felsyeh

Hi, could use some help on what to test next. Car cranks but does not start.

Died pulling into parking lot when car was warm and pushed in clutch. After doing an initial search I replaced the CPS but having the same issue, still does not start.

I've seen other threads to replace fuel filter / fuel pump but it looks like 2002 MY does not have a readily replaceable fuel filter. I think can hear the fuel pump priming when turning the key.

Any help / ideas would be much appreciated.

Ahsai

Anything mechanically abnormal leading up to that point?
Does it make a normal cranking noise or it sounds/feels different than before when you crank now?

You may want to check fuses C1-C4 and E1. When you crank now, does the tach needle bounce about 1/4" or so?

Sure you have gas?

JJ_W

When my car would not start (2002 tip), I thought i could hear the pump priming and ruled it out. But in fact, the sound was coming from something else (maybe PSM, I'm not sure) and indeed the pump was bad. Changed it and the car started fine.

yelcab

test for fuel pressure to rule out the fuel pump.
see if you have spark at the plugs
check to see if any connectors, vacuum lines, hoses have fallen off and …
if all is there, it should start.

yelcab

Might also want to read the engine codes to see if any happened right before it died.

jasper

Indeed that sound that you hear when you turn the car on for the first time is not the fuel pump...not sure what it is (very likely the PSM pump as was noted earlier) but the fuel pump is much quieter. I have to strain to hear the fuel pump when I jumper the relay and I can't gear the pump priming at all because of that other loud startup noise.

And yes the MY2002-2004 996 does not have an external fuel filter.

I say this because I am currently in the process of replacing my fuel pump. It died a slow death over a few weeks and during my troubleshooting I was jumpering the relay and listening for the pump to run. I knew it was finally dead when I could no longer hear it run. I also had my fuel pump relay fail about a year ago during which time jumpering the relay was critical for troubleshooting. I thought it was the CPS but nope - bad relay - I should have known this because the tachometer was moving while I was cranking the motor and it is the CPS that fires the tach..

Search online a bit and you will find out that the fuel pump relay is easily located on the panel by your left shin. It's the only light grey relay with pink writing on it. Pull that bad boy out and jumper terminals 87 and 30. That sends 12 volts directly to the pump whether or not the ignition is on. With everything quiet you should be able to hear the pump running and the car should start.

If you don't hear the pump run, and the car won't start, then the fuel pump is probably bad.
If the pump does run and the car does start - then it's probably your relay.
If the pump does run but the car won't start - then it's probably ignition .

Imo000

Check the basics: Fuel, Air, Spark and then go from there. If all 3 are there, time to check timing. Stop throwing parts at it. You can easily introduce another problem by swapping out random parts.

DBJoe996

Check the DME and Start Lock relays in Relay Support 2 - underneath the rear carpet. Might want to replace them both to eliminate something.

DBJoe996

Here are the relay part numbers

Chris(MA)

you said it died when you pushed in the clutch, have you checked the clutch pedal microswitch?

jasper

pretty sure that would prevent even cranking....

felsyeh

Nothing was mechanically abnormal leading up to this point or after being able to start up. Engine got a full rebuild about 8k miles ago because of a broken timing chain. Makes a normal cranking noise. Checked fuses and all were good. Not throwing any codes out.

Gas tank is about 60% full.

Thanks for all the recs. I will test the relay and jumper fuel pump to test next along with checking fuel pressure and hopefully identify the culprit.

Imo000

Just spray a tiny bit of starter fluid into the throttle body and see if the engine fires up. If it does, you have fuel delivery issues, if it doesn't check for spark at the easiest spark plug boot.

955_EXP

This is the throttle body, hade the same issue!

Shark Attack

THIS!

goto Walmart and buy the hyper tough blue tooth code reader. It gives you live data. I leave mine plugged in all the time. Helped me find an intermittent issue with my CPS.