Car died while driving

ep3royaltyep3royalty Wagonist
in Engine & Drivetrain
So I was driving on the freeway doing about 70mph when I left off the gas since I was going down hill and my car DIED... it just shut off... so I pulled over and tried to start the car... power seems fine car turns over but will not fire on... I also tried pop starting the car with no success...

On a side note the check engine light that I had isn't there any more... I don't know if that means anything...
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Comments

  • ogwagonogwagon Wagonist
    Is there any electrical power to the rest of the car? In other words, do the headlights, radio and instrument cluster lights turn on?
    Does the engine crank over when your turn the ignition and just won't start? Or does the engine just not even want to crank?
    Have you done any recent repairs or work to the car? Answering these questions will help isolate the cause of your problem without just shooting out random suggestions.
  • HaydzHaydz Moderator
    When you turn the key to one position before start do you head a whirring noise and then a click? If you don't then it's the main fuel relay.
  • doitdubdoitdub familEE
    Check the rotor button inside the distributor. Sounds like what happened to me when the button screw came loose. It's pretty common issue too...
  • ep3royaltyep3royalty Wagonist
    ogwagon wrote:
    Is there any electrical power to the rest of the car? In other words, do the headlights, radio and instrument cluster lights turn on?
    Does the engine crank over when your turn the ignition and just won't start? Or does the engine just not even want to crank?
    Have you done any recent repairs or work to the car? Answering these questions will help isolate the cause of your problem without just shooting out random suggestions.

    Everything comes on fine... lights, radio, etc...
    Car turns over but will not start completely
    No major repairs or any work... actually my car ran out if gas a few days ago don't know if that means anything...
  • ep3royaltyep3royalty Wagonist
    Haydz wrote:
    When you turn the key to one position before start do you head a whirring noise and then a click? If you don't then it's the main fuel relay.

    I have a new relay (about year old) but even with the old relay the car never stopped while driving... it was just hard to start sometimes...
  • ep3royaltyep3royalty Wagonist
    doitdub wrote:
    Check the rotor button inside the distributor. Sounds like what happened to me when the button screw came loose. It's pretty common issue too...

    I will check on this thanks for the input....
  • ep3royaltyep3royalty Wagonist
    I checked the cap and rotor and they look fine... the cap looks brand new it didn't have any residue or gashes... the rotor blade looked a little small/wore down but seems to be fine (as in not being loose)

    I tried starting the car after I check the cap n rotor and I heard a sound coming out of the muffler it sounded like a very faint or low back fire...
  • Eagle BeagleEagle Beagle familEE
    so you got fuel and spark...

    :mrgreen:
  • SikocivicSikocivic Wagonist
    Check the timing. Your timing belt may have jumped a couple of teeth.
  • ep3royaltyep3royalty Wagonist
    So... I checked my spark plugs... #1 look good... but 2,3,and 4 had a lot of oil on them and were worse in the order (#4 was dripping oil) I'm thinking this isn't a good thing...
  • HaydzHaydz Moderator
    Time for compression+leakdown test.
  • ep3royaltyep3royalty Wagonist
    Talked to a buddy he mentioned the ignoitor coil might be bad... said almost the same situation happened to his dad just last week...
  • HaydzHaydz Moderator
    That wouldn't cause the oil in the cylinders. Definately need to do the compression/leakdown tests to check internal health.
  • SiWagonSiWagon Council Member
    Sounds like it could be a ignitor prob.Check this link:
    HOWTO: Spot Ignitor problems

    Your oiling prob could be that the valve cover gasket rings above the plugs are bad(leaking).
  • doitdubdoitdub familEE
    SiWagon wrote:
    Sounds like it could be a ignitor prob.Check this link:
    HOWTO: Spot Ignitor problems

    Your oiling prob could be that the valve cover gasket rings above the plugs are bad(leaking).
    Which if that oil gets into the spark plug wires, makes for a weak spark.
  • Eagle BeagleEagle Beagle familEE
    is this serious...
    or can i laugh...


    just assking...

    ahahaa
    :mrgreen:
    yeah
    outloud
  • ogwagonogwagon Wagonist
    Wait, is the oil on the electrode portion or just the top half where the plug wire goes attached? If the oil is only on the top half of the plugs, then your valve cover tube seals are bad. For testing purposes you can just clean off the top of the plugs and spark plug wire boots. Remove one spark plug from the head but leave it attached to the spark plug wire and lay that plug on the valve cover. Have friend crank the engine and check if you can see the spark at the electrode(DONT TOUCH THE PLUG WHILE CRANKING!) If you have spark then your ignitor is ok. Slowly crack open the large nut on the end of the fuel rail while cranking. If fuel sprays out, then your main relay is ok. Check your timing as mentioned before. If your timing marks dont line up, then turn the motor over by hand and visually inspect the timing belt for missing teeth.
  • Eagle BeagleEagle Beagle familEE
    not your daily
    I hope


    ...
  • ep3royaltyep3royalty Wagonist
    SiWagon wrote:
    Sounds like it could be a ignitor prob.Check this link:
    HOWTO: Spot Ignitor problems

    Your oiling prob could be that the valve cover gasket rings above the plugs are bad(leaking).

    This is what I was thinking....
  • ep3royaltyep3royalty Wagonist
    Eagle Beagle wrote:
    is this serious...
    or can i laugh...


    just assking...

    ahahaa
    :mrgreen:
    yeah
    outloud

    ??? :?: :?: :?:

    :D :D :D
  • ep3royaltyep3royalty Wagonist
    ogwagon wrote:
    Wait, is the oil on the electrode portion or just the top half where the plug wire goes attached? If the oil is only on the top half of the plugs, then your valve cover tube seals are bad. For testing purposes you can just clean off the top of the plugs and spark plug wire boots. Remove one spark plug from the head but leave it attached to the spark plug wire and lay that plug on the valve cover. Have friend crank the engine and check if you can see the spark at the electrode(DONT TOUCH THE PLUG WHILE CRANKING!) If you have spark then your ignitor is ok. Slowly crack open the large nut on the end of the fuel rail while cranking. If fuel sprays out, then your main relay is ok. Check your timing as mentioned before. If your timing marks dont line up, then turn the motor over by hand and visually inspect the timing belt for missing teeth.

    Thank you for tips... I will do this tomorrow n get back to you....
  • ep3royaltyep3royalty Wagonist
    Eagle Beagle wrote:
    not your daily
    I hope


    ...

    Actually she is... :( :( :(

    And with all the trouble she's been giving me lately I still have faith in her... rtawd fo life... LOL...
  • Eagle BeagleEagle Beagle familEE
    oh boy...

    me and my big...

    all the luck man...

    you need some dough
    too... I guess
    not if you'r lucky
    I guess...

    ! but if you don't grind
    you don't eat ...no???
    ?

    so, any luck yet ?

    :mrgreen:
  • ep3royaltyep3royalty Wagonist
    Eagle Beagle wrote:
    oh boy...

    me and my big...

    all the luck man...

    you need some dough
    too... I guess
    not if you'r lucky
    I guess...

    ! but if you don't grind
    you don't eat ...no???
    ?

    so, any luck yet ?

    :mrgreen:

    LOL... I'm waiting till Saturday when I have some time but I got a coil pack from a buddy going to try n see what happens...
  • ep3royaltyep3royalty Wagonist
    So I worked on the car today... I changed out the coil pack... double checked the spark and fuel so I'm good there but it still didn't start... I'm lost n have no ideas... I'm going to do a compression check... and a buddy is bringing his wagon so I'm going to try his map sensor maybe even swap out the dizzy just to make sure mines is cool... anything else...???
  • progressprogress Wagonist
    Maybe you ran out of gas again? Jusk askin...
  • ogwagonogwagon Wagonist
    Do yourself a favor and check the timing belt first before you start shotgunning parts at it.
  • ep3royaltyep3royalty Wagonist
    progress wrote:
    Maybe you ran out of gas again? Jusk askin...

    Gas was a full tank... so I'm good...
  • ep3royaltyep3royalty Wagonist
    ogwagon wrote:
    Do yourself a favor and check the timing belt first before you start shotgunning parts at it.

    Checked the timing belt its dead on...
  • ogwagonogwagon Wagonist
    ep3royalty wrote:
    ogwagon wrote:
    Do yourself a favor and check the timing belt first before you start shotgunning parts at it.

    Checked the timing belt its dead on...
    Did you turn the motor over by hand and inspect the entire timing belt for missing teeth?
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