93' Chevy Astro Van won't Start
Edit By:Care Cars
Q:Hello!
My 93 Chevy astro van won't start... But lets go back to the beginning, My boyfriend and i were driving it and it just stalled out in the middle of an intersection and it wouldn't start again so we had it towed to a mechanic and they said it was the fuel pump that was bad but it would cost $500 to $1000 to fix and I'm not made of money so we let it set there for about a month and then we were going to have it towed back to my apartment but then they drove it around front... So we started driving it back to my apartment and it died in the middle of another intersection so then we just pushed it the rest of the way with my boyfriend's car... Kinda illegal but we did it at night and it was fun!!! Any way my Friend replaced the fuel filter, fuel pump, and the sending unit (because it fell apart as they were working with it) so everything should work now we got the gas tank back up it has 1/4 tank of gas in it and everything... But it won't start now. We've been trying for a couple days and nothing happens... We tried cranking it for 5 minutes pumping the crap out of the gas pedle.. we tried just turning the key alittle bit and then back and then a little again like 100 times and it still won't turn over. I know the battery's still good, it's only 3 months old, we had to charge it because it died on the voyage across town as we were pushing it (we needed lights).
So to make a long story short I need suggestions on how to get gas back into the engine.. Everything moves when you try to start it, it just doesn't kick on you know? If you have any questions that i don't know i can ask my friend and he probably knows. i'm still clueless as to how a little tiny fuel pump can cause such big problems... So thank you whoever reads this and posts a fix!!
Thank you very much!!!
Rachel
My 93 Chevy astro van won't start... But lets go back to the beginning, My boyfriend and i were driving it and it just stalled out in the middle of an intersection and it wouldn't start again so we had it towed to a mechanic and they said it was the fuel pump that was bad but it would cost $500 to $1000 to fix and I'm not made of money so we let it set there for about a month and then we were going to have it towed back to my apartment but then they drove it around front... So we started driving it back to my apartment and it died in the middle of another intersection so then we just pushed it the rest of the way with my boyfriend's car... Kinda illegal but we did it at night and it was fun!!! Any way my Friend replaced the fuel filter, fuel pump, and the sending unit (because it fell apart as they were working with it) so everything should work now we got the gas tank back up it has 1/4 tank of gas in it and everything... But it won't start now. We've been trying for a couple days and nothing happens... We tried cranking it for 5 minutes pumping the crap out of the gas pedle.. we tried just turning the key alittle bit and then back and then a little again like 100 times and it still won't turn over. I know the battery's still good, it's only 3 months old, we had to charge it because it died on the voyage across town as we were pushing it (we needed lights).
So to make a long story short I need suggestions on how to get gas back into the engine.. Everything moves when you try to start it, it just doesn't kick on you know? If you have any questions that i don't know i can ask my friend and he probably knows. i'm still clueless as to how a little tiny fuel pump can cause such big problems... So thank you whoever reads this and posts a fix!!
Thank you very much!!!
Rachel
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A:Well, let's see. Can you go back and retype this with just the pertinent facts. All the blather does nothing to make this any easier.
Now for us to help you we have to work on many assumptions. We have to assume that the original fuel pump was the cause of the problem. We have to assume that the new fuel pump is properly installed. We have to assume the the actual cause of your problem is lack of fuel pressure. There are simply too many assumptions we have to deal with to make even a semi-educated guess. Now, if you're still with me is the part you're REALLY not going to like.
The first step in repairing any problem is accurate diagnosis. The second step is isolating the cause of the problem. Nothing you typed in your mini novel leads me to believe that was ever done. What does your fuel pressure read key on? Are there any DTC's present and is so, what are they? Did anyone check for power to the allegedly offending fuel pump? The list goes on and on, but is different for every situatiuon. Answer those three questions and we can go from there, unless... You have a lot of money to spend mindlessly replacing parts.
Now for us to help you we have to work on many assumptions. We have to assume that the original fuel pump was the cause of the problem. We have to assume that the new fuel pump is properly installed. We have to assume the the actual cause of your problem is lack of fuel pressure. There are simply too many assumptions we have to deal with to make even a semi-educated guess. Now, if you're still with me is the part you're REALLY not going to like.
The first step in repairing any problem is accurate diagnosis. The second step is isolating the cause of the problem. Nothing you typed in your mini novel leads me to believe that was ever done. What does your fuel pressure read key on? Are there any DTC's present and is so, what are they? Did anyone check for power to the allegedly offending fuel pump? The list goes on and on, but is different for every situatiuon. Answer those three questions and we can go from there, unless... You have a lot of money to spend mindlessly replacing parts.
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A:Just thought I would share. I had a similar problem lasted for months and lots of bad diagnosis from mechanics and $'s to boot. I found it would sometimes start the next day or in twenty minutes. I finally replaced the Coil and never had a problem since. I think yours is built in on the distributtor cap. there is tests you can perform before u replace.
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A:ok well...
is there fuel in the engine? i mean i assume its prt injection but just go ahead and do this to diagnose
buy some starter fluid and shoot some in the spark plug holes
if it runs for a second as a result, its a problem with the fuel system.
or just after a start attempt pull out the spark plugs and smell for recent gas, or wet gas ( i mean its not firing right so it will be wet if fuel is getting there)
now fuel getting there doesnt eliminate a fuell pressure problem ok but it not getting there makes diagnosis simple.
ok, did you describe the starter cranking but the engine not running?
ok so we can eliminate the starter but not the secondary ignition.
pull out a spark plug and put another one in its hole. leave the wire on the plug.
ok leave the wired spark plug on like a plastic bottle or something non conductive
ok try to crank it, do you see sparks ?
I mean you can see spark easier by pulling the wire at the distributerand holding it near its post, but this shows spark all the way down to the plug
ok well do these things and get back to us I cant really even write out the whole trouble shooting non starting car guide without narrowing it at least that much
is there fuel in the engine? i mean i assume its prt injection but just go ahead and do this to diagnose
buy some starter fluid and shoot some in the spark plug holes
if it runs for a second as a result, its a problem with the fuel system.
or just after a start attempt pull out the spark plugs and smell for recent gas, or wet gas ( i mean its not firing right so it will be wet if fuel is getting there)
now fuel getting there doesnt eliminate a fuell pressure problem ok but it not getting there makes diagnosis simple.
ok, did you describe the starter cranking but the engine not running?
ok so we can eliminate the starter but not the secondary ignition.
pull out a spark plug and put another one in its hole. leave the wire on the plug.
ok leave the wired spark plug on like a plastic bottle or something non conductive
ok try to crank it, do you see sparks ?
I mean you can see spark easier by pulling the wire at the distributerand holding it near its post, but this shows spark all the way down to the plug
ok well do these things and get back to us I cant really even write out the whole trouble shooting non starting car guide without narrowing it at least that much