maintenance proves fatal HELP!

[sergeshishik]

I'm going to kill myself. I finished up my first winter maintenance tonight and now my car wont start and is making an awful sound when the key is turned. Sounds like a fuel pump?

I recently changed my oil return tubes, and performed a valve adjustment, anyone have any suggestions?

I checked to make sure all the plugs were returned to the correct position, other then that I can't imagine what I might have done.

I hope someone knows an easy fix.

Thanks

Serge

[Zeke]

Left a rag in the case? I don't know, we need a little more info, please.

[sergeshishik]

thats it man The car was running perfect before I started taking it apart. I did disconnect the a/c unit?

the car will turn over but not fire, and like I said it makes this grumbling sound when the ignition is turned on like a fan or pump is running?

[Zeke]

Per chance, did you take the dist cap off? Do you know where your rotor is? Just taking wild guesses here and that's all anyone can do.

When you have a problem like this, you must go back thru your steps one by one. Look at everything you touched. Check the elec wires.

[sergeshishik]

yes I took the dist cap off, then i spun the engine several times during the valve adjustment. I figured as long as I put the cap back on it wouldn't matter where the rotor is. Any idea on what is making the noise?

I apologize for my character, but I'm stressed out big time about this.

[don911]

I assume you manually turned the motor when doing the valve adjustment? Did you turn it in the right direction? I've read that if you turn it ccw, you can mess up the cam chain or tensioners, something like that.

sure you got the plug wires on the correct plugs?

[sergeshishik]

I read that also I only turned the crank clock wise, and I doubled checked the wires.

[john walker's workshop]

one of the three plugs lined up on a bracket over #3 cylinder can get dislodged during a valve adjust. make sure they are all snapped on tightly.

[sergeshishik]

John, I was so hopeful that the plugs was the answer that I braved the 2 degree temp out to the barn, no luck the plugs were in good shape I wiggled them to no effect. Any idea on the noise that is coming from the engine when I turn the key its an awful sound?

[Por_sha911]

-Make sure that your rotor is seated properly (all the way down).
-Are there any wires that you might have dislodged or damaged when taking the cap off?
-Check to see if you are getting any spark (2 person job).
-Swap out the DME relay (maybe just lousy timing on when it decided to go).

[pwd72s]

probably a silly question, but did you refill with oil? Maybe not a silly question...I saw a sign in a top level shop. It was on the steering wheel of a car in for work. The sign read: NO OIL. Even the best wrenches leave themselves little reminders, evidently.

[sergeshishik]

thanks, I'll check the rotor seating. I really am shocked by this because I didn't screw with much of anything. Maybe some sleep will bring on a diagnosis. And I agree in fact I had a note on my seat that said "no oil"

[randywebb]

be sure you didn't just bump some elec. connector - JWW mentions one, but if not that, check them all.

it's maddening, but it is a machine so it has to be something rational -- have a beer and get methodical after you rest ...

[techweenie]

It is possible with a low fuel level and jacking up the car, to starve the fuel pump of gas so that it just spins and makes (unhappy) noise.

[ianc]

The noise is the key here. What does the noise sound like, apart from horrible? Where is it coming from, exactly? If you get a helper to crank the motor and you listen, can you determine the source? Gear noise? Metal banging against metal? From front or back of car?

ianc

[450knotOffice]

I'd also say to check that the distributor cap is on properly. The rotor could be scraping on the inside of the cap causing no spark and a horrible scraping sound.

[ischmitz]

I would put my money on the trigger wire from the distributor to the engine harness. That would cause a no-spark situation. The aweful sound is either a fuel pump (running dry maybe) or the whine of the CD box. Both are normal to some extend. Are you sure this sound was not present prior to your maintenance job. Maybe you just never noticed it.

Go systematic. Check whether you have fuel and spark. It's pretty much one or the other that's missing. Then go from there. Good luck,
Ingo

[Alan Goettel]

Do not panic. Chances are it is something simple that got knocked off or put back together wrong. The first time I put my engine back in my car it, would not start, and I was freakin cause there were no spare wires or parts. When I got back under the car I noticed a big (12 pin or such) connector was hanging out of the engine compartment up by the tyranny.

I was so relieved to find the oversight that I did not mind dropping the engine down to retrieve the plug then scratch the crap out of my arm connecting it to the receiver back by the left rear shock mount.

[sergeshishik]

Well sleep proved successfull. I first want to say thank you all. This web site is great and everyone is really cool to take time and help out fellow man.

I pulled the dist. cap and exposed a cracked rotor. I must have forced the cap on wrong. New one is on the way.

Ianc, For the Noise it is as soon as I turn the ignition on, not when I turn the motor over, and it doesn't stop until I turn the key off. I never remember this sound before, but then again the engine would be running?

[jluetjen]

Let's see -- the weather's cold. Have you checked the battary's charge lately? If you leave a battary attached to the car in the cold over a winter, they usually will get weak, if not dead. If the battary is weak, it will generally still power up the ignition and the fuel pump, but there may not be enough juice left over to do the real work -- crank the motor.

Hooking the battary up to a trickle charger for a day before you try to start it again may do the trick.