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99 legacy (H4 2.2L) cranking but not starting

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I live in Duluth, MN. We've had brutally cold weather on and off for the last month or so. I was experiencing hard starts on some of the coldest mornings and eventually, this week, it wouldn't start. My dash and interior lights were functional and it cranked but didn't start. I hooked up jumper cables and let it juice up for about 20 minutes. It started and I drove it for 30 minutes. When I turned it off and attempted to restart it, it cranked but didn't start.

 

I replaced the battery and cleaned the terminals.

 

Same result. It would crank, but wouldn't start. It did start once with the new battery, but only when I fully depressed the gas pedal on a few attempts. It idled fine, but died when I revved the engine. After that, it would crank but not start.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thank you in advance...

It sounds like you have a fuel delivery problem. Change the fuel filter and see if the problem clears up. If not you may have a weak fuel pump or a bad injector. Another possible problem is the coil pack, but I am not tending to think this with your symptoms.

 

Good luck

Engine Temp Sensor or crank position sensor. It wont show up on a scan as the scan only shows errors on a started engine, not won that wont start. Thats where i would look first.

 

Do you have spark?

 

nipper

  • Author

It started tonight, I let it run for about 90 minutes. When I turned it off and restarted it immediately afterward, it fired right up on three seperate attempts.

It started tonight, I let it run for about 90 minutes. When I turned it off and restarted it immediately afterward, it fired right up on three seperate attempts.

 

 

Typical of a goofy electronic issue.

 

nipper

  • Author

After poking around under the hood for a little bit, I discovered that the main ground cable coming off of the battery wasn't actually bolted on to the engine block! It was just lying on the block loose. I bolted it to the block and all is well. :grin:

After poking around under the hood for a little bit, I discovered that the main ground cable coming off of the battery wasn't actually bolted on to the engine block! It was just lying on the block loose. I bolted it to the block and all is well. :grin:

 

 

That qualifies as goofy :)

 

 

nipper

After poking around under the hood for a little bit, I discovered that the main ground cable coming off of the battery wasn't actually bolted on to the engine block! It was just lying on the block loose. I bolted it to the block and all is well. :grin:

 

on my engine that ground cable is bolted on one of the starter bolts, double check to make sure both are still there, one bolt, one nut on a stud i think.

Engine Temp Sensor or crank position sensor.

 

nipper

 

my guess woudl be Coolant Temp Sensor as well. It's a PITA, but if you remove the intake tube and move some stuff you can disconnect the CTS. Make sure to put the intake tube back on before trying to start.

 

They will usually fire right up then if the CTS is the problem.

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