Hi-

New to this forum, so hopefully you can guys quickly help out this newbie.

When driving to Nashville from Huntsville, AL, drove about 80 miles. Exited freeway, at bottom of ramp, car dies. No sputtering, no choking, no lagging, just dies.

Roll to the side to start up, won't start. Cranks, turns engine over, doesn't start. Tow to my Uncle's house, strangely windshield wipers still run in the off position for a minute or so. Remove key and try to start again, doesn't, but wipers are normal.

Check plugs. 3 of 4 are fouled out from wet oil, and oil in cylinder. Next day, do a head gasket job. Remove everything, check timing belt, seems fine. Looks like right timing, belt not broken, cracked, chipped, or stretched. Rocker arm assembly is tight and races on cam are scored. Take off rockers and clean up. Do full gasket job, including valve seals, intake/exhaust gaskets, head gasket, new plugs, new valve cover seal and spark top seals. Turn over and check oiling of cam, all seems fine.

Reconnect and crank, same effect. Crank, but no start. Check spark, hot on every cylinder. Not sure of compression but no reason not to have it. Fuel pressure is good, had pressure when fuel rail disconnected to get to head. Checked cylinders for scoring of rings, and possible gaps/breakage of rings, everything looked fine.

My only idea is the timing belt, although seemingly right, could've jumped a tooth, or something to get out of time. But with no damage to it, i would think it would be close enough to at least sputter and try.

I am replacing timing belt tomorrow. PCV is fine, shakes like it is loose.

HELP!!! I need some idea quickly if you can, as I am going to Nashville tomorrow to work on it and it is imperative for work!

Thanks!

 

The wipers running when they shouldn't is a good clue something may be amiss with your ignition switch (the switch the key turns). Pull the hand brake up and watch the BRAKE light on the dash when you try to start. It should stay on steady both with the key at II (normal run position) and while cranking. If it goes out, the ignition system isn't getting power either and naturally the car won't start.

If that test is OK next turn the key on but don't crank and watch the Check Engine light. It should come on for 2 seconds and go out. During the time it is on, the fuel pump will run. If it doesn't do that check the ground wires on the thermostat housing.

If that is OK go under the hood and pull one of the spark plug wires and connect it to a spare plug, hold the metal part of the plug on the engine and have someone crank. The plug should spark with a good blue-white spark. Repeat with all 4 plug wires. If you don't have sparks take the distributor cap off and make sure the rotor is secure (the screw can fall out) and also repeat the spark test directly from the coil to a grounded test wire.

In summary, common reasons for sudden death on the road include:
-- out of gas (never overlook the obvious)
-- "electrical problem"
-- blown ignition coil
-- distributor rotor falling off
-- stripped timing belt*

After ruling those out and doing basic fuel and spark checks, only then consider major mechanical problems with the engine. A compression test would be the first step in that investigation. Consider the fundamental three things of a gasoline engine -- fuel, spark, and compression.

* which apparently you've already checked. Timing belts almost always fail by stripping several teeth off at the spot where it engages the crank gear. The belt will look OK on a cursory inspection from the top but it will not be in time and it will not move when the crank turns.

The oil was probably just in the spark plug tubes (from leaky gaskets at the top of the tube to the valve cover) and ran down when you removed the plugs.

 

Compression test the cylinders.