Need a bit of help, not starting

[appstatedisco]

Ok so over the past 2 or 3 weeks, my exhaust leak has been getting mildly worse on the left side. I took in it to get checked and they told me the leak is coming from between the left exhaust manifold and the cylinder heads. During these weeks, I've had a bit of trouble starting it when it's parked on some sort of angle. Also, for more information, I have alot of corrosion on my battery terminals(but all my other electronics and getting full power and the alt. belt and spinning). Well, I parked it on the side of the road, a bit slanted on it's side. I came back to leave and chug-chug-chug-chug but no start. I goosed the gas a bit but only to make my engine compartment smell like fuel. Any idea's? I have the manual and the service book in the car, but didn't have the first clue where to look.

[k12]

In general, an internal cumbustion engine needs three things to work:

1) compression

2) spark (at the right time)

and

3) Fuel mixed with air (14/1 is a good ratio)

I assume you have compression in at least a few cycinders, so skip that.

I assume you have fuel becasue you smell fuel after trying to start it, i.e., flooded, so skip that.

So I would start by checking to see if you have spark. My favorite way to check this is to take a spark plug wire off a spark plug. I then get a piece of wood, say 12-16 inches long, and I drive a nice big nail 1/2 way through one end. Then take the spark plug wire and put it on the wide end of the nail. Then have a friend crank it while you hold the other end of the stick so that the sharp side of the nail is about 1/2 inch away from something metal in the engine bay, like the lift point. Just be sure you dont hold it near any electrical components.

When the engine cranks over, you should see a nice big blue spark arc across the air gap between the nail and the metal point you chose. If no spark, you know that is the reason it wont start. You then need to trace down the problem from there.

Hope this helps.

[appstatedisco]

Originally Posted by k12

So I would start by checking to see if you have spark. My favorite way to check this is to take a spark plug wire off a spark plug. I then get a piece of wood, say 12-16 inches long, and I drive a nice big nail 1/2 way through one end. Then take the spark plug wire and put it on the wide end of the nail. Then have a friend crank it while you hold the other end of the stick so that the sharp side of the nail is about 1/2 inch away from something metal in the engine bay, like the lift point. Just be sure you dont hold it near any electrical components.

When the engine cranks over, you should see a nice big blue spark arc across the air gap between the nail and the metal point you chose. If no spark, you know that is the reason it wont start. You then need to trace down the problem from there.

Hope this helps.

Would this be a good idea if there's a fuel smell? I'm guessing sparks + fumes are like a redneck being called a gordon fan, both end in big explosions? Also, is there anything else I can do to check if the ignition system is running fine and concerning compressiong, would a leak between the exhaust manifold and the cylinder head cause a lack of compression?

[Disco Mike]

Originally Posted by appstatedisco

Ok so over the past 2 or 3 weeks, my exhaust leak has been getting mildly worse on the left side. I took in it to get checked and they told me the leak is coming from between the left exhaust manifold and the cylinder heads. During these weeks, I've had a bit of trouble starting it when it's parked on some sort of angle. Also, for more information, I have alot of corrosion on my battery terminals(but all my other electronics and getting full power and the alt. belt and spinning). Well, I parked it on the side of the road, a bit slanted on it's side. I came back to leave and chug-chug-chug-chug but no start. I goosed the gas a bit but only to make my engine compartment smell like fuel. Any idea's? I have the manual and the service book in the car, but didn't have the first clue where to look.

You have 2 real issues going on, voltage and air leaks.
Clean up all your cable ends and grounds first. You most likely are only getting a limited amount of voltage to your ECU which will make it hard to manage the engine functions, like starting.
As for the exhaust leak, you are causing the O2 sensors to get false readings from too much oxygen in the exhaust which in turn will cause it to run too rich. Fix the exhaust leaks and quit giving the gas pedal to much incouragement, you ar just flooding the system when you do that.
Mike

[Adam in NYC USA]

Check the battery level. Use distilled water only please.

Clean the electrical connections with baking soda and brush them clean. Cover them with vasoline.

Half the time its just that.

Good luck and keep any cold ones of your favorite beverage nearby so you can think properly.

[appstatedisco]

Originally Posted by Adam in NYC USA

Check the battery level. Use distilled water only please.

Clean the electrical connections with baking soda and brush them clean. Cover them with vasoline.

Half the time its just that.

Good luck and keep any cold ones of your favorite beverage nearby so you can think properly.

Well, I'm sort of in a crunch here. I've tried changing the spark plugs, adding a fuel injector cleaner/additive, cleaning the battery, moving it to level ground. I have training for my new job as a car sales manager(hopefully at a LR or Jag dealership in charlotte, if not there, then I can chose another high-end dealership and get a free car ). But the training starts tues. and is located about a bit over an hour away, so I need my car stat. I'm just going to have it towed to a service center and see if they can do anything about it. Thanks for all your suggestions and help though, I wish I knew more about cars so I could locate the problem myself. This will be my goal in the future when I have more time.

Cheers , Appstatedisco

[pavel]

appstatedisco: I'm curious....how do you 'train' a car sales manager? This reminds me of years ago when schools began requiring teachers to have lengthy training and accreditation - I never understood this.
Surely, either you can sell cars/motivate other salesmen (teach) or you can't.

Sorry, I haven't had my coffee yet....

[Rovin4life]

getting into a dealership anywhere as a tech or a salesmen is all about luck.

You need a few years selling cars and then running your own team and really getting a grasp of the financing before getting a job as LR jag manager.

but the main thing is the motivating the guys underneath you. And yes there are training courses for selling various products including for sales managers.

Did you check to see that the fuel pump relay isnt damaged.

[appstatedisco]

Originally Posted by Rovin4life

getting into a dealership anywhere as a tech or a salesmen is all about luck.

You need a few years selling cars and then running your own team and really getting a grasp of the financing before getting a job as LR jag manager.

but the main thing is the motivating the guys underneath you. And yes there are training courses for selling various products including for sales managers.

Did you check to see that the fuel pump relay isnt damaged.

Actually I just had it towed to a local repair shop. The guy that towed it took a look and said there was no fuel pressure, so I'm guessing it has a lot to do with that. As for the dealership job, I've heard in the training they try to instill "pressure" tactics, which I won't stand for. I told mother that if they try to make me sell by pressuring people I would simply walk out. I'm a firm believer that if you're selling a product, it should be a product that you yourself would use or trust. I think most people go into a dealership looking for a new car to suit their needs and wants, I am the person that will match them with the car they need that's within their means. I am excited about this, because I think it would be fun and gratifying to match a family/people with a car they'll be happy driving and not feel they made a mistake in buying as a result of being pressured into the purchase. I really don't care what car it is; if it's a Kia or Scion, so be it. However, I will not stand for using forcefull tactics in selling, this is especially true for people who can barely afford it. On a side note, I'm very hungry, going to grab some food.

[appstatedisco]

Welp, got a quote from the service center on how much everything will cost, they're estimating around 1000. They said the fuel pump will be between 250 and 500 and the labor will be around 200. The also said I need a new battery so they can finish doing diagnostics, air filter, and wiper blades as well as new tires. Anyone heard of bridgestone LeMans All-Terrains? That is the tire they suggested, but I've never heard of it.

[Adam in NYC USA]

Originally Posted by appstatedisco

Welp, got a quote from the service center on how much everything will cost, they're estimating around 1000. They said the fuel pump will be between 250 and 500 and the labor will be around 200. The also said I need a new battery so they can finish doing diagnostics, air filter, and wiper blades as well as new tires. Anyone heard of bridgestone LeMans All-Terrains? That is the tire they suggested, but I've never heard of it.

Fuel pump = 250, can't you buy a new battery and new tires for less? It looks more like a blown fuse to the fuel pump and a rakejob than them trying to fix your truck.

Adam in NYC