engine just randomly died. now wont start and no cranking over. help!

[xcsp800]

Hey guys, was just driving down the rd right down the street from my house. Not beating on it or anything and the car just died. Still have juice in the battery and everything but the engine wont turn over at all and it won't popstart either. Right before it died it kind of sounded like maybe a hose popped off? But nothing that I can see. And there isn't any oil laying around on the ground or anything so I don't think I threw a whole in the block. Any ideas?!

[rtl5009]

Hey guys, was just driving down the rd right down the street from my house. Not beating on it or anything and the car just died. Still have juice in the battery and everything but the engine wont turn over at all and it won't popstart either. Right before it died it kind of sounded like maybe a hose popped off? But nothing that I can see. And there isn't any oil laying around on the ground or anything so I don't think I threw a whole in the block. Any ideas?!

The popping noise was probably a fuse blowing. Check all your fuses and go from there.

[EuroxS4]

try jump starting it??does it crank?? but no start??could be a faulty alternator not charging,could of popped the timing belt,could of fried the ecu,or a fuel pump could bethe culprit.

[Julietkiloalpha]

Mine did that today on I-75/85 in the middle of downtown Atlanta rush hour traffic....had it towed home. Ruined my day lol

[xcsp800]

Jump start dosnt do anything. No matter what I do I can't get the engine to crank over. Think it could be a tbelt?

[dubzackvr6]

The only thing that comes to mind is something Electrical. If it was something like a humongous boost leak, or even an un-timed engine (such as a TB issue) the car would still turn over. Unless the engine seized, which I haven't heard that happen very often. Have you been inside the ECM box recently? I'd check your fuses as well, I believe there are 3 for the ECM in the left dash panel.

[AudiNFS]

So your car just died? Did electrical things start to turn off one by one? If that's the case, then you have an alternator issue. When my friend's alternator went in his 2.8 though he was able to wait over night and got the car to turn over and drive again, but only for about 5 miles before it died again.

[xcsp800]

No nothing really that I noticed being wierd electrical except when I got to lock car now, the horn won't beep. And also the interior lights are wierd ocasionally when I open door or stuff like that. But nothing crazy wierd?

[dubzackvr6]

No nothing really that I noticed being wierd electrical except when I got to lock car now, the horn won't beep. And also the interior lights are wierd ocasionally when I open door or stuff like that. But nothing crazy wierd?

You say your battery is "fine". Did you check the ground and power cables physically? Trace the ground and make sure it's tight.

[xcsp800]

Yep, everything is good there. And also when I tried to pop start it, it wouldnt work either. So frustrating. Could this be a tbelt issue? Would this cause engine to not crank over? I have a few people saying it would make it not turn over and some say it still would

[xcsp800]

Bump

[Turbo Nerd]

Vid of trying to start it please.

[s4rich]

Head gasket-Hydro locked ,Take out all of the spark plugs and turn it over,look for water.

[xcsp800]

S4rich you really think thats what it is

[RolledMySTi]

Check fuses and grounds first. Could be engine speed sensor. If the car won't crank that shouldn't have anything to do with the timing belt.

[s4rich]

When my head gasket went three years ago; Yes it sounds about the same! (look for water out of the plug holes when cranking it over)

[nthusiastt]

If you're literally not able to crank the motor over it could be a t-belt. I doubt it's something electrical, pull the plugs and take a peak inside. A head gasket would throw some white smoke before hydrolocking... That sound pretty extreme, I've never heard of that until now.. A t-belt issue may cause the engine to not turn over depending on if there is some internal damage as a result of it breaking... If it were something electrical it would have to be pretty major (interfere with starter motor as well as ignition some how) You're ems would have to have fried up or something... If you're getting a clicking noise and the lights flicker it is electrical though. If it's not clicking it's got to be something physically preventing the motor from turning. Best of luck, I know it'd be heart-wrenching for me...

[xcsp800]

It makes one click and dims the lights and all of that but just dosnt turn the motor over.

[xcsp800]

Just took a quick car in the day light, looks like a may be leaking hydrolic fluid? But would that cause me to not be ablr to crank car over. And its not a crazy fast leak or anything. But Idk where it is from. Drivers side of engine is all I know hah

[Monty23]

What color is the fluid... and have you checked your starter/fuse? If the fuse is good try juicing 12V right to the starter contact... maybe your starter crapped out...

[xcsp800]

It's hydrolic fluid. And where is the starter fuse?

[MCsquared]

Check the amperage going to the starter, if it's really high then you have mechanical resistance ie something messed up internally

Make sure the starter actually gets power first of all, but if you can't even pop start it then you have a bigger issue. Scan for faults and pull the plugs to see what's in the cyls

[Timtheguru]

Is it a 6speed? Maybe your clutch slave broke and you can't press the clutch in to start the car?

[Monty23]

Is it a 6speed? Maybe your clutch slave broke and you can't press the clutch in to start the car?

The car would lurch forward if it was in 1st gear with no clutch. When my clutch fork broke on my 3000gt I started it in first gear in order to drive the last 5 miles home. Clutchless shifting FTW!

[Timtheguru]

The car would lurch forward if it was in 1st gear with no clutch. When my clutch fork broke on my 3000gt I started it in first gear in order to drive the last 5 miles home. Clutchless shifting FTW!

He doesn't necessarily have the car in gear when trying to start it, I keep it in neutral when starting my car.

[martin0079]

It makes one click and dims the lights and all of that but just dosnt turn the motor over.

This says battery or alternator the fact that it wont pop start leans it more towards being the alternator. The lights dimming is because you do not have enough power try to jump it. If it starts and then you take the jumpers off and it dies it is the alternator.

[Monty23]

^good point, if you were trying to jump the car with small gauge wires and a completely dead battery due to a bad alternator... it probably wouldn't crank over... get a multimeter and start checking stuff instead of guessing.

[xcsp800]

So get this. I just go back out to the car look around, pull a couple plugs to check stuff and it looks fine. Go to start car and now it clicks over like it wants to start. Just makes the clicking noise. Hmm wierd

[Hyphy]

alternator/battery.

Obviously change the battery first.

[JDM EJ1 95]

sounds like timing belt snapped and locked up the motor.

[car]

Did the engine turn over when you tried to bump start it? Or did the tires lock up and skid to a stop?

[spearson]

I imagine you have a CEL, pull and provide the codes.

[xcsp800]

No cel. Still just my misfire code at idle. That's it. And no tires didn't lock up or anything like that.

[car]

Then the engine turned over when trying to bump start it. So the engine is not seized or locked up. Not ruling out a broken timing belt. Just trying to help collect info.

[martin0079]

Is your serpentine belt still there or did it shread? This may be the sound you heard and you just need to put a new one on.

[xcsp800]

Serp belt is fine

[Jsmooth65]

Can you put socket on crank bolt and turn?

[EuroxS4]

Sounds like a battery to me as well as a alternator.Especially if it dimms the lights.The battery can have 12v and have 2 amps and it will be a shot battery.Amps crank over the engine and the battery has to have 12v.But just because theres 12v at the battery doesnt mean it has the amps to turn over the starter.Our batteries typically have 380A IIRC.check your battery or try charging it.Then report.Or as mentioned the starter crapped out.but seeing as your were driving the car when it died id assume, the alternator went and the battery was drained because it wasnt being charged.

[xcsp800]

Okay but it also won't pop start or jump start so I don't think its bat related

[JDM EJ1 95]

Sounds like a battery to me as well as a alternator.Especially if it dimms the lights.The battery can have 12v and have 2 amps and it will be a shot battery.Amps crank over the engine and the battery has to have 12v.But just because theres 12v at the battery doesnt mean it has the amps to turn over the starter.Our batteries typically have 380A IIRC.check your battery or try charging it.Then report.Or as mentioned the starter crapped out.but seeing as your were driving the car when it died id assume, the alternator went and the battery was drained because it wasnt being charged.

he wouldve noticed the battery light being on if he had half a brain.

lights would dim if the motor was locked the starters drawing way more power than it should it would definitely dim the lights.