2001 Cavalier 2.2 Won't Start

cruel but timely advice

Well if you're going to own a Cavalier you'll need a full set of diagnostic tools....so what codes are you getting? I would check fuel filter and replace first.....then check timing chain and replace.....you said ignition, but didn't specify what part of the ignition...what ever part you replaced replace the others....get a shop manual...

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1371260,parttype,10335

"I replaced the pump and I turned the key on to the on position the pump came on one time and the car did not start now the pump is not coming back on..."

Sounds like the fuel pressure sensor is working correctly. The fuel pump doesn't run all of the time... especially not when the engine isn't consuming any fuel.

As stated, an investment in a Chilton (or similar) manual will be money well spent if you want to keep this vehicle on the road.

"I had the ignition put in about 3 months ago and it shut off on me before but I got it to start up after that"

There are about 3,654 different things that can fail on a Chevy Cavalier.

It holds the Guinness Book of World Records distinction for being the most: towed, worked on without success, leaving owners stranded/frustrated/pissed off and broke, hated by car owners, lucrative car for auto repair shops to work on, smashed/run off a cliff/burned/abandoned in a fit of uncontrollable rage and being second only to Barack Obama as the biggest hoax ever perpetrated on the American public.

Seriously, try some Cavalier forums. They are plentiful and always looking for new fodder for their group.

Good luck!

Yes but, there can only be one first, first. So ranking each one is in order.

Out of the group you mention, Dick (shooter) Cheney is the biggest dick of all.

There are literally hundreds of reasons but the Cavalier's I have helped with that would not start all had a ECU fail. May have been coincidence but that was what was found on 6-7 cars over 7 years. Maybe you can borrow an ECU that is compatible and give it a shot.

I am not familiar with the Cavalier, however many fuel injected cars have two fuel pumps. A low pressure high volume lift pump in the tank and a high pressure low volume pump in line. Then at the engine there is a pressure regulator with atmospheric pressure compensation on the distribution manifold feeding the injectors, and a return line from the pressure regulator to the tank. There is also a tachometric relay feeding power to the pumps. this is intended to cut off power to the pumps if the engine stops, as in an accident. Therefore a bad electrical connection to or from this relay or a variety of mechanical issues are possible.

On some Fords in Europe, the relay needs to be manually reset (after being found!), but in this case, I think the problem is not that....

The OP has not stated categorically as to whether the engine is even turning over when trying to start!!!.....that might be nice to know!!!

Or has he even tested for a spark?

Has he tried the spare ignition key as the key could be electronically defective....turns the engine over, but nothing more!!!

There are SO many possibilities with the little info supplied!

I had a Leganza (Daewoo) back then. I learned the hard way that it had an inertia switch (it was located under the front passenger seat) that would disconnect the electric supply to the electric fuel pump.

It was a safety feature. I learned about it by crossing some railway tracks a little too fast. The bump shut the fuel pump off.

Daewoos had a lot of GM in them. Maybe they copied this from the Cavalier?

agreed!

Recheck for power to the fuel pump if you have power check for a good ground.

The pump will not come on if sufficient pressure remains in the fuel rail after the initial charge from the pump's run when the ignition was first turned on. Bleed some of the fuel from the rail via the Schrader [test port] valve, then see if the pump runs again when the ignition switch is first turned to "ON". If it does, you don't have any problems with the pump wiring, fuse, or relay. If it doesn't, you do.

You also didn't mention if the engine is cranking or not; I'm assuming (Yeah, I know...) that it is. If the engine is cranking and the fuel pressure is remaining high in the fuel rail with no pump operation, that means that the injectors are not firing; this could be caused by anything from a failed crankshaft position sensor (ECU doesn't "know" that the engine is turning, hence, will not fire injectors) to a failed ECU to no power to the "hot" sides of the injectors to a poor ground somewhere.

Good luck.

I only offer that I once owned a '91 2.0i....which exhibited a similar problem after I sold it to a friend.

Before our friendship was permanently destroyed, I realised the only thing not touched was the switchover from leaded to unleaded gas.(twin spade connector to be pulled and reversed).

Can you give us more details as asked for by myself and several others here?

For instance:-

1) Have you tried a different key (this sounds crazy but its not!!)?

2) Does the engine turn over while trying to start at a normal speed? If not, is the battery charged? If it turns over, which key were you using?

3) Have you checked for a spark at the plugs?

Other questions will surface once you have answered these simple questions, or does it now run and you have lost complete interest in looking further????? or answering our questions?????

Even the people that build these cars hate them...

Use a fuel pressure guage at the Shrader valve to check that proper pressure is at the injectors. Pull a spark plug and crank the engine to see if there is spark. Spray a little starting ether in the intake and see if it is a fuel problem.

Remove the radiator cap and drive a different car up under the cap and fix the entire problem.

LOL!!

That vehicle did not come from the factory with an inertia switch, so that is out.

That vehicle also would supply power to the fuel pump through the oil pressure switch. From a parked car the sequence goes like this: when the key is first turned to the run position, the fuel pump would run for about one second. Then when the key is turned to the start position, there would be power sent to the fuel pump as long as the key is in the start position. Finally, as the oil pump built pressure above 5 PSI, it would send power to the fuel pump.

Now, as a test, there should be a wire under the hood for testing the in tank pump. It should be a single wire with the only red connector used on the car. It was originally taped to the harness either above the front driver's side wheel well, or at the firewall near the master cylinder. Good luck. BTW, the color of the wire you are looking for should be tan.