3800 need some help with my beater

[Kyle]

the car will attempt to start like crazy, you can smell fuel but it just doesnt start.

it doesnt sound like its firing so perhaps its an iginition problem?

its a 92 geo tracker.

if anyone has any ideas or could help it would be great

Click to read more...

 

[imported_PaceCarBoozer]

if it has a distributor, check the cap for moisture. Had that problem with a customers Matchbox Geo. We didn't find a crack but when we replaced the cap and seal, the problem went away. Could be worth a shot.
CJ

 

[imported_Ron Vogel]

I had an album by a local band that emulated the early They might be giants sound.

I'll qoute a lyric:

"And if the car won't start in the rain.....New distributor cap"

 

[Mike K]

Kyle, pull a plug a wire and stick a screwdriver in it. Place it so that the insulated part of the screwdriver is resting on something and so that the metal portion of the screwdriver is less than half of an inch away (but not touching) from a known good ground. Crank and see if you get a spark.

If you do get spark then verify that you're getting fuel. The tracker is throttle body injection. You should be able to rip the intake and all those goodies off in ~10 minutes and see if there is fuel squirting on the throttle plate when you crank it.

Finally, depending on how long you've been cranking it, the vehicle might be flooded. If you find an obvious problem and it still doesn't start try starting it with the gas pedal stuck to the floor.

 

[Kyle]

i'll try what you said mike once it gets light out.

and i've tried starting with the throttle to the floor, it acted like this a week ago but then eventually started ok after messing with it and gasing it and there was no problem again until now.

and i would definetly say its flooded you can smell the gas, that happened last time as well.

 

[Kyle]

btw how wold i check if its the distributer cap?

 

[staceyyearsich]

This just happened to my bfs car this morning well his van..

 

[imported_Theautoguy]

Yank the plugs out, blow them off and wait an hour or so before you reinstal them. This will alow the cylinders to dry out a bit. If it did this before but ran well after that then it shouldn't be a "jumped" timing chain/belt. If it has an ignition module, take it out and have it tested at an O'Reillys or Auto Zone. I would take this opportunity to do a tune up; replace the cap, plugs, wires and coil. It sounds more like an ignition issue over a fuel issue to me.