Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Engine cranks, but not turn over.

Ok, recently the car has had trouble starting where it will crank, but it won't turn over for like a minute and then finally it starts. Happened in the morning and also when I filled the tank with gas after running it low.

Well today it did not want to start at all. Last night I let my car sit form 2:30pm to 12:30am and it was having trouble, but luckily it started cause I wasn't at home. This morning it wouldn't start, but it had a few turn overs where it wanted to. It could be flooded due to a brother trying to help out and giving it too much gas that wasn't used(can smell gas outside car).

I am going to be gone for the week, so I will respond to any posts when I return. I have searched and a few people say ignition system, some say fuel injector, but that was two years ago and I was wondering if anyone recently had this problem.

'96 Contour GL

I'd think if you smelled gas, that it's not the fuel pump. By the way, on a fuel injected car, you should never press or pump the gas pedal when trying to start it. That only works for carbureted engines. Sounds like ignition to me. Check the wiring to the coil pack and make sure the plug wires are on tight at both the plugs and the coil pack. How long has it been since you put in new plugs? Let us know what you find. Also, is it Zetec or Duratec (4 or 6)?

Any error codes? I believe your model still has OBD I so you could read the codes via CEL. Somebody else may comment. I have a '95.

Otherwise, try the following:

1. Air. Check the air intake hoses for wear etc. Open the air filter compartment and take a look. Maybe it is plugged up. Leave it open for the moment. Tap gently on the MAF - they sometimes go bad. Then try to crank it again.

2. Fuel. Do you hear the pump coming on as you turn the key (without cranking the engine)? If not - check the fuse. If it is good then you need a new pump. If so - remove the flex hose connected to air intake. Find a black plastic cap on the fuel lines below. Take it off. Take a rug and wrap it around the exposed valve. Press on it with a small screwdriver. Keep you face away - the fuel should squirt a few inches. This is not a very sophisticated method but it will tell you if your pump is dead or alive.

2a. Reassemble the air intake. Take off the vacuum hose of the fuel return valve (to the right, just above the injectors). This will prevent the valve from shuttting the fuel off. Crank it.

3. Spark. Take the fuel pump fuse out for this test. Remove one of the spark plug wires and connect it to a spare plug. Put it somewhere so the thread touches the engine (do not hold it by a hand). Have someone crank the car while you watch the spark. You should see it even during daylight.

3a. Spark plugs themselves. Take them out one after another and look at the gap area. You may have some nasty deposits. Clean them and put them back in, or, depending on the condition - replace them.

4. Timing belt. Remove the cover on the left side (2 screws) and look at it while someone is cranking the engine. See if it appears OK along the entire length. Any signs of wear may indicate that it jumped a tooth ot two...


Then let us know. The above are the external tests that may help identify the obvious stuff. We may need to dig a bit more based on your status.

95 Contour GL

A word of conflict on some of the above posts:
1. A bad IAC valve (stuck shut) will cause a no-run (problematic running) condition, and pressing the gas can/WILL help if that is your problem. It is actually the recommended troubleshooting procedure to determine if it may be the culprit.

2. OBD-II started in all vehicles 96 and newer, code reading can only be done via a reader. (Autozone is free, and will read them for you. just get the code NUMBER [pxxxx, where x is a number] and not the bonehead description they give you.

3. Just because you turn the key to ON and hear no priming doesn't mean the pump is dead, and that you need a new one. If the system is under pressure, then the pump will not prime. Perhaps the test this poster performs will be done within a time frame that the system is still under pressure. not a good thing to have him run out and by another pump when it may not be the problem.

and finally, just an addition: search out the possibility of being a bad/intermittant Crank position sensor as this will cause a no start condition as well (if the IAC isn't the culprit. I am assuming you have no codes, as you didn't post that the CEL was on.)

Oh.. BTW: It helps to post your year, make, model, mileage, and any recent maintenance, mods, or problem descriptions with EVERY troubleshooting post you make. Certainly helps us do our job more effectively.


Ray

OK first of this is a '96 Contour GL that had this problem about two years ago and left in front of house for one year and finally fixed do to this same problem. Before me it was my brother's car so I do not know what the solution was. It is a zetec 4 cyl engine with 164,000 miles. It has been a week due to some work issues of me being out of state and I just tried it again and it tried to turn over for like have a second and then just was cranking.

Please help I need this car for work on monday or I might be fired.

Is it possible that it is the starter and that needs to be replaced? If so then can someone direct me to a how-to on replacing the starter? The car seems to want to start and you can get it to sort of turn over, but it just chokes and won't make it.

Thanks for any help...

If it cranks, it's not the starter. I still think it's ignition related. Ray is right (naturally)...if you hold the gas down just a wee bit and it stays running, its the IAC. When I said to not press the gas, I was referring to not holding it to the floor or pumping it as you would a carbureted engine. Again, it sounds to me like you're not getting fire.