Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Starting

I relaize there are a zillion posts on starting issues - but I've searched through and had a hard time find something specific.

Have a 95 countour SE v-6 5sp,114k, new alternator and batt cables.

Car won't start. It does turn over. Batt seems to have charge as it turns over well and lights work etc. Jump start did nothing - does the same thing. I saw the post about rocking the car back and forth a bit and I'll try that tonight - also might try a push start. What are some other ideas? It has had intermittant starting issues lately, usually just cranking more than usual, but has always started in the end..

s

Read this it might help Seems it could be a bad crank sensor

Thanks - I see the crankshaft posistion sensor is only like 13 bucks at autozone so its a cheap try. I'm gonna try to push start the thing to get it home tonight..... Then look through the haynes manual to see what says. I'll post again tomorrow if I still haven't gotten anywhere..

OK dag-gummit. I thought that Cranckshaft sensor was gonna be easy to replace. How in the heck to do you get your hands in there to get that mounting bolt off?? Also tried push starting it over and over to no avail...

Will it run after puch starting it if the CPS is bad?

skiller1234 -

Welcome to CEG!

If your starter is cranking the engine properly, push-starting won't accomplish anything.

Replacing parts without doing any diagnostic work will just take time and cost money, with little hope of really solving the problem.

One place to start, since you have a 1995: You can easily dump the engine processor's error codes with nothing more than a paper clip (a scanner is required for 1996 and newer cars, which have the OBD-II standard interface).

Look here for more info:

http://www.contour.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=trouble&Number=552342&Forum=trouble

I also like the Dali Design site. The free pages are enough to get error codes:

http://www.dalidesign.com/hbook/eectest.html

The error codes will help you discover what the engine computer thinks is happening when you try to start.

Also, for any sudden no-start situation, start with the basics:

Fuel
Ignition
Compression

And any time work has been done immediately before a problem, I'm always suspicious of what was done. Any possibility earlier repairs loosened a connector? The alternator is notoriously difficult to get to on Duratec-powered Contours. Make sure anything that might have been removed to access the alternator was completely and correctly put back together.

Other easy things to check:

Does the exhaust smell like gasoline after cranking for awhile? Is there any possibility the car has been bumped? Your car has an impact sensor that is designed to shut off the fuel pump in case of accident. It's possible the switch has been tripped (so no fuel to the engine). Your owner's manual includes a procedure that details how to reset the switch (IIRC, it's above the driver's kick panel).

Best wishes in getting it fixed quickly!

OK - this thing is hacking me off.. I let the thing sit in the parking lot for a week, then the wife comes over and it starts right up - lickity split. Drives great for 3 days. Drive it to work one morning -starts up great - go to leave and it won't start again. Next morning it still will not start. Tow to a shop down the street, and the next day they call and say its been fine all day, say all the sensors look great. So whateverit it is intermittant - car runs fine once its going. SO compression is ok - Spark is ok (at least once its running).

Maybe fuel pump? - but i can hear it, and why would it be so intermitant?... Worried its that flywheel problem - but that doesn't explain why it would work after sitting still for a week.

I haven't been able to get the code thing to work - and it still has not failed for me at a shop.

I could try whacking the gas tank and the starter next time to dee if it jolts one of them into action I suppose..

Argh - any help would be appreciated...

Once again... if the engine is turning OVER, but not starting, then the starter/flywheel are aligned, and engaged.


stop looking for worse things than it is, until the time comes that you have proven it CAN be that bad...

• Intermittent spark is a viable option, and a failing coilpack can do this to you. 10 minutes to replace it... but testing it first would be the better thing to do.
  
  
• With 114K miles, when's the last time the spark plugs and wires were changed?
  
  
• Fuel pump primes when you turn the key one click, you said? As long as you hear it prime the first time you turn the key (on an occasion that the car is not starting, then your fuel pump itself would be fine...
  

Like its already been said: fuel, air, spark..

As long as the engine is turning powerfully, don't touch the starter, aka "whacking it" and I am not even going to ask about how you would go about "whacking" the fuel tank... but DON'T...




Ray

ALso - a bit confused on the "jumper" to get the codes off the cel. I see the diagram - but am unclear exatly what goes where (either end of the paper clip...)

Thanks for the fast reply!!! Yeah - the enging shakes so I guess its turning over.. (please forgive my naiviete). How do I test the coil padk - that could be this intermittant? Plugs and wires were changed about 30k ago. And yeah - i hear the fuel pump.

I'm going to walk ovr to the shop after work to get it, ask them for possible suggestions for the next time it happens as well..


whacking the tank was supposed to jostle the fuel pump - suggestion from a guy here at work.......

sk

I had a simalar problem, with starting and not starting. Mine sat over night and would not start...next day it fired up and ran fine. In the end I found it was the IAC valve. I had idle problems as well...but dont ask me why, it would not start because of the IAC, but after I cleaned it out its been running and starting fine.