Thread: NEED HELP! CAR WONT START!! no spark!

Hello,

I have a 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix With the 3.8 3800 engine (non supercharged) won't start was running fine yesterday when she came to visit us and today it won't start it cranks over fast so the battery is good, these are some other things I checked, AND I FOUND OUT IT IS NOT GETTING FIRE!

1. Made sure it was getting fuel could smell it but pushed the schreader valve at fuel line, to make sure, fuel shoot out.

2. battery is good it cranked really fast.

3. pulled spark plug wire and had inserted a screwdriver into the end and had some one crank it, NO FIRE

4. Checked all the fuses and relays all good swapeed the relays around still no fire.

I'm at a dead end one this one! PLEASE HELP!

I took off the coils and the ignition module and took them down to Autozone and the tested them for me 3 times to be exact they were all good, put it all back together, just for kicks tried to start it again, NOTHING! so I left it alone and tried to do some reaserch on it, my sister doesn't have the money for a garage to fix it she got load off a few weeks back, so I'm really trying to help her on this one, I was talking to a couple of guys and they said it could be the crank sensor or the cam sensor, I sprayed the hell out of the crank sensor with brake cleaner I know its the wrong thing to use it bolts around the harmonic balancer, and has little leg with magnetic made onto them to get contact, guess they could get dirty? I dunno? with brake cleaner I know its the wrong thing to use so I tried to start it again, NOTHING!

FAST FORWARD to later this evening I tried the sprk test with the screwdriver on the coil (since it was dark and easy to see I figured it'd be easier too see) IT FIRED RIGHT UP!! WHOOO HOOOOOOOO but what could have caused that?? its a mystery, thanks a bunch,

If you're getting spark at the coil, but not through the spark plug wires... couldn't it just be bad wires?

Originally Posted by JoshsGTP

http://www.grandprixforums.net/cps.php

Its this!!

those thing go out like that ran good last night wont start this morning? thanks for the info!

Check your wires and plugs.

Originally Posted by TCO

Check your wires and plugs.

well it was not getting any fire at all at the coil.

Originally Posted by Roanokegprix

I tried the sprk test with the screwdriver on the coil (since it was dark and easy to see I figured it'd be easier too see) IT FIRED RIGHT UP!!

Originally Posted by Roanokegprix

well it was not getting any fire at all at the coil.

Okay, now you're being difficult.

Originally Posted by SlowNA06

Okay, now you're being difficult.

HUH? WHAT? I have not have it duplicate it over again, it will start up every time now, kinda weird, could the camshaft sensor be going as well or is the crankshaft sensor the one that most like will fail first? car has 107k miles.

Originally Posted by Roanokegprix

HUH? WHAT? I have not have it duplicate it over again, it will start up every time now, kinda weird, could the camshaft sensor be going as well or is the crankshaft sensor the one that most like will fail first? car has 107k miles.

a bad cam sensor can cause an intermittant problem i learned this the hard way with my grand am. could be a wire pulled loose inside the sensor and it touches once in awhile causing it to get connection. its worth replacing just to see if its it the parts maybe $20 at the most. crank sensors are alot more work and are more expensive. try moving the wires for the cam sensor around while its running if it stalls thats your problem if not its the crank sensor.

Originally Posted by 91gpse

a bad cam sensor can cause an intermittant problem i learned this the hard way with my grand am. could be a wire pulled loose inside the sensor and it touches once in awhile causing it to get connection. its worth replacing just to see if its it the parts maybe $20 at the most. crank sensors are alot more work and are more expensive. try moving the wires for the cam sensor around while its running if it stalls thats your problem if not its the crank sensor.

thanks, I will check it as well.