Old Car Won't Start But Cranks is it Fuel or Ignition Problem Mopar GM Ford All Carburetor Cars 

You learned from the Best Keith..I laugh at posts that mention stuff that has nothing to do with their problems, replace things out of left field.like this one people post change the battery,starter, neutral safety switch..Hello? It cranks...lol

@@alyoungcuda Yep get those on my channel too! Well more than likely they're on your channel because they are seeking "Vehicular Wisdom" from someone who's supposed to know. Eh so don't be to hard on em. I helped a guy who only spoke Portuguese only in Brazil fix his D21 Nissan truck via Google Translate. Also helped a 70 year old lady change her starter on her Dodge Grand Caravan. You meet all kinds of folks who need our help. Check out some of my videos and descriptions. Don't know how many subs I got based on a good video description on what I put in there. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith

I always reply and help..its the thing to do..

@@alyoungcuda keith_noneya@att.net

Sounds like your dad was a real prince ! Two thumbs up to your dad. No doubt he gave your some real solid knowledge and spent some nice valuable time with you. I hope you pass along to the next generation what you learned from your dad.

Beautiful story to get grandpas car running, old cars are fairly simple compared to the electronic stuff nowadays..if you need help, just pop on here with the questions..good luck.

That is a great story and a great truck, its good to get the younger generation into old cars..I see the old cars fading away nowadays..from the 20's to the 40's.. and a stick shift is Awesome

Yes, if it has the choke problem that its closed to tight, it needs to be cracked open like a window to allow some air in...I still do that on some cars.

Thanks for the compliments, I like using carburetor cleaner instead of starting fluid..

The cold spell?

I'm glad you liked it and Thanks for the compliments and of course thanks for watching too..

I have a ice cream truck in which I had started like a week ago for 2 hours straight and when I just try to start it the other day it wouldn’t start. I noticed that there wasn’t any gas getting to my fuel filter. I Put gas in there, to no avail!! And me being a person that don’t know too much about vehicles I’ve just learned several things about what it could and can’t be, things that I can test to see if there’s a problem with, etc!! and you got straight to the point great job!!

Yes, you need to isolate if its a spark ignition problem or fuel..I have a few other videos on how to seperate which one it could be..Check it out if you want...Good luck and thanks for watching...

Thanks for the compliments and thanks for watching...

Thats cool, thanks for watching...

You're welcome and thanks for watching

In your case its a slant 6, they are known to strip out the plastic gear on the bottom of the distributor, so you might want to remove the distributor cap, notice the direction of the rotor pointing, crank the motor a tad and see if it moved or spins..

I'm glad you watched it and I hope it helps you out too...

Thanks for the compliments and thanks for watching too, hope it helps you on your classic car ...

By the way these are H40/44eis Solexes

With what you wrote, it seems like debris in the carb inlet and most likely the needle and seat might be stuck closed, if you want you can take the line off the carb and shoot carburetor cleaner thru the straw up into it or reverse flush it from the carburetor throat side..

Don't start it with starter fluid, thats just a quick burst, start it with carb cleaner and maybe it will blow out and clear up

@@alyoungcuda Thanks Al...what is puzzling and somewhat unlikely is that both are exhibiting the same thing. If it was one of them, sure, but both. I feel I am doing something wrong as knowledgeable as I am.

@@larrygk1257 well you can take the line off, add a rubber hose into a pail or jar and see if you have fuel

Thanks for watching...

Awesome...and thanks for watching too...

@@alyoungcuda any chance I can get this 225 to make it from middle of Mexico back to Texas?

@@Keptyk sure can, you will have to install new parts for the full tune up, all new coolant hoses and belts, new brakes, hoses, wheel cylinders and master cylinder and all 3 rubber brake hoses and check all the electrical, if you want, change out the Alternator, new battery of course and tires with a spare, fresh oil change, check all the fluids and you're good to go. The only thing left of course to look out for is the transmission, driveshaft and rear end.

@@alyoungcuda okay I'll make sure to get that done before leaving, it seems to have a Made-up stick shift transmission

@@Keptyk what do you mean, just the shifter or a bogus transmission swap

Air cleaner has nothing to do with it, it should run without one, to make sure its a fuel problem, go get a can of carburetor cleaner and spray it down the carburetor throat and it should try to start..if it doesn't then it could be ignition

So you took the starter only to a shop? And they tested it fine? The Alternator is not even part of the starting system so rule that out. So you installed a new battery, did you check and clean the battery terminals on both positive and negative. The car should have a neutral safety switch, did you try starting it in neutral? You have to check for power at the starter when you turn the ignition key on. Its gonna be the smaller wire at the starter Solenoid, thats what kicks in the starter . Also check if the positive cable which is attached to the battery, has the same voltage at the starter end.

No, old cars run off a can sitting on the ground..even new cars run without the cap but will set on a check engine light for sure.

Thank you and thanks for watching too...

The battery power from the battery goes to the horn relay..then splits into a few wires to power inside..check the connection or clean the connection there 1st.

Wait, you are all over the world, does it crank and spin over? If it cranks then the battery,starter,neutral safety switch is good. You changed the fuel pump already. This is a modern car compared to this video. Let me attach a more modern take video. Give me a second.

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gA7405_5V9A.html

You need to seperate it if its fuel or ignition..try the Carburetor cleaner trick i attached here for you.

Just to verify your findings, I would use a fuel line hose and stick it in a safe fuel gallon container with fuel in it, attach it to the fuel pump inlet of the fuel pump. Do your prime thing, run the engine and see if the fuel pump is sucking up the fuel in the can..if so it will run until the gallon is used up, once you verify that then you know the fuel pump up to the carb is good. As for the clear filter in the back, it seems like your fuel tank is cruddy and full of debris, I take it that its a car that hasn't run in years..if so then you either need to buy a new tank with a new sender or a new sender with a tank that is cleaned out very good like from a radiator shop .

If it runs from the can in the front, move the can to the rear by the clear filter to see if your fuel pump is sucking it up thru the lines running along the frame.if so again, new tank and sender required. Good luck.

Great 👍🏼 I'll give that a shot tomorrow morning and go from there.. I appreciate your insight and time.. I will let you know what I find . Thank you again

@@eyedeeowe no worries

What do you mean by end of the line..right at the Carburetor?..then its the float that is stuck..might be time for a good cleaning and rebuild...did you try starting it with starting carb cleaner down the throat..sometimes the thrust of the fuel will dislodge the needle and seat..as the car trys to start

@@alyoungcuda Thank you for the reply ,Yes the carburetor gas line,I didn’t try carb cleaner but I put gas down the throat it starts but turns off if I’m not gassing it

@@angelg.7089 once you get gasoline up the line and into the float bowl, it might take a few days to clear up that dried gasoline that gummed it up..some carbs you can tap on the float bowl sides with a screwdriver handle to kind of shock it a little.. I spray the carb cleaner while goosing the gas to keep it running..sometimes it creates a vacuum in the venturi and maybe clear the holes...

Start from the beginning, why the headgasket and this has a timing chain i believe

@@alyoungcuda so the headgasket was leaking a little bit near the firewall, but not overheating so I decided to do it as a preemptive measure. Got it all back together and it has a timing belt. Also thanks for responding!

@@MrSedatePiano timing belts are funny when they are installed..did you check to see if the timing marks are lined up? If they are then give it a compression test..did you at anytime spin the motor with the timing marks off? If so you would bend a valve or two..

@@alyoungcuda I will look into that, I hope I didn't 🤣 but we will see. Thank you so much!

@@MrSedatePiano a compression test will tell..but check that timing mark..they tend to move a few teeth off when the tensioner is applied...

I'm assuming the clear fuel filter is between the fuel pump and the Carburetor and you see no fuel.So the next thing is to connect a fuel hose to the incoming nipple on the fuel pump to a safety gas can and try to start the car by priming it so it runs for a few seconds, might have to do that several times to see if the fuel pump is sucking fuel up and pushing it up to the clear filter..if so then once the filter is filled, it will start and run, if not then the pump is not working, replace as needed..if the engine does run now your problem is the line going to the tank or the tank sender unit which is your pick up tube. You can transfer the hose and can to the rear and pretend it is the tank and see if the engine runs and the filter fills..if so then the problem is in the tank..if not then the line going from the rear to the front has a hole and sucking in air.

@@alyoungcuda Thanks! My fuel filter is actually back at my gas tank. Attached to about 7" of tube coming out of my tank. But same methods would apply, I think. You've given me some ideas of what to try at least. I just need to find the correct size hoses now to use with the gas can. 👍

@@LastBastian regular 3/8 gas hose

@@alyoungcuda Thanks again!

Several things to check, mechanically, take the distributor cap off and have someone crank over the engine and look to see if the middle shaft or rotor is spinning, if not then the gear is broken underneath. Also check to see if the points are opening and closing and have the proper gap. Check the condition of the cap and rotor.check for 12 volts at the positive terminal of the coil,, check the negative side wire to the distributor and of course it could be a bad coil.

Now you're talking battery, battery cables or starter.

@@alyoungcuda thank you so much! I did bring the battery home to charge it. You are a Professional Thank you

Then its spark..whats the year make model size engine..is it points or Electronic ignition?

@@alyoungcuda 72 Plymouth fury sport suburban v8 360 w points I'm wondering if I fried the points

@@TheReapersFear4 you can see that, take the distributor cap off, you can crank the motor and see if the center cam opens and closes the points..but before that, did you check for spark..at the spark plug and then at the coil wire before it goes into the distributor cap

@@alyoungcuda I have not but the plugs are fairly new and were firing just the other day... ill check the coil and distributor... how do I check the coil? Thank youuuu

@@TheReapersFear4 coil is the same check as at the spark plug..you take a Phillips screwdriver. Insert it into the end of the coil wire and hold it about 1/4 inch away from a ground or metal and crank the engine over...should see a spark..

No..it can pump and get stopped at the Carburetor by the needle and seat ..the only way to see that is to hook up a clear fuel filter to see it pumping while cranking the engine over.

So you ran a line from a separate gas tank to the pump and it started? Then its only a few things..the gas line from the tank to the pump is rotted or has a hole, the rubber hose from the gas line to the fuel sending unit on the gas tank, a clogged sending unit sock or what they call a filter, crap in your gas tank over the years.. You can hook up the temporary tank and hose to the line in the back and do a process of eliminating each part, blow compressed air thru the line..was this car running recently or it sat dormant for years?

Yea this car siting for 29 yeras

@@81salinas then something is clogged..start with dropping the tank and cleaning it..also install an inline gas filter before the pump to collect all the rust and crap..otherwise it will ruin your new pump..good thing is you got it running...now you have alot of work to do...what kind of car is it?

Pontiac Firebird 1978

@@81salinas on this 69 dart, I had to get a new tank..39 years sitting it was like mud in there..and I blew out the line on the body from the tank to the fuel pump..

Several things here are good, it did start and run so ignition part is good, clearly its fuel related. Your words of turning on is confusing, I guess you mean cranking over spinning the engine. The 1st thing is the choke, when cold it should be closed but opened enough for air, not fully closed tight..you can stick a screwdriver in the choke to keep it slightly opened.now by pumping the gas pedal, you are pumping fuel into the Carburetor, you can see that if you jump into the engine while off, look down the carb and pump the pedal, you will see a burst of fuel. If you pump too much then you can foul out the plugs and get them wet with fuel and anything wet will not light or fire so then by stepping on the pedal to the floor, you in turn are opening the throttle butterfly open for full air to blow off or cool down or even dry the plugs off. Remember the engine is a big vacuum, while cranking it sucks in fuel and air thru the Carburetor, its not a perfect mixture like in an efi, the choke controls the amount of air being sucked in like opening a window. The fuel will come out normally if the tube ports are free and clean of dirt and old gasoline that can varnish the ports and restrict flow. Fuel float level is simple, the fuel pump pumps fuel thru the lines up to the Carburetor at about 5-7 psi, very low compared to efi, in the Carburetor is a float attached to a needle which looks like a plumb bob, it sits over the seat , when lifted up, it allows fuel to enter the fuel bowl, once filled the float goes up, pushes the needle down into the hole and stops the fuel from coming in.this repeats constantly, in efi, they have a fuel return line to keep the fuel moving. In a carb, it sits there waiting to be pushed into the bowl. So u say it idles ok only when u pump the pedal. Check the choke 1st, it should be closed on start up to suck in more fuel than air to get going. On an efi, the coolant temp sensor tells the ecm to pump in more fuel when cold and then back off as it warms up. Carburetor is all mechanical, you adjust the choke cold and on the right side of the carb choke linkage is a vacuum pod that pulls on the linkage to open it. Of course there is a fast idle linkage and cam that works with it too. Get some gimout carb cleaner, spray down the whole outside of the carb. Work every linkage, add some wd40, let it dry off and try to run it, it might be binding all the linkages...

@@alyoungcuda sorry bad at explaining things in real life too😂 but yeah I adjusted the choke so now it’s like at a good angle for the temperature I’m at it actually turned on after three small pumps of the gas and a sec a turning the keys with white smoke coming out and smell of gas a lot more then normal but other then that now I gotta dial in the idle speed because it was idling too high, but yeah I did get some carb clean the one you said and sprayed the carb and in and same with the wd40. The only thing I’m having a problem with is my instructions for the carb says the floats have to be a middle fuel level with the fuel windows on the floats but my secondary float is just stuck like pretty much full and can’t seem to come down even when I lower it following the instructions. Would that be a problem with the needle that restricts the fuel? A good carb clean would probably fix that? Oh and in the first one i was meaning when I turn the keys to turn on the car it will crank to turn on and then stop and make like a fan powering down sound, going to see if it makes that sound tomorrow on a cold start because it started after the 3 pumps and turn of the key but I figured of course because it’s a warm engine? Sorry if I don’t make much sense, I’m really trying to😂

@@matthewenriquez8938 i didn't ask but it sounds like you have a holley carburetor , so yes the float or needle and seat is stuck. You can take it apart and clean it or a more simpler thing is a brand new carburetor..brand new will solve all your issues.

Slow drag sounds like a battery not holding a charge..not enough cold cranking amps..or bad battery cables or connections

But you didn't mention when it doesn't start again after heating up,, did the engine spin and crank over? If it spins and cranks then it sounds like a bad ignition coil, since it has something to do with heating up and cooling down. But you need to check at the time it didn't start is to poke your face inside the Carburetor and pump the gas pedal linkage and see if fuel is entering..and you need to check for spark at the coil and spark plug ends to see if you have spark. Its Definitely something getting hot and cold..feel the wires going to the coil to see if anything is hot.

Thanks for reply. Yes i check spark on points and plugs its all fine. Its a new coil Its surely gas trouble. Im busy checking tank vents. Its a old car and not vent with cap. It got a oneway vent hose. I took out the small oneway valve and clean it and put it back. Now i not sure what way around it have to come in. The hose just go in hole down to the ground. Must it breath in or out. Not sure if it have to suck air in or out. On the moment i got it to let air out.

Oh yes... Car start after soooo 20min to half hour.

@@g.j.dutoit4447 fuel problem, so now you need to decifer if its before or after the fuel pump which is the problem and the only way to do that is with a clear see thru gas filter installed in line to see. A vent has no bearing on heat or you're just thinking that way...fuel is mechanical..is your fuel pump electric or mechanical bolted onto the engine?

@@g.j.dutoit4447 it could be the filter in the tank that collapsed or fills up with debris and when your car dies, it releases the dirt or filter expands back to normal.think of it as sucking on a straw for a drink, if an ice cube or a fruit from a fruity drink gets stuck at the bottom of the straw, what happens..no drink from the straw, but if you let go from sucking on the straw, the object that was blocking the straw moves away until it clogs it up again..understand what I mean?

Thanks for the input, but this video is not about starting this car, it starts fine. But thanks for watching

How long has it been parked? Hopefully no rodents ate up the wires, but most of the time a long time sitting car will need a fresh fully charged battery, fresh fuel that most likely turned bad in the tank, the Carburetor might be gummed up or it could be ignition if it still has points. Best thing is to start at checking spark at the plug, check if there is fuel pumping out of the carb when you move the linkage by hand. You might also want to remove the hose that comes in from the fuel tank and attach a fresh portable can of fuel to it so it sucks in New gasoline. But it depends on how long ago it was parked. But Definitely check for spark and fuel.

@@alyoungcuda it's only been a little over 2 months

@@vcotta2012 2 months, then most likely you flooded it and the spark plugs got fouled out wet with gasoline. You can hold the accelerator pedal to the floor to open the butterfly and then crank it over, the fresh air sometimes drys out the plugs..but definitely double check for spark and gasoline coming out of the Carburetor...

It goes right in the Carburetor throat..where the choke is..I use Carburetor ckeaner..spray it in, and go try to start the car..it takes a few tries by yourself like I do...

@@alyoungcuda Thanks. I'm heading out ti garage right now. Have to get battery in first. Of course, my father has me scared to death to hook it up. 😊 He's always so protective of me. He's getting old and I need to be able to do these things on my own. 🙂

Got it started with a couple sprays of starter fluid. Thanks for your help.👍

@@ms79ta thats all it needed..I start my parked cars every month or so..have to start it the same way. The gasoline drains out or evaporates..but always keep it running till it warms up fully..Thanks for watching...

@@ms79ta awe, that's nice, always protective of our young ones no matter what,where or when..

Did you check for spark at the plugs and then the coil?

@@alyoungcuda no i just put new spark plugs in im not a mechanic i don’t even know if they worked how do i check ?

@@prodpawn9169 if you put new plugs in and you didn't drop them on the ground, they most likely are ok..you need to check for spark or I can say electricity to the plugs..look at the video at the 8 min mark to see how to do it..think of it as you installed new outlets (spark plugs)in the wall in your place..but you didn't check to see if you have electricity going to it(spark plug wires)or you didn’t check to see where the power comes from circuit breaker in your fuse box (coil).. Then there is your distributor cap and rotor that spins...you need to check that to make sure its turning in order to distribute the spark..

@@alyoungcuda i put the screw driver in the spark plug wire and it shocked me lol so there’s spark so what would he the issue

@@alyoungcuda what’s the next step it’s getting fuel and spark it won’t even turn over with starter fluid

What year make model size engine?

@@alyoungcuda same 1969 dodge dart 3.6 v6 change fuel pump carburator car turns on when pressing gas then take foot of pedal stays on for 1 minute or 2 then turns off

Now you still need to see if its fuel or ignition..does it restart with no problem after it stalls out? And do you do anything different to restart it?

@@alyoungcuda once it turns off i have to push gas pedal again to start it and same process again it wouldnt have to be nothing to do with the motor right? Hard to find a good mecanic in Los angeles

You are going to have to remove the air cleaner and start the car..go outside at the Carburetor with the accelerator linkage in you hand and try to keep it running..of course check to see if your choke is closed....have some Carburetor cleaner..as the engine starts to fade..spray the Carburetor cleaner into the carb and see if it stays running..

Memory is the 1st thing to go ...

If the car attempted to start with the spray of Carburetor cleaner then it sure is a fuel problem.

We changed the fuel pump and filter and it started and we drove it about 5 10 miles then it cut off again could it be holley carb it has been on there for about 10 years I’m 2nd owner I’ve had it about 8 years car only has 35k original miles I was told it’s running lean

@@RichHistoryClothing might be time for a rebuild or adjust the floats on the holley..it could be debris on the needle and seats..did this just happen overnight or has the engine been sitting for years..

@@alyoungcuda no this happened over time it starting having trouble on accelerating and getting gas over time and it has been sitting more than being driven but when we get it started no smoking from exhaust or anything and the drive feels good momentarily til the gas runs dry

I appreciate u responding it’s hard to find people who will mess with mopar cars especially trying to problem solve I bought a new car I am waiting on it and hopefully this solves my problem the engine sounds good drives great when it’s getting gas