As my wife was driving home the other day, the car stumbled and died. It restarted, went a little ways, stumbled and died. She finally got it home, and it did it again. It sounded like she got a junk filled tank of gas and plugged up the fuel filter. Just changed it. It still won't start, so I have it on the charger. There is no service engine soon light or anything. As the battery was dying, the odometer said "error" instead of mileage. I don't have a fuel pressure gauge, but I did ensure that the line had fuel by it shooting out when I pressed lightly on the schrader valve. I don't have a code reader. Plugs are only 2000 miles old, and the car has just over 50,000 miles on it. Do I need to invest in a code reader just in case, or can any of think of anything that I can check before taking it to the dealer (only reputable shop in my little town)?
THANKS!
Mark
2004 Cavalier LS Sport
All factory except K&N drop in filter
Edit...
2004 Cavalier LS Sport
All factory except K&N drop in filter
check that one u have a belt still, also check belt tensioner, i was driving mine when my tensioner broke, lost my belt and it shut the alternator down, then it stayed running a while until the battery couldnt support it any more. id say check belt, belt tensioner, and the alternator(make sure shes putting out)
Belt is on. While all of this is going on, I might as well change it also. We might have drained the battery with all of the starting attempts. I'll put my meter on it after we get it charged up (if it will). I've been married for 16 years. Oh! You are talking about the alternator putting out!
2004 Cavalier LS Sport
All factory except K&N drop in filter
yes test make sure the alternator is putting out. also how old is the battery? maybe old and tired and time for a new Battery.
How would I check the timing belt? Are the valves interference? Or, if the belt breaks would it be heard like in older cars?
2004 Cavalier LS Sport
All factory except K&N drop in filter
the belt im refering to is on the passenger side and is exposed. the belt i thinl u are refering to is accually a chain and is inside the engine.
Yeah, the serpentine belt is there and tight. I wasn't sure if the cams were on a belt or chain.
How do you check for spark on these things?
2004 Cavalier LS Sport
All factory except K&N drop in filter
is your fuel pump priming you should hear it before the radio turns on if she had bad gas then the pump could be screwed
JBO since July 30, 2001
I do here the relay or something under the hood. It may seem louder than before, but I rarely drove it, so I may be wrong. I know it doesn't sound as smooth as say, a holley blue pump. Please be patient, I am a small/ big block chevy guy. I'm learning fuel injection and these wazoo ignition systems as I go.
Mark
2004 Cavalier LS Sport
All factory except K&N drop in filter
