SHO Back in VA

[VA-MTX]

Getting ready to drive my newly acquired '95 SHO MTX from Philly to VA and I have the dreaded no start condition. Ran great for ten minutes until I shut it off, although low battery voltage light was lit. Car would not start when I returned a few minutes later. Tach bounces to about 400 rpm when cranking. Fuel pump runs and there is pressure at the rail. No spark. I checked connectors, fuses, easy stuff. Battery reads 12.5 Volts and I verified terminal tightness.

I have to be in Richmond on Saturday to see my son graduate from college and I am going out on a ship for a one day sea trial tomorrow. Really down to the wire. Just a few hand tools with me and parked with temp tags in a shipyard parking lot. If I were near home (VA Beach), not a problem. This sucks. Camshaft sensor? Crank sensor (doesn't tach signal rule that out?).

Can anyone recommend a SHO mechanic in Philly or a shipping service to VA?

 

[rubydist]

crank sensor is most likely culprit from your symptoms, but pull the codes so we know what the pcm thinks.

 

[VA-MTX]

crank sensor is most likely culprit from your symptoms, but pull the codes so we know what the pcm thinks.

I'll get that later. Hopefully a sea trial today for this ship. Might have to rent uhaul truck and trailer to get this car out of here.

 

[Jon Klein]

Try cranking 3 times in a row. If it starts it's a cam sensor

 

[Jon Klein]

The cam sensor only has 3 vanes. So the computer has a 1 out of 3 chance of guesssing which cylinder it's starting on. Crank sensor will cause a no start also. Usually cam sensor kills the tach too.

 

[VA-MTX]

Running around at work today trying to get ship out of dry dock, so no real time to pull codes. BUT the car fired right up on four separate tries throughout the morning. No battery voltage light either, as showing last night during run. Will keep starting as schedule permits.
Dumb question-
I fat fingered the door access code a few times last night prior to my troubles. Will that set a no-start condition?

 

[luigisho]

Failing sensors can cause a constant no start. A failing crank position sensor can shut the car down while you are driving, with little to no warning. and can restart intermittently or no start for a long while or forever. so keep that in mind if you want to try and drive it back. You want to have a back up plan just in case you get stranded

 

[rubydist]

the door code will have nothing to do with whether the car starts or not, so that's not it.

the fact that it would not restart while warm, but starts when cold reinforces the crank sensor guess - as luigisho says above, a failing crank sensor will work fine at cold start and then randomly shut off the car after its warm. then, after 30 min to 4 hours, it will allow it to start again. I've had ones like that, and its very stressful to drive while always having to be in a position where you can pull over to the shoulder at an instant's notice!

 

[luigisho]

... its very stressful to drive while always having to be in a position where you can pull over to the shoulder at an instant's notice!

This is very true. Especially driving in heavy fast moving traffic and the thing shuts down. Sucks

 

[VA-MTX]

Booked a car carrier to deliver my car to VA next week.
Car started up successfully all day yesterday, then died last night after running for 20 mins. Looks like the crank position sensor. Not worth the risk of driving. I'll put her up on jack stands in the garage and start going through everything, starting with the 60k tune up items and moving on to upgrades. I've got a daily driver (with a warranty) so I can take the long view with Project SHO. Really had my heart set on a cruise down Route 13.
Thanks for the good advice, everybody.

 

[luigisho]

sometimes the sensor fails due to the waterpump leaking on it. If it's not a daily driver I would open it up and consider changing the pump, timing belt and crank sensor

 

[VA-MTX]

SHO is safely in the garage now after being trucked to VA Beach from Philly. Money well spent. I drove a rental car overnight through solid rain last Friday night to see my son graduate from VCU. The ship we repaired sailed at 1900 and I was driving at 0100. It was a tough enough ride with no sleep without rolling the dice on the newly acquired SHO. Monster coffee, old Art Bell radio shows and a bag of pistachios got me through the night.
Funny, the delivery truck driver was surprised to learn that my car started and ran for loading and unloading. But as soon as he pulled away the car died in the street. Ended up pushing the old gal into the garage. Time to start ordering parts.
Wife now even more dumbfounded as to why I bought a Taurus...

 

[luigisho]

Pull the cam sensor and look for oil leaks. Pull the spark plug wires and look for oil leaks. If there is a good amount leaking I would consider a top 60k and well as the bottom 6ok service while the weather is trending warm. I have to putz around with my sho this month too. brakes, plugs and wires, fix moon roof button etc..

 

[rubydist]

Wife now even more dumbfounded as to why I bought a Taurus...

LOL Keep her guessing!

 

[VA-MTX]

Finally got all my parts for 60k front end job. Going through my tools I found the OBD scanner from my old Bronco.

Key on engine off: Code 111 (0k) and Code 219 (spout conn disconnected- ok)
Key on engine running: Code 213 (spout conn disconnected-ok) Code 225 (knock sensor not detected)

Car has run for two hours without a hitch over the last couple of days. Not seeing a smoking gun, and will dive into the 60k tomorrow, since it needs it anyway.