My mom's 1989 Buick Century has been sitting for about 6 months. We drove it about twenty miles and the whole time it was sputtering and sounded like it was missing horribly. We went into a store and when we came out it wouldn't crank. It was trying to turn over but it just wasn't happening. We had the car towed home and the next day it started fine. We drove it a quarter mile and it wouldn't stay cranked. We let it sit for a few days and then it cranked fine and is sounding really good. I'm just afraid to drive it because I'm afraid I'll get somewhere and it won't crank. Do you think it's the fuel pump? This car is fuel injected so it doens't have a carburator. Someone told us to clean the distributor cap, but it doens't have one. Any ideas?
2006-08-25 04:29:24 · 21 answers · asked by Bree 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
POSION or whatever the F*** your name is, I was asking the question for my husband. My HUSBAND of 7 years. If you cant answer the question, then get a life, wh*re! This question was aimed at people who know what in the f*ck they're talking about. Skank!
2006-08-25 04:45:34 · update #1
get the old gas out, and try fresh,,,,,,,,, you definitely have a fuel problem,, you should also change the fuel filter after you've gotten the old gas out, its on the frame in back near the gas tank,,,, also the system is always under pressure( or should be) next time it wont start take a screw drive and press down on the release valve i speak of and it should spurt gasoline, watch out there it will spurt on you,,,if it dosent spurt its the fuel pump, you can check the pump by turning the key one click forward and listen for it to go on,, its in the gas tank, if you dont hear it have a buddie get under there and listen,,, start by getting the old gas out if it still dont run up to par,,, they make a product that hooks directly to the release valve on the injector system ( under the hood, it looks like a valve stem on a tire, only its metal on the fuel line) it will clean the injectors, just follow the directions on the can,,,,, it works i've used it but i dont remember the name,,
2006-08-25 05:01:08 · answer #1 · answered by phllipe b 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Does sound like something in your gas.... metal attracts moisture, and if it's been sitting so long you probably have water mixed in with your gas or worse yet, rust particles in your tank. I'd get a bottle or two of carb cleaner/fuel ingector cleaner or that stuff you put in the tank in the winter to keep lines from freezing up and pour it into the tank, and fill with the highest octane gas. Also, it wouldn't hurt to change the fuel filter. Keep in mind that this won't work instantly, you'll have to give it time to work thru the system, at least a half of a tank. I don't think it's your fuel pump because you wouldn't get it to start at all.
Also, check your spark plug wires, if they're old and brittle the car will work fine on cold starts, but once the engine gets hot, the wire inside will expand and cause a gap within the wire itself. Check them with an ohm meter when engine is cold, then when engine is hot. You might want to check the ignition coil for cracks, which you can locate by following the spark plug wires. The ignition coil replaced the distributor cap on newer vechiles.
2006-08-25 15:20:38 · answer #2 · answered by John4no17 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you let the car sit for 6 months without using, you're lucky it's even working! Leave a car like that can lead to the engine parts sticking together because the oil hardens. That means you're looking at a new engine.
What I would do in your case is get a new battery put in, change the oil and the sprak plugs. If that doesn't sove your problem, you might need to get a new gas filter. The things is that the gas that it has accumulated inside of the filter must've corrupted the filter, so there might be problems with the flow of the fuel.
My guess is that there's nothing wrong with it per se, but you need to get the tuneup done as soon as possible.
LOTS OF LUCK
2006-08-25 12:09:17 · answer #3 · answered by Nestor Q 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sounds like you need a good mechanic. your car probably has more than one problem. "it wouldn't crank" could mean the battery needs to be replaced. "sputtering and ...missing" could mean new spark plugs or new plug wires, or a new ignition module. "wouldn't stay cranked" -- not sure what you mean by this. it's also possible that you need a new alternator, that the car is not recharging the battery sufficiently. the symptoms sound like an electrical problem, not a fuel problem, but it could also be dirty fuel injectors are contributing to the difficulties.
see a good mechanic.
2006-08-25 11:43:48 · answer #4 · answered by Michael K 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like it may be getting hot and wont start or the battery is going bad. Check all fluids, and filters. Old gas that has been setting 6 months is part of your problem. Add a gas treatment which you can get at a auto parts store. Fill tank with fresh gas. .
2006-08-25 11:55:35 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
C/k Alternator.
2006-08-25 11:41:30 · answer #6 · answered by eric g 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i own a repair shop,,and may be able to hep you,,it sounds like the fuel pump is going out in it,, but if it was running fine before,you parked it,,and now it is doing all of this,,you might want to take it and get it checked out,,sometimes sitting will cause a lot of things,,but it wont cause a fuel pump to go out on it,,instantly like that,,you said it didn't have a distributor cap,,so this means it has a coil pack,,these have electrodes in side of them that will get corrosion on them,,and that will make one miss really bad,,they will also short out,,causing a dead miss i one,,just to be safe,,and to keep from spending a lot of money on it,,id have it checked,,this way you know exactly what it is before you have it repaired,,i hope this help,s,,i own a repair shop,,and i have seen a lot of them do this,,good luck with it.
2006-08-25 11:48:50 · answer #7 · answered by dodge man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
by its not cranking,check the starter and the battery terminals.also it wouldnt hurt to check the gas filter either,by its sputtering,sounds like it is dirty,and drain the old gas out and put some good gas in it and a bottle of good complete fuel system cleaner in it.good luck,i hope i was some help to you.
2006-08-25 11:38:32 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe the crankshaft is damaged and it can't run at a certain RPM range or it could be ''fouling'' where deposits of oil and fuel clog on it,along with the oil sump.My advice is that you should try to get someone to check the crank case.
2006-08-25 11:38:08 · answer #9 · answered by Gabriel DDV 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like a fuel system problem for sure, get rid of all the old gas, change the fuel filter and hope the injectors are not clogged...
2006-08-25 11:33:13 · answer #10 · answered by Jt 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋