2009 Vibe won't start

[FalseAxiom]

New here and new to repairs, so sorry for any odd wording.

My Vibe seems to have died near the beginning of Covid times, probably around June of last year. Being unaware of car maintenance in general, I let it sit for months doing nothing. Prior to that, the only major repair I had done was replace the alternator, which, with help from a retired mechanic, went rather smoothly.

Now after it's rest, it won't start. It cranks, though the crank sounds a little wobbly. It'll sound normal for two turns or so and then the next one will sound weak, and it just keeps that pattern. It doesn't get progressively weaker, just: ONE, TWO, three, ONE, TWO, three.

I've replaced the battery, the spark plugs and added some fresh gas to the nearly empty tank (probably had 1 gallon sitting in it for those months).

I'm not well equipped with tools, or even a garage since I live in an apartment. So fuel system repairs aren't something I'll be able to handle easily. I'm considering towing it to a shop to have em look at it, but if it's going to cost more than ~$3,500, I may as well trade it in.

So any ideas on what the problem could be and worst case scenario estimates?

[Caretaker]

I'm not sure where the sending unit sits in the gas tank, but if it was empty for nearly 10 months and you only added "some gas," I'm wondering if gas is getting to the engine at all. Moreover, the little gas that remained in there that long a time took on moisture which is why Stabil should be added to any mechanical device sitting idle for a long time. There are plenty of videos on youtube.......this guy's video might help but keep in mind that he had the tank filled and Stabil added to the gas.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=ho ... &FORM=VIRE

[jolt]

I agree with Caretaker, never let a tank set that is low on gas. It can cause all kinds of bad things to the fuel and the fuel system. You have probably lost fuel pressure at the fuel rail and the engine is not getting gas. The fuel pump does not turn on until the engine gets over 450 RPM's.

To see if it is a lack of fuel, go to a parts store and buy a spray can of starting fluid. Pull the cover off for the air filter and spray the filter down with the starting fluid. Quickly set the filter cover back on the filter and try to start the Vibe. You have to be quick at this as the starting fluid will evaporate quickly. If the engine now fires with the starting fluid, it is a fuel issue. You can try this a couple of times if the motor does not stay running as it may take a bit for the fuel pump to build pressure and keep the engine running. If you can get your retired mechanic friend to help you, they should know what to do.

You did not list what state you are living in or the mileage on your Vibe. This would help to get an idea of the temperature and humidity that the Vibe has been setting in, and how much wear is on the Vibe. What was the Vibe doing when it "died"? Did it run when you parked it?

[FalseAxiom]

Lesson learned on not letting em sit that long. Had it not been for covid, it wouldn't have happened.

And right, I should've included those details. It's in Arkansas temps went barely subzero this winter and we rarely break 95F on the high end. 100% humidity year round. The vibe has 82k miles and it was fine when I parked it 10 months ago.

The issue started ~6 months ago though, I just hadn't had the time to try to fix it until now. Will the gas go bad in a matter of a handful of months?

[andrewclaus]

That 100% condensing humidity is your concern. Not only in the fuel tank, but in cylinder walls and any other metal parts not soaking in an oil sump. Sorry, no more advice from me--good stuff above. I routinely store an old Subaru for five months a year, garaged with a full tank and battery disconnected, and it starts up every time.

[FalseAxiom]

Welp, just got around to spraying starting fluid on the air filter 3 times with no luck. I had my girlfriend turn the key, so I got a decent look at how the engine was behaving. We tried to start it about 6 times, 2 times per spray, and a couple of those times, the engine shook like it was about to start, but every other time, it stayed mostly stationary. I don't know if that helps with the diagnosis, but I think it's time I take it to the shop and see what a professional has to say about it.

[CraftsmanQuad19]

Compression testers are pretty cheap. When it turns over quickly it sounds like that cylinder isn’t making enough compression, or at least not as much as the others. An engine spinning over with the spark plugs out will turn over quickly since there’s no compression to load the starter. The fact that it’s fast, fast, slow, etc, makes me think compression issue. Maybe try priming the cylinders with a little shot of oil if some of them are low.

Piston rings need oil to seal, and if it sat for a while the oil may have drained off the cylinder walls and thus no compression. I’ve been told the fiat/mopar 4 cylinders are really bad about that (source: classmate works at a dodge dealer).

In short, compression check, shoot a little oil down the cylinders while the spark plugs are out, and see what happens. Might be a good time to change spark plugs too. Factory denso are best

[jolt]

My Vibe seems to have died near the beginning of Covid times, probably around June of last year.

Maybe we need to back up here. What was the Vibe doing or how was the Vibe acting when it "seems to have died" in June? Is your Vibe a 1.8L or a 2.4L? Does it have a automatic or manual transmission? How many miles are on your Vibe?

At the basics, you need three things to make a motor run. That is air, fuel, and a spark. These thing have to occur at the proper time also. You have tried adding the fuel with the starting fluid. Compression is important but having one bad cylinder is not going to keep the others from firing. Also starting fluid can ignite on it's own with as little as 3 to 1 compression ratio so low compression is not going to prevent the starting fluid from firing.

The next thing to check is the spark. You have changed the spark plugs so you have the tools to remove a spark plug. Remove a spark plug from the cylinder head and put the spark plug back into the coil. Lay the spark plug so the metal body of the spark plug is against any metal spot on the valve cover so that the spark plug has a ground. Try to keep the spark plug away from the hole where it was removed from. Now have someone try to start the Vibe as you watch the spark plug to see if there is spark at the end of the spark plug. This is best done in the shade as it is easier to see the blue spark at the gap in the spark plug.

While the spark plug is out, how does it look? Is it wet with fuel? If it is then the engine is flooded and needs to dry out before checking for spark. To dry out a flooded engine, remove all the spark plugs, spray some starting fluid in each cylinder and let the motor sit until the fuel has evaporated from the cylinders.

Here are the steps:
Check for spark

1) Unplug all four fuel injector clips to avoid flooding the cylinders with gas during the procedure.

2) Remove a spark plug from the cylinder head and insert the plug back into the coil

3) While firmly grounding the threads of the spark plug against a clean metallic area of the valve cover, have a someone crank the engine. If you are concerned about getting shocked, you can wear a rubber glove on the hand holding the spark plug, though this is really unnecessary if you take care to keep fingers or other body parts away from the spark plug tip.

4) With the engine cranking, you should see bright white spark (with only a faint bluish tinge) rather than weak orange/yellow spark at the tip of the plug.

5) Repeat procedure above for the remaining three spark plugs.

Note: Do not do this if you have a medical issue that requires you to stay away from high voltage as you may get shocked if not done properly.

If you confirm that you have fuel and spark then the air part is simple. Is air getting the the engine, just to make sure something is not plugged shut in the air hoses and filter box. From that point you may have a timing issue with the timing chain and that would require a service shop to look and verify the issue. Hopefully it is something simple though.