My car has spark, has fuel, changes cap and rotor and ignition module. It would start and die then today tried again and wouldn't start. so I fixed the above and no change? When I pulled the plug to check for spark it started, ran fine. Put the plug back in and it won't turn over again.


How do you change the fuel filter I've never done it?

 

pull the plug as in remove the plug from the head or just the plug lead (sparkplug wire) ???

 

yeh you pretty much answered your own question...

 

I did both, with the plug out the car turned over and ran fine but not with it in
How? Is it fuel filter or timing?

 

With the plug in, does it turn over or does the starter hang?? If the starter hangs, it could be that it's hydrolocking on 1 cylinder and the plug left out is enough to get the water out.

 

Without it in it fires, how could it hydolock if it ran last night and there has been no rain or water around it?I didnt see any water come out.

 

crack in the cylinder, leaking head gasket.

If the leak is small the engine will run, if the leak gets bigger eventually it will hydrolock when starting, or even worse when running.

A plug fires easily in atmospheric pressure, the higher the cyl pressure the harder it is to fire a plug.

anyway, you didn't answer if with the plug in the starter spins the engine or if it hangs

 

Yes but stuff like that doesn't happen over night or anything, and the starter will turn the motor over but never starts up.

I doubt it's a head gasket, it would leak coolant and heat up at random times. I doubt the actual cylinder would crack. That takes a lot of force.

 

okay, miscommunication then if it turns over it's not hydrolocked. I wasn't totally sure on what you meant

So, with the plug lead off but the plug in it won't start? with the plug removed and the lead connected to the loose plug it does start? Is this for a specific cylinder or any cylinder?

 

Yea it sounds like the motor is turning over, it's real slow the starter isn't just spinning, with the plug in without the wire no start, without the plug it started,

I never left the plug in the wire when it was out, and I only tried the first cylinder on the driver side, got dark before I could test the others.

 

Confirm whether the motor is turning over. What's real slow? the cranking speed? and only w/ #1 plug installed? We're going in circles here.

You have to compare cranking speed of the engine w/ the plug installed and not.

If not installed and it cranks faster, something is wrong. IF for some reason the cranking is slow enough that the engine won't start then there's your problem right there. Do the valves open on that cylinder?

 

No the cranking speed is the same with plug or not. I have not checked the valves. I honestly haven't ever had to do that, how do you? Put your hand down there and see If the exhaust valve is open if it's pushing air out?

 

so, cranking speed is the same. What do you then mean by slow? Please explain the situation as accurate as possile. What's the difference with the plug installed and not installed apart from it starting or not?

 

It usually starts after the starter turns a few times, when the plug was out it started right up. Less starter turning time then normal when it was running right.

When the plug was in it was trying to start and turning it just sounded like it was turning but not firing but it has spark so idk.

 

check again, elave plug in, pull the lead and use another plug in it, see if it does the same thing.

 

What do you mean by different plug? Swap plugs from cylinders or try a different lead and plug out and see if it starts?

 

leave a plug in the offending cylinder so there's no loss of compression and use a spare plug to see if there's a spark. Trying to find out if it's the missing plug from the cyl or the missing plug on the lead that is the symptom here. Gotta differentiate between that to make an educated guess on what the problem is here.

 

I think I get what you mean, but a spare plug on the wire and leave the other plug in.

 

Yes, and check w/ no plug on the wire w/ plug in head and then w/ no plug in head but plug on wire and no plug on wire so you can rule out what's causing it, spark or compression.

 

Ok let me find a spare plug and do it.