I have a '96 Plymouth Neon SOHC, we just got throught a cold snap and now the car will not start. It turns over but won't go. I installed a new battery, spark plugs and parked it in the garage with a heater to thaw it out, still no go. We have spark and gas, the coil pack has been replaced recently and the only code I am getting is for the battery being disconnected. Again it does turn over but just won't catch, Any suggestions?

 

Check the timing belt to see if it broke on an attempted startup. When you're cranking if it doesnt turn you've got problems... Also, how do you know it's getting fuel? Did you the rail, or are you just assuming since it's in the tank, it's got fuel? I'd dump a can of HEET in there and see where that goes if the t-belt spins during cranking...


~Nate

 

what does it do when you try to start it? But Nate is right, dump some Heet aka gasline anti-freeze in the tank. Mine was hard to start in -18* weather too, I had to pat the gas while cranking which isn't supposed work but it did.

 

Thanks for the quick responses. There is heet in the tank and while my dad turned the car over I pressed the release valve on the rail and my hand got doused with gas so I'm assumeing the gas pump is working. I hope its not the timing belt I guess since there was spark I didn't think the belt was off. Wouldn't a fault code show up for that? Today I am going to look at the wiring by the alternator, I read some other threads and that seemed to be a problem that came up sometimes. If you guys have any other suggestions please post it any help I can get will be appreciated

 

Just because you get fuel from the rail does not mean anything. it does help and generaly should fire up if the fuel pump is bad but not putting out the PSI it should.
on another note I had a caravan that had spark and fuel but the CPS sensor was bad.

next step i would check would be the cam and crank sensors and or the TPS if that fails.

 

your starter can be bad and the car can still be turning over as mine did just wasnt enough power to start it and just a question are you trying to start it in the heated garage or outside in the cold?And how many cold cranking amps is the new battery?

 

Make sure all of your ground wires are still connected. I had one come loose and it would crank and almost start but wouldn't quite catch. Very frustrating but once the ground wire was reconnected, she fired right up.