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2000 Malibu will not start


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sage
Novice

Dec 14, 2009, 7:36 PM

Post #1 of 17 (6898 views)
2000 Malibu will not start Sign In

2000 Chevy
Malibu LS
engine 3.1
140,000 miles
Engine had a rod knock in it. Pick up a Used 2002 Malibu 3.1 motor. Installed this past weekend. Can't get it to run. motor turns over, have good spark, full of oil and coolant, good battery, can hear fuel pump operating when you turn key on. At first I had a loose fuel line, fuel all over floor. Secured fuel line. So I know I'm getting fuel to the fuel rails. Engine no start. Pulled plugs, look dry. Sprayed a little starting fluid in air intake and engine started. Have no fuel pressure gauge. I checked fuel at the fitting on fuel rail were the gauge would go and had pressure. Don't know how much pressure. I'm guessing something is not letting the fuel injectors fire or there's a clog in the fuel rail? Oh, car ran fine except for knock befor swap. Need help please. I'm a old school mechanic. Not up to all the new electronic. One more thing, I had to swap out the timing cover, the used engines timing cover had a crack in it. So I had to remove the crankshaft sensor to install on the other cover.


(This post was edited by sage on Dec 14, 2009, 8:47 PM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Dec 14, 2009, 7:41 PM

Post #2 of 17 (6895 views)
Re: 2000 Malibu will not start Sign In

Check to see if you have power to one side of the injectors with the key on.
See if your check engine light comes on for "bulb check" when the key is turned on.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



sage
Novice

Dec 14, 2009, 8:13 PM

Post #3 of 17 (6889 views)
Re: 2000 Malibu will not start Sign In

I have voltage to one side of injectors, no check bulb light.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Dec 14, 2009, 8:18 PM

Post #4 of 17 (6886 views)
Re: 2000 Malibu will not start Sign In

If your not seeing the check engine light, that means the computer is not coming to the party. Check all your fuses in all fuse boxes with a test light and the key on.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



sage
Novice

Dec 14, 2009, 8:33 PM

Post #5 of 17 (6882 views)
Re: 2000 Malibu will not start Sign In

Sorry check engine light is on. One thing I forget to mention. Had to replace timing cover on used engine. Included R&R of the crankshaft sensor. Could that be a problem? I Have edited original post.


(This post was edited by sage on Dec 14, 2009, 8:55 PM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Dec 15, 2009, 3:53 AM

Post #6 of 17 (6871 views)
Re: 2000 Malibu will not start Sign In

No, not really. You need the crank sensor for spark so what you need to do is test for injector pulse using a noid light but i suspect you don't have any.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



sage
Novice

Dec 15, 2009, 4:35 AM

Post #7 of 17 (6867 views)
Re: 2000 Malibu will not start Sign In

What controls injector pulse?


Qbasic8
New User

Dec 15, 2009, 9:58 AM

Post #8 of 17 (6864 views)
Re: 2000 Malibu will not start Sign In

Is this vehicle equiped with a factory security system? If it is - is the security light flashing when you try to start the vehicle?
If the security is active it will disable the fuel injectors from operating. I've ran into this many times even after just a battery disconnect. If the light is on & flashing after a start do the following. TUrn key off & wait 5 minutes. TUrn key on (key on engine off - as in do not try to crank the motor) and wait for the Security light to go off. Turn key off. Turn key on (do not crank) and wait for hte light to stop flashing. Turn key off. Turn key on and start vehicle. That is the relearn procedure for the BCM to learn the keyfob value in the ignition key. <--- but this is only if the security light is flashing.

Injector pulse is controlled by the PCM. The pcm looks at Cam & Crank signal and is sent to hte PCM. The pcm uses that info to know when to fire which cylinder, & changing pulse width of the injectors.

SInce this is a motor swap, I would be looking at if you have cam & crank signal present. Did you try to pull any sort of codes?


sage
Novice

Dec 15, 2009, 5:52 PM

Post #9 of 17 (6855 views)
Re: 2000 Malibu will not start Sign In

I have a theft sys. in car. Light is not flashing. When I try to start theft sys. light goes out. There are no codes. If I spray starting fluid into the air intake, the car will fire up. I have not check the camshaft position sensor. Will try that later tonight


(This post was edited by sage on Dec 15, 2009, 5:53 PM)


sage
Novice

Dec 15, 2009, 7:35 PM

Post #10 of 17 (6845 views)
Re: 2000 Malibu will not start Sign In

Tested camshaft position senser. Have 12v at red wire,good ground at black wire, but only 3v at tan wire while hand cranking engine over. Is it common for the sensor to go bad? The car the used engine came from was in a frontend crash. The timing cover was cracked so I swapped it out with the old one.


(This post was edited by sage on Dec 15, 2009, 7:37 PM)


Hammer Time
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Dec 15, 2009, 8:05 PM

Post #11 of 17 (6841 views)
Re: 2000 Malibu will not start Sign In

I know. You said that tree times.

Do you plan on testing for injector pulse as I asked?

Have you checked for codes?



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



sage
Novice

Dec 16, 2009, 1:47 PM

Post #12 of 17 (6832 views)
Re: 2000 Malibu will not start Sign In

Just finished noid test & fuel pressure at fuel rail. 52 p.s.i. fuel pressure. All injectors are pulsing. There are no codes.


Hammer Time
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Dec 16, 2009, 4:38 PM

Post #13 of 17 (6829 views)
Re: 2000 Malibu will not start Sign In

If you have spark, injector pulse and fuel pressure, then you have all the functions and if it has compression, it should be running.

You'd better do a compression test.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Sidom
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Sidom profile image

Dec 16, 2009, 8:47 PM

Post #14 of 17 (6823 views)
Re: 2000 Malibu will not start Sign In

HT is giving you some real good advise so I'll try not to confuse things here and just add a thought or two and then try not to muddy the waters anymore....

You said it runs on starting fluid (I'm assuming sounds good for a second or 2), there are no codes, 52 psi fuel and you have injector pulse..... Ok, a fuel problem.

When you checked for injector pulse, if you had all the injectors disconnected, then hook up 5 injectors and see if you still have a pulse. I had a couple of GMs that had 1 short injector that took out the pulse.

If you do have a pulse with the injectors hooked up, even though I have never heard of it for this exact problem, I would try a relearn. My experience with relearn problems is either it will start for 2 seconds & die or not crank all all, plus the security light will be on. If your scanner is capable of accessing the BCM, do that and see if there is any anti-theft codes there. I see one procedure posted here for relearn which looks similar to the one I use but try this one to see if it makes a difference. It's only gonna take 30 minutes and if it doesn't work you're no worse off.

Hook up a charger so the battery doesn't go low during the procedure. From the off position turn the key directly to the on position (do not try to start it) and leave it sit for at least 10 minutes. After 10 minutes turn directly to the start position and see if the engine will start & run. If it doesn't turn the key all the way off & repeat this procedure. It may take up to 3 attempts for the relearn to work, hence the name, 30 minute relearn.

If the relearn works......please post back because this would be a 1st and I'll have to remember this for down the road.....Honestly I'd be surprised if this works but it won't hurt....


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Dec 17, 2009, 3:42 AM

Post #15 of 17 (6818 views)
Re: 2000 Malibu will not start Sign In

He stated that there was no security light flashing which would be the case if Passlock was activated. It would also start and stall on it's own without starting fluid.

There has to be some flaws in his testing.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



sage
Novice

Dec 18, 2009, 5:19 PM

Post #16 of 17 (6813 views)
Re: 2000 Malibu will not start Sign In

Thank you guys for all your help. I did find the problem. HT, there was no flaw in my testing. All test results were good. Who knows how long the engine was stored on the recycle yard's shelf. I pulled all injectors, all had a varnish smell to them. Swapped out with injectors from old engine and it fired as soon as I turn the key. After buying a fuel pressure guage and a noide test kit the injectors was the only thing I couldn't be sure was getting fuel into the cylinders. Hey I got to learn all about my fuel and ingition sys. on this car. Can the injectors I pulled out be cleaned and bench tested? Good job guys. Thanks again for all your advice.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Dec 18, 2009, 5:35 PM

Post #17 of 17 (6809 views)
Re: 2000 Malibu will not start Sign In

Not something I would have thought of but I should have realized that was a possibility if it sat around a long time.

The cleaning attempt would have to have been dine in the car and if it wouldn't run, that would make it about impossible.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.







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