Engine will crank but not start

KERI GREEN

MEMBER
2009 SATURN AURA
2WD
AUTOMATIC
250,000 MILES

A person in front of me hit a deer, it was flopping in median and I hit the hind legs with only my front drivers tire. It was like hitting a pothole. It jarred my car then my engine cut off. Lights everything was still on. I coasted into driveway and put car in park then tried cranking. It wouldn't start. Then my alarm went off when I opened my door. Didn't think about that until later though. Can hear the fuel pump buzzing when turning key to start. Sprayed ether in air filter comp. First and nothing. I was gonna unhook battery to reset and I noticed that there were some wires exposed to left of battery and if you look down its like the protector broke off and wire is sitting on a small metal bar. All of the plastic around wires are just cracking and breaking off. I'm a 48 year old lady. I don't know much about cars. Could someone tell me if that could be my problem at the moment?

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1 Reply

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,885 POSTS

Hi,

I'll try my best to help. First, I am unable to open the first pic. I'm not sure why. The second pic is of a harness with wire loom around it, but I see a group of wires under the harness against what appears to be the steel high-pressure steering pump hose. Are the exposed wires those?

First, you need to first cover any exposed wire. If the insulation came off, the wire is likely to short. For now, use electrical tape to protect the wire.

Next, great idea to try starting fluid. Since it didn't start with that, you likely lost spark to the plugs. I need you to confirm that for me.

Here is a link that shows how to check:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-test-an-ignition-system

If you find there is no spark, I want you to check the crankshaft position sensor to see if somehow the wiring to it was hit and damaged. I attached a pic of its location below.

If by any chance you can get your hands on a scan tool, that would be very helpful. It will identify diagnostic trouble codes which should point us in the right direction. Otherwise, we will need to check one component at a time. If you can, here is a quick video showing how to use one. Also, if you have a tachometer in the vehicle, see if it moves a little when cranking, and let me know if it does.

https://youtu.be/InIlnsjOVFA

Let me know what you find or if you have other questions.

Take care,

Joe

See pics below.

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