Not starting

[jjcool00]

Gentlemen, my car isn't starting... I'm not sure wtf is wrong with it... it cranks and cranks but doesn't turn over. It sounds like it WANTS to turn over but won't almost like its flooded or misfiring badly but doesn't turn over (if that makes sense) I took a video while the gf tried to start it to see if I could see if everything on the accessory drive is rotating and it seems like it is. This came out of no where, no codes, nothing at all... all of sudden tonight it won't start.

I'm going to tow it tomorrow morning to my mechanic who isn't the best LS mechanic but a B+ mechanic normally, any suggestions?

 

[joegr]

Okay, first some terminology corrections. (It bugs me. Maybe it shouldn't and maybe I'm the only one.)

You say it cranks, but it doesn't "turn over." Well, from the video, clearly it is "turning over." To me, turns over means that the starter is spinning the crankshaft around. The phrase "turn over" came about as an attempt to be clear if the starter was working and turning the crankshaft over. When someone says won't crank or won't start, it could mean that the starter was working or not, but it was only clear that the engine wouldn't run.

I would say that it turns over, but won't fire up and run. That said, it is firing some. Why don't you unplug the MAF electrical connector and see if it will start and run then? If it does, then it could be the your MAF is dirty or bad, or that you have a big air leak somewhere after the MAF.

Why do you say flooded? Do you have a strong gasoline smell?

 

[jjcool00]

Sorry about the terminology. So it is cranking and turning over but not starting. I tried about 5-6 times. Waited 2 minutes and then it started. I ran it for a minute but got a strong gas smell as suggested so I turned it off. Inspected all hoses and all and didn't see anything noticeable but it's dark and snowing so I can't really tell. I tried to turn it on again and it started immediately. Hit the gas a couple of times and it SEEMS fine. I'll check the maf tomorrow and other hoses

 

[1LoudLS]

if you think that it is flooded or you can smell a fuel. hold the pedal WOT and crank it.

100% throttle while starting will cause the PCM to cut the fuel so that you can clear it out.

 

[jrand]

when is the last time you changed the air filter?

 

[jjcool00]

jrand: I have the K&N intake with the filter so I clean/oil it every 6 months or so.

So I took it to the mechanic - he couldn't find anything at all. Said maybe I got bad gas or something. It has started up and ran perfectly since Sunday so I'm not sure what to think. I bought some MAF cleaner, cleaned the MAF and added some Chevron fuel cleaner to a new tank of gas yesterday just to be safe. No codes came up, no hesitation, IDK this car sure is weird sometimes.

 

[jrand]

yeah i dunno a lot about those kn's bc i dont have one but i heard if you overdo it w the oil that it can end up soaking your maf and require lots of cleaning.

 

[jrand]

you might want to clean your throttle body too bc it might have been shticky. just remember that is got a teflon coating and you need the teflon safe cleaner. i know cnc or crc <whatever> makes one