I have a 98 Sable 3.0 OHV with 140,000 miles that will not start. Car had been running a little rough, losing power intermittenly at speed. Parked it on a Friday got back in Monday and it wouldn't start. Starter turned over but it never caught and fired. Checked plugs and it's getting spark. Plugs smelled like gas after many cranking attempts. Let it sit and then tried again and then tried w/ starting fluid. Still didn't start.


Figured it was the timing chain had slipped a cog. Took have the motor apart to get the front cover off, chain had quite a bit of slack but was still pretty much dead on. Went ahead and replaced chain and put it all back together. Still doing the same thing. What should be my next step?


I have a code checker. However, since I let some time pass before I started working onthe carand the battery was oldthe batterywent completely dead and had to be replaced so I don't have any code history beyond trying to start the car last night.

 

what do you mean when you say the starter turned over but never "caught"?

 

I mean the starter turns over and over but the engine never fires.


Since my first post I discovered that I didn''t have any fuel pressure so I replaced the fuel pump, filter, and relay. Still didn''t start. Same issue of the starter turning over but the engine not firing. I don''t want to put more money into it without knowing what my problem might be. I''m at a dead end. I''m hoping it''s not a fuel injector or computer problem.

 

Do you now have fuel pressure?

 

I have fuel pressure and I''ve pulled every plug and checked to make sure I''m getting spark.

 

One more ?. When you lose power at speed, does it cut out completely?

 

I got so sick of messing with this car I''ve just let it sit for a while. Just started messing with it again. Discovered that I''m not getting much compression. I put some oil in the cylinder and it came up to 60 but it should be much higher so looks like I''m due for an overhaul. Car has 140,000 miles on it but this block only has 70,000 b/c Mercury had to replace it due to a mistake they made when fixing coolant overflow tank which is resulted init cracking. I never really thought about it but I''m sure they just replaced the block and not any of thepistons or accessories besides the head which waswarped. Anyone know the best place to get an overhaul kit forit? I''m thinking JC Whitney

 

I would look at low mileage junkyard engine. Much cheaper.