that it's not a known issue.

[GerryO]

Your girlfriend must really like having you around, since she obviously sabotaged your car, or may be she is just testing your auto diagnosis/repair abilities? Your J30 likes your girlfriend more than you do?

Seriously, J30s don't work right until you figure out what's wrong with them, their ECMs are connected to quite a number of inputs and outputs, and things always come down to an electrical/spark, air or fuel related problem.

Every so often I make it work work non-stop in mine (about 7 miles of city streets and freeway driving) and it's frustrating that in order to fully lower the idle of warmed-up engine, I have to have stopped at least once after it's warmed up (which doesn't take long) for about 15 sec or so. In stop and go driving that's not a problem.

I know the engine will not start if the TPS is disconnected. It will not crank at all if a couple of connectors near the battery are not connected. It might start and will quickly die, if the MAF isn't connected electrically and physically. It will run with four and possibly only three injectors connected/working.

Have you pulled any codes? Flooded is a possiblity, if you've cranking it a while with air, fuel and no spark.

[BruceJ30]

Gr8scott72 - like i said, tried all that. It's not flooded.

driverdriver - It wasn't a short trip. I was driving for a good 45 minutes.

coolyun_98 - That was pretty good, i must say.

GerryO - Only code is 55, which is everything is okay. And i know it's not floodedbecause we tried everything. I checked the MAF, it seems to look ok, and theintake and all is clean. I took out a spark plug and tested the spark, it wasn'tas strong as it could/should be, but there was still a spark. Just put in NGK sparkplugs, haven't even driven on them yet. After i put in the NGK's, the sparkwas a little stronger, but still not to the full potential. Checked fuses, everythings okay. So now i'm going to test fuel pressure and compression.

Thanks guys

[BruceJ30]

Do you know of any other possibilities?

[yodawill2000]

You have spark , now you need to see if your getting Fuel.

[GerryO]

Just for drill, disconnect the cables to your battery to properly clean the posts and the cable connections with a small SS wire brush, spray them with WD40 afterward, and charge the battery while it's disconnected if you've been cranking things for a while. Doing so may also reset/erase some stored ECM information (the J30 is a PC and not a Mac?).

Have you checked the trouble-shooting portion of your owner's manual and could the alarm system be preventing the car from starting?

[BruceJ30]

I am getting fuel.Tested that.

[BruceJ30]

I did charge it without the terminals connected.Have not cleaned them.

But i'm pretty sure the alarm system isn't stopping it fromstarting, because if it was the alarm, you wouldn't be able to turnthe key at all.

[kbflip02]

I did charge it without the terminals connected.Have not cleaned them.

But i'm pretty sure the alarm system isn't stopping it fromstarting, because if it was the alarm, you wouldn't be able to turnthe key at all.

that is incorrect...

[BruceJ30]

How is it incorrect?I know that if the alarm is going off, you can'tturn the key in the ignition.It won't start, not even crank.So this isn't with the alarm.The security light blinks also, meaning its not set.

[yodawill2000]

You mean you can turn the key but it wont crank if its the alarm right ?

Not "you cant physically turn the key".

[GerryO]

The steering wheel lock will also prevent the ignition key from turning.

Compression test results? TPS, CPS or ECM related? Check the wires in the vicinity of the bottom ECM bracket for cuts.

Search the words/terms - J30 start - . This happens a lot and how it is fixed is almost never reported, aside from this or something very similar a few times:

« Re: 95 J30 wont start ! (NY_Pito_NY) 10:42 AM 3/22/2006 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also I would like to add that.....i charged up the battery, changed the plugs again,...and didnt start right away....put i kept at it....holding the key on all the way and holding the gass pedal down all the way....then after i would say 40 seconds it coughed then shook then it started up....what the hell.....it fixed it self.

[kbflip02]

You mean you can turn the key but it wont crank if its the alarm right ?

Not "you cant physically turn the key".

which one did you mean...now im confused...anyways have you checked the fuel filter....or the fuel pump or fuel pump controller...as you go down the list and things get checked than we might be able to narrow it down and help better diagnose so we can get you back on the road...

[BruceJ30]

My bad.Haha, yes, you right.

But i believe it's the fuel pump.When ignition is turned to on, there is nonoise from the pump.

Would the check engine light be on for a fuelpump though? My check engine light is off.And no code from ECU

[yodawill2000]

But earlier you said you were getting fuel ??

My pump is silent ,, or at least I cant hear it.And my ears are about all that still works as designed .

[BruceJ30]

I thought i was getting fuel...We disconnected the line coming from the fuel filterand gas was pouring out and didn't stop until we connected it again...

But we don't hear one thing when listening for the pump.We put a screw driver up to the gas tank and while someoneturned ignition to on, we listened and heard nothing.

You would hear a faint noise if it was working.

[GerryO]

I thought i was getting fuel...We disconnected the line coming from the fuel filterand gas was pouring out and didn't stop until we connected it again...

But we don't hear one thing when listening for the pump.We put a screw driver up to the gas tank and while someoneturned ignition to on, we listened and heard nothing.

You would hear a faint noise if it was working.

On a warm day fuel will pour out even with the ignition OFF and the fuel pump is very quiet (especially after too many 60s/70s rock concerts and sprint car races).

From pages EF & EC 183 and 184 of the 1993 manual:

Hard to Start or Impossible to Start When Engine is Cold

1) check battery and starter - you've been crankin'

2) check fuel pressure - probably OK

3) The check IACV-Air and IACV-AAC valve via the fully depressed accelerator when starting test - you FAILED?

4) Check injectors - probably OK

5) Check spark - probably OK

6) Check plugs - Now new? What's their gap?

7) Check ECM harness connectors

8) Check ECM power supply and ground circuit

9) Try known good ECM, but probably not mine.

[BruceJ30]

1) Correct, it's cranking.2) Probably okay. 3) Failed, tried many times.4) Injectors are good.5) Checked spark, every thing is ok. 6) Plugs have never been driven with, and gap is 387) Done, fine.8) Done, fine.9) Will try. Haha

[BruceJ30]

I would also like to add, that when cranking it,you can smell and definately tell there's unburnt fuel from the exhaust, but i tried the flood procedure.

Many times.

[BruceJ30]

Well since we didn't hear the fuel pump, we decided totake the fuel line off where it connects to the fuel filterand see if any gas gets pumped out. Nothing happened.So i bought a new fuel pump last night, put it in today, and still, no start.

[GerryO]

Well since we didn't hear the fuel pump, we decided totake the fuel line off where it connects to the fuel filterand see if any gas gets pumped out. Nothing happened.So i bought a new fuel pump last night, put it in today, and still, no start.

When testing you disconnected the line leading TO and not the line AFTER the fuel filter?

And unlike the old fuel pump, the new one now can be heard and pumps out gas?

If not, maybe there's no power to the fuel pump (check the fuse/relay), the screen on the fuel pick-up inside of the gas tank might be clogged, a fuel line could be kinked or you have some bad gas?

Compression test?

Could you check the ignition timing with a light, with all of the plugs out and when cranking the engine, which you'll need to do anyhow to perform the compression test?
Modified by GerryO at 12:43 PM 8/27/2008

[Bugaboo]

My J had the same problem. Was getting fuel, but not enough. Also found out the cats were plugged. Now she runs like new.