Well I changed the UIM/LIM gaskets and I am 99% sure I hooked everything back up right. I also swapped out plugs and wires and put in Bosch Platinum 4205's, which Autozone told me are stock replacements, as well as the Bosch website.
When I try to start the car the starter turns, the cam sprockets spin, but if feels like it starts "too smoothly" like the pistons arent moving or there is no compression.
I have no idea where to start on this, anyone have any ideas?
**I am assuming you have a Duratec V6**Get the Autolite APP764, dual platinums, if you can, or Motorcraft equivalent AGSF32PPM. However, if the Boschs fit the heads, the car should at least run. Make sure they are physically interchangeable with the original plugs, and all are seated in the sockets. I had trouble putting an Autolite in my Mystique because a weld blob was interfering with the threads catching in the head. Thread them carefully by hand and seat them. Also check firing order of the new wires and the coil pack has a small plug on it that's easy to forget, causes no start
I checked and double checked the proper order of the wires on the distributor, the one connector you mentioned is there, all plugs threaded fine into the head and were snugged down just enough.
I checked Bosch's website and they did in fact go in this car. So the guys "supposedly" sold me the right plug. They are single tipped platinum though, so were the ones I pulled out.
And yes, it's the duratec.
Also...there was a VERY faint odor of gas under the hood, but I don't know if that's just from disconnecting the injectors, etc. I smelled the fuel slightly when I was putting the injectors back into the LIM, forgot about it, and smelled it some more after I tried starting the car and stuck my head back under the hood again. I couldn't see any leaks though, and am not even sure if I'm just over analyzing and "resmelling" the fuel smell that was already there before.
It almost seems like the starter is spinning too fast, or there is like no resistance. It just doesn't feel the same when I turn the key. It never fires, never sputters, just sits there and cranks over and over.
I primed the lines 3 times like the write up mentioned by turning the key forward and back. I dunno. Stumped and frustrated.
If you didn't soak up the cleaner the engine will be full of it. If it's still in there you will need to hold the throttle wide open to let in tons of air in order to force the excess out of the cylinders. Did you pull a coil wire and check for spark?
Did you clean the manifolds while they were off? I had to let mine sit for a day or two till the smell went away. As mentioned the TB cleaner will screw up the car. So if you were spraying the engine you may need to try WOT. Also make sure you have the hose to the IAC on as it will cause the car to stall, but it should at least start then die.
Did you reconnect the 2 grounds at the coil pack?!
No, the intake manifolds definately were NOT the least bit wet when I put them back on. I don't remember removing any grounds from the coil pack, unless one inadvertedly came off during the wire swap. The only thing I removed were the 6 wires and the clip that goes on the front side of the coil pack.
I will pull a plug wire when I am home from work and see if there is a spark. will I be able to tell just by looking down inside the boot that connects to the plug? Those things are pretty deep...
Originally posted by ndolsongtp:
No, the intake manifolds definately were NOT the least bit wet when I put them back on. I don't remember removing any grounds from the coil pack, unless one inadvertedly came off during the wire swap. The only thing I removed were the 6 wires and the clip that goes on the front side of the coil pack.
I will pull a plug wire when I am home from work and see if there is a spark. will I be able to tell just by looking down inside the boot that connects to the plug? Those things are pretty deep...
Stick you finger in the tower and have someone turn it over! 
Just hold the wire an 1/2 inch from the tower and see if a spark jumps to it.
Actually, I have been shocked by a distributor before when I was working on my 5.0 (whole arm went numb, no joke). It's ok though, it was only 10's of thousands of volts.
So you are saying I should unplug the wire on the coil pack side and see if I can get a spark jumping from the terminal, or I should disconnect it on the spark plug side.
make sure that the spark is actually at the distributor(isn't it called a coil pack?). If there isn't electricity to into the box, none will come out and could would not fire at all and just turn over and over.
So I just need to remove a wire connector on the coil pack and do what?
Originally posted by ndolsongtp:
So I just need to remove a wire connector on the coil pack and do what?
Did you try cranking at WOT for about 20 seconds yet?
Try that first, it is more than likely your problem. The cleaner you used has washed all the oil off the cylinder walls and you are not getting compression.
Well, I barely cleaned anything at all, so I doubt that's the problem.
I only tried turning the engine over for a max of 5 seconds or so each time I tried (~5 times). It just doesn't "feel the same" as it normally does when I try to start it.
WHY DON'T YOU PUT YOUR LOCATION IN YOUR PROFILE. I'm sure a CEGer could help you out,
Ask for some help here.
http://www.contour.org/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=southcentral
When you say you worked on GTP's. What exactly did you do man?
If you're having trouble with vac connections and you have stated this...
but I am good with a wrench and have done motor swaps and cam installs and everything under the sun with Pontiac Grand Prix GTP's I'm a little leary.
You're questioning my mechanical ability because there is a broken vac line and I can't figure out where it goes on a motor I know nothing about and am completely unfamiliar with? Mkay.
I figured someone would know what it was, and be like hey this is where it goes and this is what it's for, and I'd fix it, and it would be that easy. Which, is what happened.
Anyways...I'll mess with this some more when I get home and see what it's deal is.
Is it possible something could have happened to the starter during the swap process? I read it's just underneath the throttle body, and since I was removing the throttle body and a bunch of crap around it???
We're not there. We don't know what you touched. The starter shared nothing with the only components you SHOULD have been messing with. You did something with the coil pack. Something is not hooked up.
Thanks captain obvious, I just didn't know if there was something on the starter that could get disconnected easily if it got messed with inadvertedly while working on something else. I'll check the coil pack when I'm home from work, but the only thing I disconnected is the 6 plug wires and the one connector on the front of the coil pack, which I replaced. Even if I got a plug wire crossed, it would still turn over and run like crap (maybe die), but it's not doing either.
Originally posted by ndolsongtp:
Well, I barely cleaned anything at all, so I doubt that's the problem.
I only tried turning the engine over for a max of 5 seconds or so each time I tried (~5 times). It just doesn't "feel the same" as it normally does when I try to start it.
The symptoms you are describing(engine spinning unusually easy) are the same as I and other CEGers experienced after doing this job. That's why I said to crank at WOT for 20 seconds, because it worked for all of us.
You may have other problems but this one is an easy diagnosis.
OK...I will try that. I didn't go WOT, nor did I have the ignition turned for mroe than 5 seconds. I was very attentive to detail though, and would be very much surprised if I put something back together incorrectly. I guess it's semi-comforting knowing others have had the same symptoms and it was an easy fix.
Originally posted by ndolsongtp:
Thanks captain obvious, I just didn't know if there was something on the starter that could get disconnected easily if it got messed with inadvertedly while working on something else. I'll check the coil pack when I'm home from work, but the only thing I disconnected is the 6 plug wires and the one connector on the front of the coil pack, which I replaced. Even if I got a plug wire crossed, it would still turn over and run like crap (maybe die), but it's not doing either.
And did you make sure that it's totally clicked? Their are also 2 other connections on the corners of the pack. One is the ground strap on the drivers side and then their is another with a grey connection with black wire. In the pics I can see the ground is connected but you croped it on the passenger side so I can't see if that is connected or not.
I'll check that too. I tell you what, the wire molding, vacuum lines, and all the plastic parts get SOOOO brittle on these cars!
Yes they do. A recall on 95-97 wire harnesses released. They later ones are just as bad though.
Recharge your battery, for best spark/cranking. Might help.
Well I cranked it for like 20 seconds to no avail. A couple of times I heard a VERY MINOR and quiet thump noise like a backfire or something, but it definately never even sounded like it was going to start.
Don't know what to do, but now the battery is dead and I won't be able to get a charger until tomorrow.
Or ,it is the crank sensor (scan for codes, first recharge battery) Good luck, hope it runs.
Well I ended up getting my hands on a battery charger tonight and charged the battery 100% and still no start. I pulled the plugs and removed the UIM the plugs looked like they might have fired a few times...ever so slightly black, but definately not too dirty (makes sense because it hasn't started!).
I'm almost 100% sure that the CEL goes off when I try to start the engine, so if I read those links right, the CKP probably is NOT bad?
I noticed my plugs smelled like gas pretty badly, so I know the injectors are working. In fact, they looked like they were damp with gas. I'll try adding some oil to the cylinders and see if it works for me. What do you think?
I'm still waiting for the battery to charge again, but I tried starting it after putting some oil down into the cylinders and it actually felt like there was some "resistance" to the start. Hopefully when I go out to try to start it again once the battery is done charging, I can get her to start. I did feel a difference in the start before and after adding oil though. It's been sitting for about a week now.
Got the car started this morning!!! I put the oil down in the cylinders (thank you for the guy that recommended that) last night and tried to start it, but the battery was still too low. Charged it overnight and it fired right up this morning.
Now my question is, I'm assuming it's normal for the car to smoke for a little while after starting it up since I poured oil down into the cylinder through the spark plug hole??? It was really heavy at first, but after idling for about 10 minutes it wasn't nearly as bad. I also spilled some oil on the block itself too, so I'm getting a little smoke from under the hood.
But let me tell you what...that car drives better now than it has over the past two years. It's obviously been needing plugs for a LONG time. It drives like a whole different car...more power, doesn't bog down under partial acceleration, etc. I'm interested to see if she (my fiancee) gets any better gas mileage now with it. Drives great, and no CEL! Hopefully it stops burning the oil soon and all will be good.
Thanks for everyone's help...couldn't have done it without it!
I'm perplaxed as to why a simple cleaning would show these symptoms. What is the purpose of dumping oil down the cylinders?
From what I've read, if the car starts up then gets turned off very quickly, or stalls out, it can flood the cylinder with gas, which leads to "cylinder wash". This means there isn't any oil around the cylinder rings, which can lead to no compression. I described a problem as the starter didn't seem to have any "load/resistance" to it, and for the life of me couldn't figure out how there would be no compression. Well, I'd never even heard of this happening before, but in my case...it definately did!
I've read about this on old VW's, never thought to connect it to a contour. Kinda wierd, but it makes sense, now that I think about it.
Scott
There was someone with a Mondeo on here once, he had the same problem after cleaning. Probably should change the oil after a bit, if it got thinned out with gas.