Visitors just bought this two weeks ago, 32k miles. Vortex 4200.

If you let it sit longer than 3 hours or so it doesn't want to start. Only way to get it going is crank for a few seconds, wait, crank, wait on and on for 5 to 10 minutes then it will finally start and run great.

Any ideas? They have to return to the Twin Cities tomorrow and this stuff always seems to happen on weekends.


Thanks

Baldwin

 

Have them try turning key to run, (dash lights up etc) not start & listen for faint hum from rear of vehicle. Do it 5-6 times, off-run-off-run-off, then see if it will start. If you heard hum first few times (fuel pump priming) and then not, try starting it then. If cycling key such as I described, allows it to start, I would lean towards plugged fuel filter, or fuel pump on its way out, but filter would be the place to start. Any prior symptoms, like hesitation, stalling, stumble? Chance of bad tank of fuel, add some conditioner/cleaner to tank, just to see if it helps? I'd do the easy, cheap tests first. Keep us posted.

 

Thanks for the suggestions Mike. Unfortunately, things have gone from ugly to really ugly. After trying everything the damn thing won't start at all now.

The first couple times he cranks it you can smell gas outside the vehicle, then nothing. I crawled under and can't find any leaks. And you can hear the fuel pump whine for a couple seconds when he turns the key.

What gets me is when it did start it would run like a top....very odd to me. Now, if it was like the '51 Chevy torpedo back I used to own, I could fix it. These new vehicles are way over my head.

They'll be back in the morning and see if it will start. If not a 250 mile ride on a flatbed ($$$$) will be in order and the dog and I will be making a road trip.

Any suggestions welcomed!


Thanks

Baldwin

 

Now does it crank for a while and just refuse to turn over or is this a case of turning the key and nothing whatsoever happens?

If it runs perfectly after being started I have my doubts about the fuel delivery system being the culprit. I believe that your problem is in the computer controlled electrical system. Most likely there is an ignition system sensor somewhere that is failing. Since it has a computer you can take it to an autozone or similar parts store and have them run a computer diagnostic on it, it will spit out a code that the shop can run through a computer and tell you exactly what is wrong.

If it is just a sensor it won't be terribly expensive to fix.

 

It cranks fine, I'm surprised the battery has lasted this long. What I meant is you can smell gas when he first trys starting it, then the odor goes away.

I'm in a small town in northern Minnesota, no place to bring it espically on Sunday.

Is it possible the thing is flooding? It has run fine the two weeks they've had it.....until yesterday morning.


Thanks

Baldwin

 

Like other post, I'm now leaning toward a sensor gone bad, which one will be the hard part, unless you can get it fired and scanned. Flooding is a possibility, and believe it or not, holding it to the floor while cranking to start, same as old carburetors, may get it to fire if that's the case. One thing that you may want to try just for the sake of trying it, is to disconnect the battery for a minute or so, then reconnect it, & try it. I got lucky once with that. Not 100% sure on that vehicle, but on my Chryslers, it erases trouble codes and starts all over again. Whatever was causing my no start, must have re-set itself & it fired right up. Another time it was because the car just came back from Florida to cold & snow, and It threw some sensors off, and after disconnect of battery, it fired right up & was good from then on. One thing to remember is that if it has been dumping a lot of fuel into the engine (flooding) it may be possible that some of it has reached the oil pan, and thinned out the oil. Pull dipstick and smell for any hint of gas in it, just in case, and make sure you change it if necessary. Also, if it sounds like battery is getting weak, give it a boost,just in case low voltage is causing sensors etc to malfunction. Just a couple of ideas that don't cost anything to try.

 

Here's a new one for me. The dealer came up ~250 miles with a car for them to drive back and he would tow the Blazer home.

Tried a couple times, won't start. So he calls his mechanic, he said "hit the gas tank a couple times with a rubber mallet."

VROOOM.....started right up. I don't know what that did but it worked.

This is my kind of dealer. He just laughed and said, "I'd rather do this than be on the phone and tell someone to hit their tank with a hammer."

Thanks guys,

Baldwin

 

Good old Chevy fuel pump fix.....can't believe I didn't say that after reading it on here so many times.

 

Care to explain a bit? I'm curious just what that did.

Baldwin

 

Hmmm well, don't remember details.

Basically the fuel pump is in the tank. It probably was sticking or clogged somehow. Whacking it with the mallet jars things enuf so that it works (at least for a while).

Most of the posts I've read hear say you can get away with it for a while, but its indicative of a bad pump. I know, hard to believe on a 2006. Maybe there was some sort of contamination in a load of gas somewhere?

Maybe one of the Pro's will comment. Got a couple of longtime mechanics that check in.

 

Okay, thanks. He said it will be going in for a new pump when they get home.

Learn something every day.

Baldwin

 

the jaring gets it past a bad spot in the pump motor, or helps with a bad ground. those are the two most common problems with gm pumps.

life begins when the kids leave home and the dog dies

 

The confusion continues.....at least for me.

They made it home but it wouldn't start after getting there. Dealer picked it up and it turns out to be a bad ignition switch.

Darned if I know. They say banging on the tank was just a fluke.


Baldwin

 

My 06 trailblazer is in the shop doing the same thing. When it is cold in the morning it cranks over but will not start. No mechanic seems to be able to figure it out being there are no codes shooting up. Did the new ignition switch fix the troubles. I dont even know what to tell them. Thank you. I am dieing to figure out what the trouble is.

 

I can't reach my daughter right now to confirm but that is what she told me earlier, bad ignition switch.


Baldwin

 

She just wrote back, it was the fuel pump.


Baldwin

 

Were the symptoms not being able to start when cold would crank over but would not start? It always cranks over. It does not stall. It has 48,000 miles on it. When its warm out it starts fine.

 

Nope, it was warm out when they were up.

Tell them to give the gas tank a whack with a rubber mallet.