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Wrecked car won't start

xgeetx

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xgeetx Newbie

xgeetx

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Hey guys,

 

I got a new radiator overflow tank to replace my shattered one. After getting my front end off my radiator looks fine -- I put some coolant in it and fired it up annnnndddddddd nothing :(

 

It struggles to turn over and then sputters and dies. Any ideas? I'm making the huge assumption I did not overheat the engine (temperature gauge never indicated such... I did see steam/smoke but I'm hoping that was my washer fluid), but I don't actually know that. The car drove away from the accident, onto a tow truck, and off the truck into my parking spot...

 

I will try lowering the car and trying again just to see if it was being elevated (doubtful). Any ideas besides I wrecked it so there's no way to know :)? What else is in the front end that I may have damage that would prevent it from starting? What does a fuel pump/alternator failing make a car sound like?

 

Edit: I put my thinking cap on. Are there any sensors in front (pretty much anything in front of the bumper support/front of engine) of the engine the ECU needs signal from? Most of the damage was passenger side. What would the consequence of the serpentine belt not spinning properly do? I imagine if the alternator is not spinning well, it would stop the car from properly idling? It sounds pretty awful when it turns over. The 3rd time I tried it idled for a second and then quit. I'm afraid continuous tries might make something work... but if the engine is already fucked, then oh well!

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jc43089 Apprentice

jc43089

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Open the bleed screw and pour coolant into the reservoir until a steady stream comes out of the overflow.  The crank position sensor will prevent the engine from starting, it is on the front of the engine just to the left of the water pump pulley.  Do not run the engine for more than a minute without the serpentine belt operational.  No belt = no water pump. 

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xgeetx Newbie

xgeetx

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http://imgur.com/SaDzEbX

 

Is that where the crank position sensor is supposed to be??! Looking at images there should definitely be something there... is it possible it hasn't been there for a while or can the engine absolutely not run without it?

 

Edit: Looks like that was the sensor position for OBD1 engines? I guess the mystery continues!

 

IT STARTED. After I unhooked the MAF and removed the air filter (maybe unnecessary), it started up. It had a really shakey idle for a bit then seemed to calm down. It smells absolutely terrible. Very exhausty around the engine and in the cabin. I now have a headache.

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xgeetx Newbie

xgeetx

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Hmmmm. So letting it idle for a bit, the only abnormal sound is the fan rubbing the duct tape I have holding my overflow hose up, since the fan shroud is snapped. I haven't attempted to drive it since it's still missing a front end.

 

Any idea what the bad exhaust smell is? Is that from continuous failed starts? Maybe put a lot of fuel in the cylinders or something? Maybe it's just from idling? Any ideas on that?

 

Here was the sound when it wouldn't start...

 

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jc43089 Apprentice

jc43089

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You may be correct on the smell from lots of cranking without firing.  I have found with mine that if I start it just to move the car and shut it off without running it for more than a minute it will run very rough the next time I start it.  I'm not sure if it fouls the plugs or why but my m50 and m20 and our Maxima are all that way.

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Narcosis Newbie

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You may be correct on the smell from lots of cranking without firing.  I have found with mine that if I start it just to move the car and shut it off without running it for more than a minute it will run very rough the next time I start it.  I'm not sure if it fouls the plugs or why but my m50 and m20 and our Maxima are all that way.

 

It sounds like your fleet of cars needs a tune up.

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xgeetx Newbie

xgeetx

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Have you pulled & inspected the plugs?

 

What happened to the car?

 

Hey narcosis! I have not pulled and inspected the plugs. I pulled a couple coils and looked down the tube to see if there was anything bizarre, but there wasn't. Maybe I should pull all the coils? I changed the plugs about 700 miles ago, so I doubt they're part of it... but if you recommend I still take a look I definitely will!

 

As far as what happened, I rear-ended someone. I have some pics on the "Well Crap :(" thread if you're curious. 

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jc43089 Apprentice

jc43089

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It sounds like your fleet of cars needs a tune up.

They are freshly tuned, no issues there.  Only happens when starting and moving the car a couple feet and shutting it off so that it only ran for 15-30 seconds.  It will just run rough for a few seconds on startup the next time.  Not sure if newer ones are better but try it sometime.

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patsbimmer1 Collaborator

patsbimmer1

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Is there some sort of "reset" button that needs to be switched after an accident? 

 

My buddy had a Grand Marquis that didn't start until he google'd the issue. The Doc don't no des new cars...

There shouldn't be.

 

The Grand Marquis has a fuel shut off valve that is standard on all Ford products.  That thing can be set by hip checking the body or a loud subwoofer as well.

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xgeetx Newbie

xgeetx

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Checked down in all the plug wells (holes?) for oil, and didn't find any. It now starts even with the MAF plugged in but it runs a little rough. The car has a distinct vibration. Could this be because the fan is missing some fins? I wouldn't think that imbalance has much effect, but thought I'd add it :P

 

After letting it idle a few minutes, the temperature seemed fine, but the engine started to smoke from the area I show here: http://imgur.com/CGYmJAg

 

The smoke wasn't very thick, but was white/gray. It smelled 'burnt', but I'm not attuned to the standard engine smoking smells. It didn't smell sweet like coolant, but I don't know what burning coolant smells like!

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patsbimmer1 Collaborator

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Hmmm so it was probably smoking before too? Should I be able to see something dripping in that area?

 

You could try a mirror just under the valve cover where it meets the head and you will see some moisture but I have never experienced a leaky valve cover where it was bad enough to watch it drip out.  Usually it's a very slow run.  If you turn your heat on while parked and running you will smell it through your vents.

 

I have always thought of the valve cover gaskets as a maintenance item as soon as I bought an e36.

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xgeetx Newbie

xgeetx

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To be fair, it has been leaking for a while, and I've been told about it... I just always monitored my oil level and didn't think a slow leak was a big deal. If that leak triggers a smokey engine, sounds like it's time to replace it. I'm scarred from the time I attempted to change it on a Nissan several years ago and it ended up spraying (literally) oil all over the engine.

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