Cranks but wont start

Tiny
DAVID FITZGERALD
  • MEMBER
  • 1995 BUICK CENTURY
  • 2.2L
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 100,000 MILES
This car was running fine, then it started to rattle, for lack of a better word (as per my daughter). The car cut off, and has not ran since. I had the car towed and discovered it has no fuel pressure at the regulator and it has no spark on any cylinder. When the key is turned on, I can here the two second pump cycle, but no fuel or spark. Does the lack of fuel prohibit the ignition? Perhaps an ECM problem? Just too many possibilities just to throw expensive parts at! Thanks! David
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2016 AT 9:19 AM

5 Replies

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 34,330 POSTS
One does not prevent the other. Rather, something in common to both systems stops them from working. Most commonly that is the crankshaft position sensor. Its signal tells the Engine Computer the engine is rotating. That is when the computer turns on the fuel pump. The crank signal is also needed to know when to fire an ignition coil. The place to start is by reading and recording the diagnostic fault codes.
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Tuesday, November 22nd, 2016 AT 2:01 PM
Tiny
DAVID FITZGERALD
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
I agree, my problem is it has a twelve pin connector for diagnostic, but only contains three pins, top row far right first slot, one pin, bottom row, far right first slot, one pin, then going left, skip one slot, then another pin, I cannot find. Anyone who has seen this?
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Tuesday, November 22nd, 2016 AT 3:21 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 34,330 POSTS
It gets worse. I've been all over the wiring diagram and can only find two wires. The one on the corner that is black / white is the ground wire. That is terminal "A" and is normally the only corner wire that has one right next to it. Those two get connected together to read the codes.

The only other wire I found is orange and is the serial data wire from the Engine Computer. I can't even find a third wire. By comparing to a different year and model, I can tell you that orange wire is not the one to ground to read codes. Any chance there are some wires someone cut off and are hidden in there?
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Tuesday, November 22nd, 2016 AT 6:26 PM
Tiny
DAVID FITZGERALD
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
No wires are missing or cut, this was a one owner car and looks new even for it's age. I purchased it from an elderly man for my daughter and it had just under 90k miles on it, low for the age for sure.I'm stumped! I may just put a crank sensor in it, no easy task, just don't want to start throwing expensive parts at this old car.
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Wednesday, November 23rd, 2016 AT 5:50 AM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 54,137 POSTS
Hey David,

Here is a guide that should show you how to run the codes on it,

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/buick-cadillac-chevy-gmc-oldsmobile-pontiac-gm-1983-1995-obd1-code-definitions-and-retrieval-method

Please let us know happens so it will help others.

Best, Ken
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Saturday, November 26th, 2016 AT 8:02 PM

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