my car was starting up fine justa couple adays ago and now it doesnt want to start...... its cranking over and it sounds like its about to fire but it never does..... i can smell gas.....wats wrong??????


maybe i just flooded it...
or could my timing be off just a little bit???

 

and it smells like the gas is coming from my exhaust maybe and its not flooded......hmmmmmmmmm

 

OK well, did you check for spark?? That is always my first questions...

 

bout to go check

 

I am assuming you know it can be one of three things, compression, spark, and fuel. If it was starting a few days ago you know it is spark or fuel to be honest i have had so many no start problems with my car that i installed a fuel pressure regulator and an inline fuel pressure guage right next to the carb so i can tell if it is spark or fuel immideialty. im gunna go ahead and guess that it is spark that is your problem, if you tell me what type of distributor i might be able to help you out a little more... unless the engine was flooded and this was all just a mistake but i doubt that. Oh and if it is flooded just floor it when you try and start it, that should let enough air in to compensate... hope i can help somemore.

 

Ok Well spark is not the problemm.... i got spark.....
i tried to tap the gas peddle a few times while cranking it and it sounds like it wants to start......... so the next time i held the peddle down and it started but something started to shoot out the carburator and then soon died rite after.....
i took the 1 spark plug out and it was really black and smelt like gas really bad.......

 

Why do you think that the timing was off, were you doing something to change it? If you think so i would turn off the distributor in either direction till it starts then get a timing light and properly set it.

Also it could be that all the spark plugs are dirty, I was working on a friends stang once and it started up then the next day it would just crank and crank we were getting fuel and spark up to the end of the wire so we pulled all the plugs cleaned em and put them back it started right up (after i corrected his firing order) I would auctually start with cleaning the plugs but i think most people would suggest doing the timing.

 

Yeah imma go clean the plugs...........
i was turning the distributor to see if maybe it was off a bit......
but imma go see if its the plugs....

 

claened all the plugs you think maybe i could be outta gas.......

 

Wouldnt be the first time i have heard of that either, it might be a good idea to do what i did, i went to autozone and for $10 you can get a fuel pressure guage and see if you are getting fuel pressure. Also take off your air filter and look into the carb, see if when you open the throttle if fuel squirts down. I like knowing what my pressure is set to as well that is why i have the pressure guage... What does your fuel guage say?!?! Also since you have probably been cranking the car for a while maybe charge up that battery. It probably wont make it not start but it is always good to have a fresh one.

Edit: the auto zone $10 was expensive in my book for a cheap plastic 3/4 inch guage...but when my car doesnt start the local stores will have to do...

 

Yeah my battery is pretty low right now so immma let it charge over night and try again tomarrow

 

First make sure the engine is not flooded. Hold the accelerator down while cranking the engine. That should hopefully burn up some of the gas that is flooding it. If that doesn't work, I would check your spark, not just your plugs, but the whole system. The coil or ignition module may be giving you some problems. I had a similar situation with my car- it would crank and crank and sound like it was on the verge of firing up, but never did. A new coil fixed the problem. I'm sure you'll find the problem soon...just keep ruling possible problems out as you check things.

 

alright well i put gas in the tank i cleaned all my spark plugs.... redid the timing and recharged the battery and im still not getting it to fire........

sometimes when im cranking it i get gas back firing out the carburator.......
i cant seem to find the problem......
does anyone have any other suggestions???????

 

how did you redo the timing with the engine not running? Usually backfiring is from the timing being off... maybe someone else can chime in.

 

well like i said all the sudden the car wouldnt start when it was starting a day before...... so i didnt take the whole distributor out i just put the first piston up on tdc and put the cap were its was suppose to be lined up......... so yeah..........

 

"well like i said all the sudden the car wouldnt start when it was starting a day before...... so i didnt take the whole distributor out i just put the first piston up on tdc and put the cap were its was suppose to be lined up......... so yeah.........."

TDC on compression or exhaust? if the balancer says its at TDC make sure its on the compression stroke, not the exhaust. otherwise your timing is 180° off, which may explain the backfiring out the exhaust. how old are your timing chain/gears? they may have jumped.

 

timing chain is brand new.......... and yeah it might be on the exhaust stroke ....... thanks........imma go try it..........

 

well gentlemen it was the timing my car is running now....... but my battery is dead so i got to charge it....... it was the timing.........i appreciate all the help i got from everyone thanks for everyones input.....................