Car problem won't start?

Question

my car won't start it turns over but its like its not getting any gas anyone got a clue as what it might be its a 95 cavilier just had a new water pump, thermostat, and new heat send unit and new head gasket put on it.

ya its still going we just bought it i should have known better we had one before and it was junk battery is fairly new, it tries to start but wont it has been getting hard to start the last couple of days but once u do get it started we dont have a problem all day

anyone know were the fuel filter is located

Answer 1

Could be fuel pump.

I'm surprised your 95 cav is still running. Lots of people i know have had bad problems with those cars.

You could try depressing the gas pedal as you start the car. Don't flood the engine though. That helped my old 82 Buick start.

Answer 2

Could be a "clogged" fuel filter, or the fuel pump might be failing(going-out). Or it could be "out of timing" since they pulled "the head" to replace the gasket.
If it is a "carb" and not F/I(fuel injected) you might try to pour a little gas down the carb, then try to start it to see if it will "fire"(run).
Be very careful if you do that "Old Mechanics Trick," it could "burp"(backfire) and blow a flame out of the carb.
Did you get any type of service warranty on the work done to fix your car? If you did get a 30, 60, or 90 day warranty on the work done, then take or tow it back to the shop and have them see if it was from the work they performed.
I hate to say this, but it could be several different things that are now causing you trouble, from the work done or more work that needs to be done.
The only real way of knowing is to have a "dyno"(test) done. That will tell you exactly what is wrong. I know that it can cost between $90.00-$120.00 to have it hooked up to the machine and read, and then the additional cost of the repairs, if it needs anymore.
I wish that I could say or do more to help you get it running, other than saying; "Good Luck! I hope you find out what is wrong with your car." Sorry, that I couldn't say more.....

Answer 3

There are three things necessary for combustion.

I'm assuming you've got plenty of air where you are, so that's probably not it (unless your air filter is VERY dirty).

Of the other two, ignition is the easier to check. Remove one of your spark plug wires, and holding it (Carefully!) an inch or two from its plug with a pair of insulated pliers, have someone turn the engine over with the starter. You should see (and hopefully not *feel*) a bright spark arcing from the end of the wire to the plug.

If you see no spark, the problem is in your ignition system.

If you have spark, the problem is most likely in your fuel system. Check to make sure your fuel filter isn't (or filters aren't) clogged (the easiest way to check may be simply replacing it or them with a new one or ones).

Beyond that, you're probably ready to let a shop take a look at it. Cars were much easier to diagnose and repair before the days of electronic ignition and fuel injection, but those days are probably gone forever (along with most of the pollutants engines used to produce).

Best of luck to you!

Answer 4

DEPENDS ON WHO DID ALL THE WORK ON IT? Did you push it home from the shop?
if you'd flooded the cumbustion chamber with fuel- thinmking that more gas was needed,
you'd have flipped the delicate balance of fuel/ air and spark on it's other end of not wanting to start.
Try flooring the gas pedal (without a single pump on it) then cranking it over,
mysteriously- your car knows exactly how much fuel to spray into it's own combustion chamber
for ignition to occur. We humans often, out of ignorance impatience or both, think that just because it wont start on the first try the car needs more of this or that, cars are smartwer than humans, after all we designed them to be.
trust your car, if you haven't run the battery down trying yet (see above)
ta-dt

Answer 5

Okay, let's say "fuel pump" is not working.

Changing "fuel pump" costs you a lot of money at shop... because they gotta take the tank off, and you are looking at somewhere around $300+.

Don't be ripped off by that.

There is a relay called, "fuel pump relay" costs about $10, and it's just plug in/plug out 1 min job.

And, other relay is called, "fuel pump shut off relay" as a safety feature(when a car get in a wreck, shut down the fuel pump, so it won't spray gasoline all over). It's a plug in/out 1 min job with $10 as well.

By the way, dirty air-filer, fuel-filter and worn out spark plugs will still make a car crank up, but just runs crappy.

Good luck

Answer 6

It could be the coil, all voltage comes from the coil, it can turn over but if the coil is bad you wont get fire to the plugs to ignite the gas in the cylinder or it could be the fuel line filter or the pump going bad, check the fuel line at the engine to see if your getting flow of gas if not then check filter to see if its blocked, if still no gas check the fuel pump. I think yours is a in tank pump but you can hear it humming if its working, if not replace it

Answer 7

Have someone who knows cars check the fuel pump. If a fuel pump goes bad your engine won't get any gas.

Answer 8

it needs a new battery. being a 95, 11 years is way beyond the lifespan of a normal car battery and it simply needs to be changed. take it to an auto zone or anything like that. they will hook it up to these positive/negative charger thing and then it will read as either "good battery" or "bad battery". i think the test is fro free. then if it's bad, u can buy a new one and they're only like $65 so it's not too bad. hope this helped and hope your car will be up and runing in to time.

Answer 9

The timing is probalby off, who ever did your head gasket had to degres the cams if its OHC motor. take it back to the mechanic. Check out the fuel pump. Are you getting spark?

Answer 10

the best way to check your fuel pump is get in the car leave the door open.turn the key over but do not start it. you should hear a humming sound.If you do nothear it replace it