wow just ****ed up my baby....Help!!!

[Dmnitsadean]

wow okay....driving on the freeway....with about qaurter tank....got a little scared cause I never drove with only a quarter tank...well driving was fine...about 10 mins layter....maybe 13 miles I drop my car in the parking lot and went to eat at a resturantfinished eating and went back to my car...barrowed some money from my mom to go put some gas....turn on my ignition....BAM....won't start....I was like oh hell naw can't be......I opened my hood and I saw that the hose for the radiator was not on right....okaky thats juss radiator fluid...filled it up with water....for now and....so i filled it up so that I know there was radiator fluid....tried to start it again...nothing happens....now I know that my head gasket couldn't go out cause I juss put a new one in....what could be my problem.....??? i juss replaced that....checked my oil and it was clean...I dunt know wat could be my problem rights now if its engine problem or is it juss maybe my gas not flowing right maybe one of my fuel injectors or somethin...well I dunno wat to do and check rights now but wen I turn on my car I hear a whissin sound like the car wont turn so ima go check my timing chain if it cracked or anything but if you guys can help and maybe know what else I can do or what is my problem but yeah plz help thanx.....DeAn

[Florida240sx]

What do you mean whissin sound? Only thign i relate that too is tea kettle or high speed wind comign in the car... Car click at all? Turn over at all? Check battery connections? Lights dim when you turn the key? If fluid is clean then not headgasket. Maybe starter is burnt up? And just spinning?

[zippitta]

From my experiences a blown headgasket has never prevented a car from starting. Put some gas in it and see what that does. Check for spark. Listen to see if your fuel pump is working. Check and see if there is fuel in the fuel rail(little thing that looks like a nipple on a tire). Stuff like that. It takes 3 things to make combustion fuel,oxygen,and ignition. Take away one and you have no fire.

[JesusLikesKFC]

its definatly not seals, is it cranking? if not check ur starter or connections, bad altanotor? check lights n **** but u should b able to jump it, same with battery. your not givvin enough details. and the list of things u gav like oil and fluids doesnt hav anything to do with starting just cooling and seals. my motors got bad seals n starts up ev time. post som more details best and good luck with it. sucks wen it wont turn over i kno

[Kenrik]

dude you're so hard to understand!!! yeah before you start messing with big stuff like timeing check all the conections/battery/starter 99% chance it's something small and stupid! Check the fuse to your fuel pump lol there are a ton of small trouble shooting things to do it's not all that complex.

[elgarvo616]

like everyone else has said, check for the 3 essentials...fuel, air and spark.

[Florida240sx]

I think either fuel pump, starter, fuel filter clogged completely.../ or a simple loose connection

[fiznat]

When you hear hooves, think horses- not zebras!

99% likely your starter or battery/alt. If you had 1/4 tank of fuel and then traveled 13 miles and ran out of gas, you have a much bigger problem than just running out of gas--- that would mean you only get 52 miles to the TANK!

Does the car crank at all? Do anything when you turn the key? If it cranks, look into spark/fuel/air issues. If it does not crank, look into battery/alt (try jumping the car), or starter.

[Kenrik]

That's what I said!

[Deadrodent]

if it's a bad starter you should try and push start. get 2 people to push your car. put the car in gear (with your foot engaging the clutch). once you're rolling a good speed turn the key and drop the clutch as if you are launching the car. if you did it right the engine should spring to life and you should drive off leaving the people pushing to eat your dust. if you almost did it right your rear tires will skid but your engine won't start.

as for your problem i agree with everyone else. it's probably a very simple problem. either the starter is gone, or the starter solenoid is loose. you can try tapping it with a pipe or a hammer or something. sometimes that works. if it's an alternator basically your battery's not getting recharged when your car is on - so most likely your battery is dead. if when you try and turn the car on and it doesn't crank or even try to turn over plus all the lights and electronics work i would definitely consider the starter. it's usually the main culprit in a problem like this. so in that case try and push start it and take it to a mechanic. hope this helps.

[Dmnitsadean]

okay.....Day 2....in progress...I go to my car and I try starting it up maybe to see if my baby juss needed a rest....okay this is wat I hear wen i try starting my car....in every start up you hear that vroomvroom titi ingage...I dunno if that helps hahah but okay you have that second pause than the car turns over and starts....I hear a clicking sound rights after that like my timing chain is rattalling....now ima thinkning that maybe my timing chain cracked and maybe not spinning my engine....Rights well I dunno how to check for air or fuel should I juss put some gas....wat else....how do i even check if I am getting spark....I juss put in new spark plugs and wires about 2 months ago and my battary is the red optima....wat do I need to check in my starter, if there are any loose wireS? well yeah it cranks but theres no turn over in the enginee if thats the right way to say it but i dunno ima juss pull up my valve cover and see what going on in there and i'll post from there but if you guys can help me more that would be great thanx guys for the help keep it coming THANKS.....,b>DeAn

[Dmnitsadean]

Visual: well timing belt and tesioners alright....but once I put back everything intact....I try turning it on again.....now its juss clicking and it sounds like the engine is juss nocking now....can waterver pump be a problem...I dunnno if even transmission can be a problem too....well Help guys thanx...DeAn

[Deadrodent]

if your car sounds like it's trying to turn on then the starter probably isn't the problem.

one way to check for spark is to pull a spark plug wire out. then get a screwdriver and place the blade onto the contact of the wire (the metal thing that touches the spark plug on the end of the wire). then you should place the blade and wire next to the side of the engine bay (very close, i'm talking less than half an inch). then get a buddy to try and start the engine. if you see a little spark jump from the side of the screwdrivers blade to the metal of the engine bay then you have spark.

i suggest you try push starting the car instead of popping the valve cover or taking anything off the car. that can instead make the problems worse by getting excess oil into the spark plugs chambers.

you should also check the plugs. get a ratchet and the proper socket and pull the plugs. check if they're damaged or drenched in oil.

[Kenrik]

Sounds like he does not really know much about cars... Taking off the valve cover!! Never do something so serious if you have not checked EVERYTHING else... you can get a flash light and look through the oilcap to see the timing chain... you don't need to pull the whole cover off! anyway! Check your Fuses! check your relays! check to see if the FUEL PUMP turns on... check your spark! really it's not that hard! I doubt it's some huge engine killing problem i'm 99% sure that it's something small and stupid you're overlooking!

[DjPantsSpecR]

i wish this guy was much more clear in what he is saying. Please help us using terms like "turns over or cranks" and "fires up or runs"

or does it fire up and when you try to engage the clutch or drive it it dies again.

If you let your car sit, it will still fire up then abruptly die, if you have no fuel pump. So unless thats the case, quit pushing the issue.

is it possible your alternator went out and you just don't know it (very possible) but then your starter will only click and nothing will fire, but the battery has to be quite dead for this

maybe you have an S14 and the ridiculous anti-theft solenoid is clicking? just unlock your driver door with the key, i've seen kids spend an overnighter in their car because they couldn't figure out how to start it, but btw push starts work even if the antitheft system is trying to stop you.

we really wanna help you, and i know someone can, but you really, really need ot be more clear

[fiznat]

Okay, some vocabulary for the not-so-automotively-inclined:

"Turning Over:" Also referred to as "cranking," this is the sound of your starter actually moving the engine in order to get it started. You hear this every time you start the car, usually it takes one or two rotations before the car catches and starts up. If you hear this sound, that means that your starter is working.

Again, keep it simple. If the engine is not cranking - as I described above - follow these steps:

1. Take your battery out and have it checked at a local parts store- they will make sure it is fully charged.2. If that works, great. If not, try tapping your starter a few times (lightly!) with a hammer or metal rod.3. If that works, sweet. If not, it is most likely your starter that is the problem. Take it off (only 2 bolts holding it in), and bring it in to your local auto parts store. They can tell you if it is broken or not before you buy a new one.4. Replace the starter if necessary. If the starter checks out fine, start looking for wiring issues. Given what you've posted so far, this probably means that you should take the car to a mechanic.

If the engine DOES crank (as specified above), follow these instructions:

1. Fill up your gas tank, or at least add a few gallons.2. If that works, cool. If not, crank the engine twice for 5 seconds each time. Pull the spark plugs out, look at them and smell them. If they are wet with fuel, that is good. If they are dry as a bone, you probably have a fuel pump or other wiring issue. See a mechanic.3. If the plugs are wet, attach a spark plug wire to one of the spark plugs while it is still out of the engine. Lay the spark plug with attached wire across the valve cover so that the tip of the plug is close to the metal of your valve cover. Have a friend crank the engine a few times while you watch the spark plug. You should see spark arcing from the plug tip to your valve cover. If not, see a mechanic.

If none of that works, see a mechanic.

[Dmnitsadean]

thanks alot guys for the reply I figure out wat to do...i'll put some guys first than i'll see what happens from there thanx...DeAn

[Florida240sx]

Hope you can get ti solved.And don't see a mechanic. Keep us posted on what the problem was/still is.

[babowc]

if it cranks..im just gonna pull something out of my *** and say there is probably bad connections or your wires/plugs are bad.., but dont take advice from me, im just a newbie