HELP!!! CAR DIED AND WON'T START AGAIN!

[zx3_adamania]

The title says it all. I was driving down a hill by my house tonight when my dash lights dimmed, then the engine died. I rolled to the side of the road and waited a few seconds before trying to start it. I turn the key and it sounds as if it will turn over, except it doesn't. There seems to be enough power to start the car, but it simply won't turn over.

No, I am not out of gas..

Anyways, I have no idea what's going on. It's freezing outside and now I am carless (again). Any ideas on what this could be?

Battery cables are on tight.. all my power options work, radio included. It's too cold to check alternator now, but either way I'm carless!

[mars]

sounds like the alternator, but i'm not sure.......

[Pitch Black]

what does the trip and odometer say. it sounds like the same thing that my car did. but when i turned the car on the power to the lights, system, windows worked but the trip said -----

[Steve@Tasca]

So the engine turns over but it won't start correct? When you turn the key you can hear the engine cranking?

I would first pull a spark plug and see if it's wet with fuel, If it's dry the next step would be to have someone turn it over while you look at the plug to see if it sparks.

DO NOT hold on to the plug or wire while you do this unless you enjoy getting massive electric shocks, The plug will need to be grounded so find somewhere to let it rest so you can see it while the engine is cranked.

If the plug sparks then it has to be fuel, How much gas is in the car? You could have a frozen fuel line.

[zx3_adamania]

Well the odometer is fine. Everything is in working order, well, except the car doesn't start. SVTparts, I will have a buddy come over later and check out the spark plugs with me (as I am retarded with cars). I am going to get a bottle of HEET shortly and see if that could be the case. But I will also check the sparks. What if they are wet? And what if they AREN'T after I used the heet, then what else do I look for?

[Louis Zerr]

Since it looks like you are in Duluth did you hit any of those big potholes before hand, within say a mile or so? Check the fuel cut off switch. it is in a little access panel on the passenger side just in front of the door near the bottom. You have to take the little access panel off then you press the button, if it was tripped when you press on it it will go down, if not then it wasn't tripped.

[zx3_adamania]

Ha, nope no potholes. Surprise surprise. I'll check it anyways. I'm waiting on a buddy to come over and look with me.

[Erik]

Are you saying it's turning over or not turning over when you try to start it?

[zx3_adamania]

Sorry, it DOES turn over, just won't fire.

[Steve@Tasca]

Well the odometer is fine. Everything is in working order, well, except the car doesn't start. SVTparts, I will have a buddy come over later and check out the spark plugs with me (as I am retarded with cars). I am going to get a bottle of HEET shortly and see if that could be the case. But I will also check the sparks. What if they are wet? And what if they AREN'T after I used the heet, then what else do I look for?

The Heet won't do much once it's already frozen, you'll have to get it indoors and let it thaw or go to town with a hair dryer.

If the plugs are wet it's for one of a couple reasons, if it's not firing it can still dump fuel into the cylinders which would leave wet plugs.

The other reason would be something seriusly wrong with the fuel system causing it to dump massive amounts of fuel in and flooding the engine causing it to lose spark.

I'm betting it's spark.

[zx3_adamania]

We're going to check that tomorrow.. Didn't get a chance today. My buddy has an ohm meter so we can look at it in completeness tomorrow. Sigh... I hope it's nothing big. I can't afford it..