Hey Guys,

So driving home car just diesels and quits running. Pretty sure that it is a fuel problem. Engine turns over but won't start. At the on position fuel pump goes vum-vum-vum-vum and near the dash there is click-click-click-click in sync and the lights on the dash click on and off. My thought are fuel pump, relay, injector or occlusion. Car has 1/2 tank of gas. Seems like the pump or injector would have given some signs of failure before? What do you guys think?

Thanks,

kmpdx

Timing belt or distributor rotor hold down screw came out.

I did change the timing belts in July. I put the cover back on. What is the quickest way to check the timing belt? I will take the top off the rotor and check it first.

The way it happened all of the sudden does make me think that it could be something like that. Also, should the fuel pump run continuously in the ignition ON position or should it pressurize and turn off?

Edited December 2, 20187 yr by kmpdx
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Fuel pump will Shut off when pressurized... turn on ignition but don't start it!! should be mmmm,click.

That's what I thought. It goes mmmm-click-mmmm-click-mmmm-click...continuously in the ON position

 

Do you have spark at the plug wires when you crank it over? This will require two people.

Unfortunately, the car quit 3 blocks from my house so I cannot check it right away. I will do that first. When I looked under the hood I would say the boot that connects the coil to the distributor did not fit well on the coil side. I had an extra wire and swapped it. Also, when turned to on position (not cranking) and the fuel pump kept running through the priming cycle, the RPM meter started jumping up and down and into the red.  Another post pointed to distributor but I am not sure how.

How can I check spark without a spark testing tool? I have a multimeter. Regardless of then strange symptoms of the fuel pump, spark is the first thing to check for sure. Particularly because that wire between the coil and the distributor was not right 

Can I just get a spare spark plug and connect it to a plug wire and check?

Edited December 2, 20187 yr by kmpdx
better question

I usually just grab a screw driver and insert it in to the spark plug wire boot. Hold it a little ways away from ground like the engine block while someone cranks it over. The spark should jump a small gap. You can also use a spare spark plug. Make sure to provide a good ground for it. Lay it on the engine or something.

Fuel pump cycles because you have the green diagnostic plugs connected. Not related to your no-start. 

GD

Edited December 2, 20187 yr by GeneralDisorder

@GD

Will they start and run with the diagnostic connectors plugged in? I have never tried it.

Edited December 2, 20187 yr by Crazyeights

They should not be connected but I did do that once. I will need to double check on the diagnostic plugs. Thought when I did that before that it ran crappy and the check engine light came on but maybe that was the other diagnostic plug. I will check that too. The fact that ti quit suddenly makes me think that distributor or one of timing belts (crankshaft bolt?) are good thoughts. I will check green plug and spark first and then maybe see if I can pry the timing case a little and look in there. Then fuel after.

Thanks!

Edited December 2, 20187 yr by kmpdx

Sudden stop while running - most common is distributor rotor screw, or d/s timing belt. Fuel pumps don't stop while they are running unless they lose power.

Check for spark - just pull a plug wire off the cap and hold it near to the tower with some insulated pliers. Should have a nice blue spark. Check that rotor screw first. 

GD

10 minutes ago, Crazyeights said:

@GD

Will they start and run with the diagnostic connectors plugged in? I have never tried it.

Absolutely. They are intended to be ran and driven in D-Check mode for diagnostic purposes per the FSM. It's not the same connector used for pulling codes. You are supposed to run them through a diagnostic that includes driving at I think greater than 15 mph for at least 10-14 minutes? I honestly don't remember the exact params. 

GD

It is like three blocks from my house right now. That would be a dream if it was that. I am studying for a final but will probably head over and do that spark/distributor check in a few.

I bet the screw fell out of the rotor mine did before.... aside from that my lack if preventative maint got the best of me and I broke a timing belt 3 houses down lol...

Totally agree with General Disorder had both happen at one time or another...

I'd also check/clean battery connection terminals just because...

Edited December 2, 20187 yr by Len Dawg

Battery is clean but its overall integrity is not the best. I really hope it is the rotor and not the timing belt...Just cause here I am living in apartments and I am limited in things like draining radiator. I have actually replaced timing belts and rotor relatively recently. I don't think I put loc-tite when I did the disty-rotor. My fingers are crossed that is my problem

I'd the cranking sound an even 1 2 3 4 rythm, or sychopated?  Broken belt is noticable un even.

So I went to the car. I was alone so testing spark was not really practical. I popped off the distributor cap and what I found is in the attached photo. A few hang ups with a dropped screw but got it together and drove it home! Kind of a weird design because that screw is kind of difficult to get tight.  I did notice that even with the screw tight that there was a little  rotational play in the rotor when I turn it by hand. Should it be like that? 

Seriously, thanks so much. 

Thanks!

kmpdx

Shouldn't be much play with a quality rotor. But it's not all that critical since once it's locked down you adjust the timing by rotating the distributor body. Any error in the rotor to distributor shaft position will be accounted for and eliminated in the timing procedure.

Put some blue loctite on that screw. And it helps to use a JIS screwdriver to tighten it. 

GD

Thank Gaudd!

Great to see a finished thread!