Ok heres the story, car is my 2k 2200 with 121k miles and 3spd auto was runing just fine. i was low on fuel on my way to work all of a sudden it stalls, i put it in nueral and coast of the parkway. Figured I'm out of gas, walked over to a gas station got 2 gallons and brought it to the car, filled up the tank. Crank and nothing, jsut cranking. After wasting battery for a while cranking i figured it wont start and something else is wrong. After listening for the fuel pump for a while near a busy parkway eventualy i started hearing it buzz so it makes noise, i figured fuel filter got clogged, changed it next day, crank and nothing, got a friend to come over, checked for spark at spark plug wires, have a spark there. Plugs are about 10k miles old and its pretty unlikely that it wont start from bad plugs, might run like crap but should start. Since i have spark and i have cranking and air is a pretty much a given, i assume its lack of gas that keeps it from starting, i smelled no gas under the hood after cranking for a while so i still dont think its getting gas, but why not? I have a check engine light now but i dont know if its from cranking or not didnt have it when it when it was runing i have no way to read the code and cant take it somewhere since its not runing. I'm thinking maybe crank shaft sensor... or something i dont know theres just not much stuff there left to check, I wish there was an easier way to check if fuel is getting to the injectors... anyway I'm open to suggestions, throw some ideas at me please.

There are many things that could go wrong. To be honest it can go from IGNITION CONTROL MODULE failure (I've had this one, CRANK no start but does not stumble as if it was going to start) to a bad sensor such as TPS, O2... or even a coil pack.

If you have a code, check it. To be honest, if the crank sensor comes up, I would tend to laugh and look at other possibilities.

Can you give us more specifications on the car. How many miles on the car?

Keep in mind I'm thinking 2.4 but both motors ressemble each other in many ways, they are both GMs.



SoupMan

- and no, 'Soup' in SoupMan does not stand for Soup Up but for 'Soup' as in Lipton 'Soup'. -

Its the 2200 engine 3 speed auto with 121k miles on it the 2000 year model. Well i kinda rulled out ignition because i have a spark.. that kinda makes sense to me, spark = ignition control and coils are working, no? tps... preventing engine from starting? how?... I guess if it was giving a reading close to full throttle it wouldnt start... i'll check its resistance tumorrow, seems like a long shot but might as well. O2 preventing start up? i dont see the logic there.... 02 arent used until they are warmed up... thanks for the tps idea. Unless there's a way to read the code without a reader im at a loss... i cant shell out over 100 bux for an obd2 reader right now.

how do u know it has a check engine light if u haven't gotten it to run? if the engine is not running and you have the key on, the CEL stays on. pull ur fuel line off, maybe it needs the air bled out, i've actually had that once b4, ran out of gas and airlocked itself. Also just to make sure ur gettin fuel atleast to the rail

I thought of that also, was planing to try that too since i dont have a fuel pressure gauge; why couldnt they install a freaking port to attach a gauge to, i could have just bled it there, must be a huge air pocket though... i mean its not a diesel shouldnt get air locked... but yeah also worth a try. Thanks, any other ideas?

b/c it's GM, nothing ever breaks,
ya and im an etheopian who dosn't want food

i know whatcha mean bout the diesel thing, lol, i work on em everyday lol

"i'm as pissed as a legless etheopian watching a donut roll down a hill!"

So you really had an air locked gas line on a non diesel? heh.. didnt know that can happen really.. was kinda a theory only.heh.

I had a rented uhault ran out of diesel cause the gauge was busted, pos... wasted hours trying to figure it out.

oh and the check engine light stays on while crancking too, i thought it should go off when crancking, since all sensors are working because engine is turning.

no it stays on until it get all readings from alll sensors when running. allot of the sensors can't give correct readings, or reading within spec when just cranking

Maybe you ruined the fuel pump. It may still hum but not pump. You need to check the fuel pressure if you believe it is fuel related. Also a fuel regulator problem may be coincidental. Good luck.

Bud,

The fuel pressure would be a first I would check. As for the other suggestions I've made such as the control module, don't assume it's not that. The control module controls fuel injection. Mine was busted for whatever reason and would CRANK very well and would threw a few codes on the PCM side. If the fuel pressure turns out ok, take the time to see if the module works. Some shops can check it for you and if your lucky you know someone that will let you borrow their for a quick test. On the 2.4L the control module is easy to remove and acces as it is bolted in the top engine cover...

Spark is good, right it does eliminate the coils and I didn't even really think about that when I wrote my crap.

1. Ignition OK
2. Fuel TBA
3. Injection TBA

There ain't much else to check. Other the the Haynes manual test, there ain't much you can do for TPS... 121k tells me you should be ok on that end anyways...



SoupMan

- and no, 'Soup' in SoupMan does not stand for Soup Up but for 'Soup' as in Lipton 'Soup'. -

Well I looked at it and i got no fuel pressure at all at the fuel rail, is it possible for the fuel line to be clogged? or is that pretty unlikely? How hard is it to change the fuel pump?

Just an update for refrence incase someone searches and reads this later. No fuel pressure at the fuel rail, so its either pump or cloged line, no pressure at gas filter eliminates most of fuel line and points to pump. Fuse ok, relay ok.
Changing fuel pump is a huge pain in the ass, after starting it i quickly changed my mind and decided its well worth the 100 bux labor I'd pay to have it done. So i pushed it to a nearby shop. Interestingly enough aperently hitting the fuel tank with a hammer or something while crancking makes it start, it was funny. But it would be dificult to hit the fuel tank at home without a lift. So 350 dollars (parts and labor) and a new fuel pump later car starts and runs.
Thanks for suggestions and help guys.

Good you figured it out.

But did you try and start the car after it stalled out from no fuel.
Because if you did, that could cause the fuel pump to burn up.

Yep I know, I sure did try to start it and a lot too. But 5 second cranking every so often probably isnt enough to kill the pump unless it was already on its last leg. I'm still confused on why it wasnt working since it was humming and everything like it should, go figure.... incidentaly i think the aftermarket pump is louder then the oem one. Thanks for the help guys.