Started fine Monday, will not start since and this has happened before, but I could get it started usually with a shot of ether. I have read and done everything feasible in the Haynes manual. I have fuel pressure at the train, fully charged battery, new plugs with a good spark. Turns over fast but will not fire up, almost but not. It has been raining a lot, but the fuel is ok and the dist. cap is dry. Also have replaced the coil & plugs, now I have removed the injectors to clean Help.............

 

try resetting the inertia switch

 

rcarpenter:
If you have confirmed proper fuel pressure and confirmed good spark, then my next bet would be the crankshaft position sensor. A bad CPS is frequently responsible for the notorious non-start scenario. Please look back in forum archives to research. Instead of rushing out to buy new (well over $100!), there may be tests to determine if yours is working. There is supposed to be a simple test, but I cannot now remember on which era car it works - the early ones (like yours) or the later ones. Theory goes, the tachometer needle will fluctuate around 2-300 RPM whilst cranking. If it doesn't register any RPMs, the CPS is bad. (Does anybody else remember that, or is it an old wives tale?!)
Happy hunting!
Scott

 

Bingo! I would say that little unit is the cause for most non starting problems, after all else seems fine. And one day it will fire the car over, the next nothing.

 

Thanks, but when the inertia switch is tripped (I have checked) it won't crank

 

Now I have replaced the coil (because the reading across was off) plugs, took the fuel train off and cleaned the injectors and replaced the O-rings. It fired right up when I was just trying to bleed the line. Got it started one more time for about two minutes. never ran again just turn and turn and turn. Will look at CPS tomorrow

 

rcarpenter:
My beautiful car ran perfectly for the first five days of my ownership. Then I couldn't get it to start. It would start intermittently for a while and then nothing. New to Jags, and with little money in the pocketbook, I was petrified! Long story short, it ended up being the fuel pump relay - an 11 dollar part. But after a tow to the nearest dealership forty miles away and then paying for the diagnosis etc., it was an expensive lesson to learn. Now I check the easy stuff first.

I offer this because your little description of the problem is so reminiscent of mine a few years back. I'd check the relay if I were you.

Cheers,
Scott
PS - if you've been cranking a lot, be sure to put a good charge on the battery.

 

Well said.

 

Well I replaced the crankshaft position sensor (took a week to get) charged the battery to full and bingo....still will not start. I have now become completely frustrated and want to drive the car off a cliff. Oh yeah it doesn't start. I have never not been able to at least get a car to start up. I have a new coil, good cap & rotor, good spark, cleaned fuel rail & injectors w/ new o-rings, new fuel pump & fuel filter were changed two months ago but it has not ran in weeks now

 

Did you change out the ignition amplifier?

 

Just throwing this into the mix, because that part of your description sounds similar to a problem I had.
Easy check. Pull the small vacuum line that runs from the fuel pressure regulator to the intake manifold & check for raw gas. My regulator diaphragm was bad, pumping fuel into the intake manifold instead of back to the fuel tank.

 

I did, had no gas on the vacuum side, I took the regulator off and there was some water mixed with the gas, but the action seemed fine

 

rcarpenter:
I feel for you. This is very frustrating. Did you check that little fuel pump relay with one that is known good?
Rereading your posts... so, the last time you were able to get the car to start, it would peter out after two minutes or so? That sounds like a fuel starvation problem to my amateur ears. Are you certain that, while you do have fuel at the rail, it is being maintained at a constant pressure?
One more little thing... if you've disturbed the distributor cap since then, are you certain it is re-seated in the proper location?
Scott

 

Huh, cars don't run too well on water, it tends not to react to the spark plugs.

Right at the start you said it had been raining a lot, are you sure that you don't have a fuel tank full of water? and remember that over time the water will be at the bottom of the tank in the fuel pick up area.

The way the tank filler is situated if the drain isn't 100% and the fuel tank cap 100% then I can quite easily see how a lot of water could get in there, the roof drain channel runs through it.

You say you have a good spark, so fuel not water should burn.

From everything else that you have done, I think I would be thinking about draining the tank and putting in new fuel. It is no good just adding fuel.

You could of course take a sample from a disconnected outlet pipe and have it analysed but that is probably a step too far unless you work in a lab.

 

I have had problems with the drain hose in the fuel filler cap getting clogged up and water sits in the fill cap area. I am stubborn though, I originally put two bottles of "Heet" brand water fuel additive before replacing every other part known. My question to everyone is...can water in the fuel tank cause your car to completely not start, or at some point should it start rough, idle like crap and die? My car simply will not kick over.