Car wont start! Please help me!

[PureSound15]

So here's the story. kelly has a 99 cougar, which is a royal pain in the ass, and always has problems. Beyond that... it's in a parking lot in Green Bay right now and will not start.

The battery was dead, which I replaced a week ago... long story short, the old one was charged, went back in, and I ended up replacing it again this weekend on yet another -40* day in the parking lot.

So... now... it turns over as if the battery is fine (it's new) but will not start. I've put heat in the gas tank, and it still wont start. Frozen fuel lines perhaps? If that's what it is, how do I fix it?

I'm running out of ideas, and it's so damn cold up here, I'm sick of being outside trying to get it to start. Any help would be great.


Note: A few of the cylinders do fire, you can hear it in the exhaust, and if I give it a little gas while trying to turn it over, it does pop a bit.

Thanks guys.

[awsomeears]

Might be stupid but I would remove the battery cables for a minute, then re-hook back up and try to start it up. If that gets you from point A to B sweet !!!!!!!

[rally_scort]

a bottle of heet should do the trick with the fuel line problem.How low is the tank when it was parked? It might be a long shot, but do your dash lights come on when you turn the key on? Im asking cuz i had the same problems as you till i found out my ignition switch was junk.

[awsomeears]

check your fuel pump fuse !!!

[Deggy]

Im guessing you can hear the fuel pump come on when you turn the key?

[PureSound15]

The tank has about 1/4 left, I put in the appropriate amount of heat.

I didn't think to check the fuel pump fuse, I'll try that. I didn't even think to listen for it. Thanks for the help.

[awsomeears]

yikes 1/4 tank in these cold days are not so good, even with that Heat shit.

[Neal Steffek]

Just a heads up, gas does not freeze. But if everyone knew that no one would purchase additives for there gas in the winter. ;)

[Russ Jerome]

Note: A few of the cylinders do fire, you can hear it in the exhaust, and if I give it a little gas while trying to turn it over, it does pop a bit.



Dont waste a lot of time on fuel pump fuse's if it is popping on a few,
you pretty much confirmed you are getting fuel (maybe low pressure
but it should at least idle).

What motor is it specificaly?

[PureSound15]

It's the v6, which is a 2.5 I'm guessing?


I'm very frustrated. I've never heard of a car, or had any experience with a car doing this.

[05caddyext]

Could be the timing belt. I had a escort winter beater a few years back and the timing belt broke sitting at a stop light on 164 in waukesha in the dark. Never heard it snap, nothin. Car turned over, wouldn't start. Could be that.

[Moparjim]

Just a heads up, gas does not freeze. But if everyone knew that no one would purchase additives for there gas in the winter. ;)

Yes, but any type of moisture or condensation (water) in the tank, gas, and fuel system can and does indeed cause fuel system blockage/problems. Its a well known fact, I have seen it myself on both my own cars and when I worked at numerous garages, and Heet or related products do indeed work, so I am not sure why you would post such a comment. It is not as big an issue with fuel injected high pressure fuel systems as it used to be with low pressure carb systems, but it still does happen. Particularly if you leave the tank empty or near empty, allowing condensation to happen.

[Moparjim]

PS. Unfortunately I agree with checking the timing belt. If you are getting popping it is getting fuel and spark and trying to fire. I would say either timing belt or an ECU or sensor issue would be your two culprits as to why it is either firing at the wrong time, or does not have the correct amount of fuel. Check the timing belt, and check the codes.

[rally_scort]

It's the v6, which is a 2.5 I'm guessing?


I'm very frustrated. I've never heard of a car, or had any experience with a car doing this.

i remember seeing a good handful of 2.5L contours coming in for electrical issues when i used to work for griffin ford.Not sure if the same problems occur in the cougars, but its the same drivetrain.

[whistlin six]

It sounds to me like the plugs are wet with fuel and the engine is flooded.
Hold the throttle wide open while cranking, doing this puts the engine in
de-flood mode and shuts off injector pulse. This usually gets the plugs
dry enough to fire. You will hear more cylinders start to fire as you crank
and eventually it should start. It may run rough until all the plugs dry out,
keep the rpm's up until this happens.

A shot of starting fluid may help too.

Don't forget to change the oil asap as it's probably washed out with fuel.

Good luck.

[Corvette Jabo]

If you were to use a short blast of either and it fired up it may show that there is a fuel issue. In the past I have used a can of either as a hand held fuel injection to keep an engine running for about 30seconds, no longer than that. That way I could determine if it was the fuel system (tank, line, pump, filter or carburetor) having the issue.

Mopar Jim…..thoughts on this?

Jabo

[madmike]

With all the problems its had, the gas from trying to start has washed the oil form the rings so they dont seal anymore cobined with the plugs being fouled out, I would throw in a new set of plugs then try to start it. I own a shop and have do this to a lot of cars lately, seem to see a lot of cars not maintained and the plugs got like 100k miles on them, with a weak battery, weather goes to below zero and bingo no start! They try battery charger, then jump starting, then afer days of this then a new battery but by then its never going to start until I pull a plug and see its a mess!!

Hope this helps!

[Waver]

Hey, if it is the timing belt, better start looking for a new car for her, as that car I believe is an interfearence engine....Now it is totally uncommon for it to snap while sitting....I would do what mad mike says first and go from there...and pray that it is not the timing belt

[DirtyMax]

I believe is an interfearence engine....

No it's not if it's the 2.5. That's non-interference.

[Waver]

I know that one of them was interference........unless I am thinking of the probe 2.5....I thought the duratec was though

[PureSound15]

I'm thinking it's flooded. Thanks for the help guys, I guess I'll spend another afternoon in the cold :durr

[DirtyMax]

I know that one of them was interference........unless I am thinking of the probe 2.5....I thought the duratec was though

You might be right. The Mazda's and Probes used the same motor and I know that one's non. Maybe the one in the Cougar is interference if it's a different motor. I thought it was the same one.

[Moparjim]

If you were to use a short blast of either and it fired up it may show that there is a fuel issue. In the past I have used a can of either as a hand held fuel injection to keep an engine running for about 30seconds, no longer than that. That way I could determine if it was the fuel system (tank, line, pump, filter or carburetor) having the issue.

Mopar Jim…..thoughts on this?

Jabo

Yep that will work as a "diagnostic" tool lol. A bit old school and a lot of people are afraid of ether/starting fluid but it is an easy way to find out if its firing right and just not getting fuel. Flooded and fouled is a possibility as well, as people have mentioned but that is another thing that isn't as common on fuel injected cars and if it does fire and sputter I would think it would start up.

[PureSound15]

I haven't had the time today to go and play with it yet. But I'm not sure what to try first.

Thanks again for the help! I'm proud that there wasn't anything simple I was missing, I'd rather not have to drive Kelly to and from work tomorrow :(

[Car Guy]

IT'S FLOODED...!!! The SAME exact thing happened to a `97 Sable that I have right now with the almost identical 3.0 Duratec. Install some new plugs in it and call it a day, trying to get the current ones dry will not be worth your time.....







:3gears::3gears::3gears:

[Windsors 03 Cobra]

If possible I would take off the air intake and hold the throttle blade open then spray ether in there for 2 seconds let the throttle close and go in the cab and hold the throttle wide open and turn the key, if it starts, revs and dies the fuel system needs attention.
If it does nothing then you need to check for spark, if it has good spark then replace the plugs.

Spark and fuel, spark and fuel. Any engine needs them to run

[Reverend Cooper]

crank the car over with the pedal to the floor to shut off the fuel if its flooded with a strong battery it should start. this is my bet

[PureSound15]

It started today, it just needed to warm up a bit. I threw some seafoam in the vaccum line and gas tank and it seems to idle a LOT better than before.

[Windsors 03 Cobra]

Thank goodness, I bet it was the heet.;)

[PureSound15]

Thanks a lot for the help guys. Just in time for the 8" of snow tonight :)