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Will timing being off make motor barely crank

Tiny
SHANNONMEEKER
  • MEMBER
  • 1997 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER
I have a 1997 mercury mountaineer all wheel drive, drove in store the outher night runs fine, real good turned it off when I came out it wouldent even crank barely, put new battery in same jumped it same, bought a new soiloid same took starter out had tested, it was good same, now im wondering if it could be so out of time that it barely turns over
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Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 AT 12:31 AM

29 Replies

Tiny
DRCRANKNWRENCH
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,380 POSTS
When you say it is barely cranking over, do you mean it is turning the engine very slowly?
That is enough to keep the engine from starting if the starter cannot turn it over fast enough.

If it is turning over just as fast as when it was running check the following;

1. Timing Chain
2. Fuel delivery and Injection systems
3. All wiring and vacuum connections and hoses
4. Air cleaners and ducts
5. Cooling Sytem
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Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 AT 1:02 AM
Tiny
SHANNONMEEKER
  • MEMBER
  • 34 POSTS
No it now turns maybe a qaurter of a turn of the fan, I thought timing, maybe a bearing, if you hold the key over to on it will finnaly catch and start, brother inlaw said bottom bearing
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Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 AT 1:38 AM
Tiny
SHANNONMEEKER
  • MEMBER
  • 34 POSTS
I got it to start 2ce but it nocked a littel like low on oil but its full
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Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 AT 1:39 AM
Tiny
SHANNONMEEKER
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  • 34 POSTS
Stumped it was running fine
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Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 AT 1:43 AM
Tiny
SHANNONMEEKER
  • MEMBER
  • 34 POSTS
A friend of mine said his car did that and it was timeing so I dont know
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Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 AT 1:45 AM
Tiny
SHANNONMEEKER
  • MEMBER
  • 34 POSTS
I can donate fri when I get paid
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Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 AT 1:47 AM
Tiny
MHPAUTOS
  • MECHANIC
  • 31,937 POSTS
On cars that you can set the timing by turning the distributor if the timing is advanced to far the engine will fire and try to kick back the engine, if there is a nose like a knock when running you may have a bearing problem, what I would do is pull the plugs and see if the engine will turn smoothly by hand with no tight spots, if you hit a tight spot, you may have a bearing ore a piston problem.
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Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 AT 3:08 AM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,004 POSTS
RE-CHECK EVERY BATTERY CABLE CONNECTION.I MEAN, FROM BEGINNING TO END. POSITIVE, ALL THE WAY TO THE STARTER, AND NEGATIVE UNTIL IT TERMINATES. LOOSEN/ CLEAN/ RE-TIGHTEN THE CONNECTIONS. EVEN THE "SQUEEZERS" (IF YOU HAVE THEM) WHERE THE BATTERY CABLES MEET THE BATTERY CLAMPS. NO CHEATING. NO SAYING, "THAT ONE LOOKS GOOD"----THIS WILL COST YOU NOTHING! (UNLESS YOU FIND A BAD CABLE)

IF IT RAN FINE, THEN "YOU" SHUT IT DOWN (NOT IT SHUT ITSELF DOWN)

PERSONALLY I DON'T THINK SOMETHING "BROKE" OR "MOVED" ON IT'S OWN, IF IT WAS SIMPLY THE STARTER OR BATTERY, AND "MUCH MONKEYING" WITH STUFF OCCURRED, WHILE "GRASPING" FOR A QUICK FIX. MAYBE YOU/ GOOD SAMARITAN HAVE COMPOUNDED THE PROBLEM.

EVEN HAVING SAID ALL THAT, AND NO "MONKEY STUFF" OCCURRED.I 'M SORT GONNA STICK WITH "SUFFICIENT JUICE" NOT MAKING IT TO THE STARTER

ONE LAST NOTE--EVEN "BRAND SPANKING NEW" STUFF, CAN BE DEFECTIVE!

IF IT WILL MAKE IT THERE, YOU MIGHT ALSO HAVE YOUR CHARGING SYSTEM/ STARTER CHECKED AT A POPULAR AUTO PARTS STORE, THIS IS USUALLY FREE TOO!

IT DOES FINALLY "BUST OFF" AND RUN? HOW DOES IT SOUND?

KEEP US POSTED

THE MEDIC
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Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 AT 3:31 AM
Tiny
SHANNONMEEKER
  • MEMBER
  • 34 POSTS
Knocks a littel like low on oil outher wise sounds and runs good, I will go back over the ground and lead, I still think starter eavan though it tested good 122.00$ though, yeah there was no monkey around it just quit but I turned it off, it has to be somthing simple, possibly a relay, brother inlaw just put a belt on not too long ago maybe the timing
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Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 AT 9:49 AM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,004 POSTS
IMMA GUESSING,

THE KNOCK/ RATTLE/ CLATTER YOU DESCRIBE, WAS THERE BEFORE THIS ISSUE?

DON'T KNOW YOUR CAR KNOWLEDGE ON "RACKET"---MIGHT JUST BE VALVE TRAIN "TAP" OR "RATTLE" (ROCKER ARMS OR PUSH-ROD SLACK/ SLOP)----NOT A "KNOCK" USUALLY HEARD LOW IN THE ENGINE MOSTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE CRANK OR RODS

USUALLY "LABORED" TURNING OVER IS POOR CONNECTIONS/ BATTERY/ BAD STARTER. AND YES, COULD BE TIMING RELATED, BUT HOW YOU HAVE DESCRIBED THE SITUATION, TO "ME", IT AIN'T FITTING THAT PROFILE. BUT THERE AGAIN, WITH THIS NEWER STUFF, I'M NOT THE SHARPEST KNIFE IN THE DRAWER!

KEEP US POSTED, USUALLY AS MORE INFO ARRIVES, OTHERS SOMETIMES TEND TO JUMP IN AN SHARE THEIR IDEAS.

THE MEDIC
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Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 AT 1:45 PM
Tiny
SHANNONMEEKER
  • MEMBER
  • 34 POSTS
I got the mountaineer to run it was the timing and sounds even better now than it did no knock at all , like new car but my brother inlaw drove it to the wallmart and it jumped time, is that belt or chain, I found anouther forum auto zone says it is chain but it runs so it isnt brokecan time chain jump or just belt, im gunna try to fix my self where do I start
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Sunday, November 6th, 2011 AT 1:19 AM
Tiny
SHANNONMEEKER
  • MEMBER
  • 34 POSTS
Could it be camshaft syncronizer, making the comp throw time evertime you start it, I can crawl under it and set the time on the crankshaft ant it will start right up no problem sounds good but when you turn it off it wont start again till you set the marks again
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Sunday, November 6th, 2011 AT 5:16 PM
Tiny
SHANNONMEEKER
  • MEMBER
  • 34 POSTS
Could it be camshaft syncronizer throwing the computors time off, its almost winter now here and I need this fixed can someone help, any ideas
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Sunday, November 6th, 2011 AT 5:28 PM
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
  • MECHANIC
  • 20,761 POSTS
No, the ignition timing cannot be changed on that vehicle and the synchronizer has nothing to do with spark.
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Sunday, November 6th, 2011 AT 5:42 PM
Tiny
SHANNONMEEKER
  • MEMBER
  • 34 POSTS
Yes but is the syncronizer is bad its telling it to not start, I looked up the symtoms of a bad camshaft syncronizer, engine light, poor aceleration and no start
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+1
Sunday, November 6th, 2011 AT 6:20 PM
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
  • MECHANIC
  • 20,761 POSTS
And what does any of that have to do with cranking speed?
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-1
Sunday, November 6th, 2011 AT 6:22 PM
Tiny
SHANNONMEEKER
  • MEMBER
  • 34 POSTS
If I line the marks up maualy on the crankshaft it starts imediatly has plenty of crank speed and spark, I dont evan have to turn the key all the way but you drive it a block or 10 miles what ever you want then turn it off its more than a inch outa time again the syncronizer will tell the computor all is right, the comp is setting the final time
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Sunday, November 6th, 2011 AT 6:36 PM
Tiny
SHANNONMEEKER
  • MEMBER
  • 34 POSTS
The camshaft synchronizer, or camshaft position senser the same it is replaceing the distributor therfore if its not working its not keeping time, its not the chain or gears thats all thats left, like I said if I maually put it on its time marks it starts and runs fine like new car till you turn it off
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Sunday, November 6th, 2011 AT 6:45 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,724 POSTS
It could be both issues that are bad. However, they aren't tied together. What you described sounds like the timing belt is really stretched. Have you replaced it yet? I looked over the posts and as mentioned, if the timing is out, it will cause a cylinder to kick back stopping or slowing the starter. So it does sound like you nailed it. Let me know about the timing chain.
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Monday, November 7th, 2011 AT 4:49 AM
Tiny
SHANNONMEEKER
  • MEMBER
  • 34 POSTS
Everything I looked into so far site wise and auto stores says it is chain inside not belt is there a way to tell without taking it apart, it looks like I have alot of things to take off to get inside the timing cover. And if it is a time chain inside then there is no tensioner inside so crankshaft and cam shaft will stay in time then when I put on marks. #1 is tdc, leaving it to senser or syncronizer by same I meant 1 just clips on top of the outher it is cheaper for me to buy the 3 together than sepaerate synchronizer, senser, and tool, thank you
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Monday, November 7th, 2011 AT 11:37 PM

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