Car Ignition Question

[JPS]

Just by the hopes that one of you do more then work on games, I have a question...(three dots, no more, no less)

The Fiero that I got for free, it turns over but doesnt start, I dont get a spark, Ive replaced the plugs, wires, cap, rotor and coil, and still no spark, whats the next cheapest thing to replace?

I know I could probably take it to a shop and get it fixed right away, but the car has 170,000 miles on it and I figured Ill have to replace those things eventually, so I decided to go ahead and replace them, plus I save $65/hour for labor, and parts so far has only cost me $60, so I'm still way in the green.

Any ideas? Someone at work said check the comp, but I want to save that as a last resort, and theres no fuses blown.

[Karr Lord of Chaos]

Re: Car Ignition Question

how is it for power? do lights and such work? if they dont then the battery is the problem.

alternator is probably gone on it. that seams to go most often on well used cars.

the computer in it being faulty is very unlikely, expensive, and most likely your true last resort.

i think those are your only two options left, but im in no way a master mechanic. if you have your car manual you may want to take a peak to see if it suggests anything. additionally you may want to google the problem and see what other people suggest.

[Seraph]

Re: Car Ignition Question

Could be a prob with the ignition switch. Should be cheap to fix. If it's broken, you won't get ANY power in your car even with a full battery. If it's broken, your key will slide back from the 3rd position to the 2nd on its own.

[Chad]

Re: Car Ignition Question

Even the alternator isn't too bad to replace yourself. The hard part for me is that I'm too afraid of using force and breaking the belt or something. Those new belts are mega tight.

[Karr Lord of Chaos]

Re: Car Ignition Question

i never thought about the switch, but that defiantly is a good place to look to next.

as for belts they are very resilient so a bit of force wouldnt go wrong. you should start with the smallest rotor first as its easiest to take off, and putting it on is easy if you start with the big rotor and slip it on the smaller last. be very careful about yanking it becuase its easy to get your finger caught which is a mega owy. if you are going to 100% replace the belt then i suggest cutting it off rather then bothering with getting it off by force. given the tight quarters this is probably the best way to do it without smashing your knuckles.

[Seraph]

Re: Car Ignition Question

Holy crap! I guess shop class really paid off, eh Karr?

[Karr Lord of Chaos]

Re: Car Ignition Question

that it did, also helps that i am an hvac technician so motors, probable causes, and mechanical engineering is in my job description. i rather enjoyed helping my grandfather repair the car to save money and one of my uncles has build several vehicles from scratch, taking parts from junk and combining them to create a usable one (such as his custom crane he used to build his log cabin).

mechanics is in my blood i guess.

[Seraph]

Re: Car Ignition Question

If that's your field of expertise then you are pretty much set, because that kind of work(and anything applicable) is always available. I wish I was that skilled in something.

[Karr Lord of Chaos]

Re: Car Ignition Question

it really isnt difficult to get into it, infact i think most here are able to pick it up without too many problems. creative problem solving is really the key, knowledge and mechanical inclination can be learned and honed. whatever your thirst is go and quench it and let nothing stop you.

[Seraph]

Re: Car Ignition Question

I... I feel as though a beacon has been lit within my heart... I feel a great surge of passion and inspiration consuming my very soul..

I will do it! I will finally fulfill my dreams!!

I will become the worlds greatest RODEO CLOWN! And it's all thanks to you, Karr Lord of Chaos!!

[Karr Lord of Chaos]

Re: Car Ignition Question

i think you need a foot fetish in order to become one of those.

[Trebsay]

Re: Car Ignition Question

If it hasn't been mentioned... ( 3 dots)

The cars timing might be off. Meaning it could be turning over and not catching the engine at the right speed or time.

[JPS]

Re: Car Ignition Question

The battery and alternator is fine, neither would keep the engine from sparking since neither is linked to the firing of the plugs(the coil and rotor is if Im not mistaken), and the ignition switch couldnt be the problem because the car turned over, it acted like it wanted to start but wouldnt.

You're the second person that suggested timing being off, but the car has only been driven 1,000 miles between 2000 and 2003 and 0 miles since then, so who knows what is bad on it, he did claim the car ran when he parked it so...I dont know...

[The Toecutter]

Re: Car Ignition Question

Perhaps the starter motor itself needs to be replaced. If you've replaced the solenoid, spark plugs, distributor cap, distributor rotor, and all that ****, they obviously aren't the problem.

If the cap or timing were the problem, the car would be running but probably very sluggish to accelerate.

Have you had someone take a look at the engine when you try to start it to see if anything is sparking?

The base model Fiero used a starter from NSA while the sport model used one from Bosch, IIRC. They were series wound DC motors, and you could probably find a replacement of the OEM component for under $100 or an aftermarket version for much cheaper.

[Pagerron]

Re: Car Ignition Question

For what it's worth.

I remember the '77 Chevy Nova that I was handed down from my dad. I had problems getting it to start at one point. After changing the battery and getting two alternators, it still wasn't starting?! It turned out that there was a rod in the steering column that needed to be replaced. When I got that fixed, everything was great.