Looked at a 1996 Avenger yesterday this young lady was selling for like $800 because it won't start.
She put in a new battery like a month ago thinking it was a battery problem but it wasn't.
I used jumper cables and was able to get engine to turn over but it wouldn't start.
I thought it was a bad inertia fuel cutoff switch because I didn't hear the fuel pump kick on when I turn on ignition switch. Well I couldn't find one and after some research I found there isn't one on these cars.

Well anyway I am thinking it is a fuel problem because it cranks over without the hiccup you usually hear when a jumped timing belt.
The gas gauge shows 1/4 of a tank.
I asked the young lady some basic questions of what exactly happen before the car died.
She describe the car was idling in front of her house and the car just died so she tried to restart it and car just turned over.
I also noticed an after market stereo/ cd player that doesn't work because someone broke it trying to steal the stereo/cd player.

I did offer her $400 for the car but she said some family member that may or may not be a mechanic that is out of town will look at it when he gets back. She did tell me after he looks at it she will make a decision.
So I need help in diagnosing this car problem before buying it.

 

You can't hear the fuel pump it might be a fuel pump relay on the fire wall