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Light engine wash, now car won't start????

Old 03-27-2011, 02:18 PM
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Icon2 Light engine wash, now car won't start????

i washed my car today, & decided to clean my engine bay, covered up my dizzy, fuse box, intake, & battery. Car started up after i was done, about an hour later won't kick over???? anybody know what i could do? or try?
Old 03-27-2011, 03:21 PM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

What do you mean "won't kick over" does that mean it will not start or will not even turn over, [crank]???

If you mean it cranks but does not start, check the spark plug wells, use compressed air to blow out any water/moisture from the wells. 94
Old 03-27-2011, 03:25 PM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

Take off dizzy cap and look for moisture happen to me a few times just make sure its dry
Old 03-27-2011, 03:39 PM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

Well all tue lights turn on, radio Ect... When I turn the key to start it, it's clicks on but won't start. Going to try to blow some air into there & see what happens. Really strange cuz it started up fine to roll into the garage, but after I cleaned in side , around an hour later... It wouldnt start.
Old 03-27-2011, 04:01 PM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

do the above recommendations and If it just clicks and does not crank at all check your grounds make sure they are clean and making good contact especially the one that goes on top of the trans and also check the small wire that goes to the starter/solenoid maybe its not making good contact or came loose.
Old 03-27-2011, 09:14 PM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

Umm nothing yet.... Hopefully something gives in the morning... Possible the starter or alternator shorted out. With a day of drying out maybe that will work.
Old 03-27-2011, 09:21 PM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

check the fuses.. There should be one for the altenator. Almost bet money you blew it. Fix that. Put your battery on a charger or jump for about thirty. Put multi meter on dc volts. Test battery with car running. If lower than 12.5 your altenator aint workin .....
Old 03-27-2011, 09:24 PM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

Plugs are wet, or dizzy cap is holding moisture, agree.
Old 03-27-2011, 09:42 PM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

Yeah i a back up set of plugs wires.. Should I undo the dizzy & open the plugs wire & let that air out?
Old 03-27-2011, 10:40 PM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

Things done so far:
1. Checked fuse box, nothing wet.. Things look legit.
2. Checked dizzy, nothing wet.
3. Spark plugs wires checked, seemed dry. blew air into them to make sure dry.
4. Checked spark plug wells, dry & nothing there.
5. Had my other car try to jump start it, nothing happened there.
6. Have a industrial fan blowing on the motor. Hopefully something if wet would dry with this going.

Any other feedback would help
Old 03-28-2011, 03:13 AM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

It sounds like your starter is the culprit. If it click just one time when you turn the key over it is the solenoid in the starter not working properly. Try borrowing one from a friend or taking yours to Autozone (or any other place that does free checks) and have them look at it.
Old 03-28-2011, 07:05 AM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

Originally Posted by BAY_99DB8LUV
Well all tue lights turn on, radio Ect... When I turn the key to start it, it's clicks on but won't start.
So it will not turn over, [crank].

Try this...

Turn on dome light, or leave door open so light stays on, turn ign. key to run, [not start].
Does dome light stay on?

If so, try and start engine, does light stay on or go out when cranking to start? 94
Old 03-28-2011, 07:28 AM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

you, could have water in your spark plugs holes, spray some brake cleaner down in there let it help evaporate the water or blow it out etc. and try that.
Old 03-28-2011, 08:02 AM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

@ FCM:
had the dome lights on, tried to start it... No luck, the lights did flicker kinda dime but didnt go off. Also did this with the HID's on & same results. Idk what it is?? Possible bad starter?
Old 03-28-2011, 10:42 AM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

Have you tried the bypass jump? 94
Old 03-28-2011, 11:22 AM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

maybe tap your starter? I have done this on fords plenty of times.
Old 03-28-2011, 11:52 AM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

Originally Posted by BAY_99DB8LUV
Things done so far:
1. Checked fuse box, nothing wet.. Things look legit.
2. Checked dizzy, nothing wet.
3. Spark plugs wires checked, seemed dry. blew air into them to make sure dry.
4. Checked spark plug wells, dry & nothing there.
5. Had my other car try to jump start it, nothing happened there.
6. Have a industrial fan blowing on the motor. Hopefully something if wet would dry with this going.

Any other feedback would help
Grounds, check your grounds!
Old 03-28-2011, 04:10 PM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

the motor wasnt still hot ae? done that to a old laser ran sweet parkd it up then next morning nothing but a click
Old 03-29-2011, 05:30 AM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

Yeah the motor had ran fine before this & don't undstand why it started up right after cleaning it, then about an hour later wouldnt click???? We check the dizzy, pop the cap off & checked the coils to see if any spark was coming from the & nothing. I bought this car awhile back, never changed the dizzy, I'm guessing this happened to give out & need replacing but ??? Ran a OD2 scanner & no codes came up.Most likely gonna take it to a shop & let them check it out before I spend any cash on something I might not need.
Thanks for all the help.... Hopefully get my Teg running again soon.
Old 03-29-2011, 12:12 PM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

I'm just wondering when was the last time you cleaned the corrosion off your battery terminals? And did you put a volt meter to the battery and see how many volts it had?
Old 03-29-2011, 12:21 PM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

Battery is less than 2 months old..cleaned the terminals when I replaced the battery. Plus I covered fuse & battery when I washed it. Idk ( straching my head )
Old 03-29-2011, 12:24 PM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

I agree with all of the above. The same thing happened to me and u HAVE TO MAKE SURE THERE IS NO MOISTURE ANYWHERE.
Old 03-29-2011, 06:20 PM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

Originally Posted by BAY_99DB8LUV
Battery is less than 2 months old..cleaned the terminals when I replaced the battery. Plus I covered fuse & battery when I washed it. Idk ( straching my head )
OK, why did it need a battery two months ago?

And did you put a volt meter to the battery and test the voltage? Fully charged battery should be 13.4 volts and only down to about 12 when cranking. Even new batteries have gotten bad cells and been unable to start a car even though voltage shows OK.

The problem is probably in a ground wire somewhere....good luck!
Old 03-29-2011, 06:58 PM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

So it will not turn over, [crank]?
You have not directly answered that yet.

Have you tried the bypass jump?
Have you tried that yet?

If you have tried the bypass jump with the same results, [just a "click"] then you really need to confirm that your main power and ground connections are good, not just the batt. terminals and clamps but batt. to chassis ground and chassis to engine ground, batt. to engine bay fuse box, batt. to starter motor and the main fuses, [the ones that are screwed in].

To do the above correctly, you need to undo the connection, clean both the contact surfaces, [EG; both the ring terminal at the end of the ground cable and the surface it makes contact with when bolted into place].

Years of oxidization between those contact points make for a poor connection, add water and the connection will be so bad it can't pass more then a few amps, enough to turn lights on but not enough to power the starter motor.

So before you go and spend money on parts you may not need or pay mechanics to do what you can do yourself, confirm the main power and grounds are good, not buy just eyeballing them, but buy "doing" them, even if your problem is not a connection problem, until you eliminate them, you will not know for sure.

Or you can bring the car to my shop, or one like it, and we will be more then happy to do the above, @ $80hr, [others may charge more or less]. 94
Old 03-29-2011, 09:49 PM
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Default Re: Light engine wash, now car won't start????

The car cranks over, but no spark coming what so ever. The old battery was almost 6 years before it got replace 2 months ago... Checked The volt & came out fine... The thing is I work 2 jobs, 5am to 10pm M-F & time is a major factor. Sucks not being able to check everything myself & like FCM said, Tryin to eliminating Different possible things that it could be.....The only really time I have is on the weekends so, don't know what i can do at this point??? If i were to try "bump starting it" I really don't that it would even work due to that there is no spark coming to fire the motor up?? Or am I wrong on this??

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