QuestionI have a 1995 seabring about a year ago car would not start and was put in the shop for repairs.and it was the feul pump .it was change picked up my car drove from shop to a kroger one mile a way shopped drove home .next day it would not start. car has 71000 mile there is no gas getting to the spark plug they are dry when i check them plese help good car first problem
AnswerP.S. I just remembered that you said you had checked the spark plug for wetness, which means you can also remove a plug in order to check for spark. So forget the screwdriver, just remove a plug and then with cable reattached hold the threaded shell of the plug against the cylinder head while a helper cranks it over and watch for spark that way to jump the gap.
Also you might try listening for the fuel pump to hum for about 1-2 seconds when you move the key to the run position but without trying to start it. That is what is should do. Let me know if you hear that sound at all. As you know the pump is in the tank so you have to listen in that area near the rear wheels if you are going to have a chance to hear it.
Roland
Hi Annmarie,
It is frustrating when you pay for a repair and it fails the next day. I wonder if they really diagnosed why the earlier no start properly, or maybe they erred in how they replaced the fuel pump. But in any case you have a car that is not so new as to be only diagnosable with a separate fault code reader that costs $100 or a shop might charge $40 to do the readout with their tool.
The modern engine systems have an on-board diagnostic ability. The most useful thing to do would be to try to get the fault codes that may stored in the engine controller memory to readout to you.
Try using the ignition key: turn it "on-off-on-off-on" and leave it "on" (doing this quickly, no longer than 5 seconds). By "on" I mean just the normal position when the engine is running, not the cranking position. The 'check engine' light will remain on when you leave the key in the "on" position with the engine still not running. But then watch the 'check engine' light to begin flashing, then pause, flashing, pause, etc. Count the number of flashes before each pause and keep track of the numbers. Repeat the readout and verify the counts are correct. Then group them in pairs in the order that they came out, thus forming two digit numbers. You may notice that the pause is shorter between the digits of a given number, and longer between the numbers themselves. Then send me a 'follow-up' question telling me the results of your readout. By the way, 55 will be the last number (two groups of 5 flashes each) and that is the code for "end of readout".
I have the troubleshooting manual for several engines and we can look up the possibilities of what is wrong based upon what fault codes you show. When you write back tell me what engine is in the Sebring you are driving.
There is also an essay on fault codes at the site:
http://www.allpar.com/fix/codes.html
which gives the meaning of the code numbers. But then you need to get specific info for what exactly might be the diagnostic tests or parts to replace to complete the repair. And I can help you with that when you tell me the codes you get.
The problem could also be a spark issue, though you say the plugs are dry. You can check for spark using a phillips head screw driver whose tip is inserted into one of the spark plug wire caps that you remove from a plug so that the tip touches the wire connector deep in the cap. Then holding only the Plastic handle of the screwdriver, position it so the shaft is 1/4" from the cylinder head, while a helper cranks the starter. (Don't touch any metal, so you don't get a shock). Just watch for a spark to jump from the screwdriver shaft to the cylinder head across the 1/4" gap. Don't crank it for more than 5 seconds. But if you get spark then that spark part of the issue is o.k.
So give those two things a try then write back with the results and we'll go from there.
Roland
