no fuel pump and no spark- what am I looking for?

[kegrov]

Recently purchased a 1998 Sunfire. The previous owner had recently replaced the coils, the plugs, wires, air filter and crank sensor- these parts are aftermarket and he did have receipts for them. The car ran fine for a few days, and then the other day when I drove it a friends house, it would not start when I got ready to leave. I towed it to my house and am now trying to figure out what is going on with it. I am not a certified mechanic, however I have been under the hood a time or two. The engine does turn over, but it will not fire. The battery is fully charged and all gauges seem to work. The theft light does come on, but it does not flash. Here is what I have tried so far:
Code scan- pulled codes 0452 and 0453.
Tried to hear if the fuel pump was coming on and can not hear it (I do not see a port to do a fuel pressure test on it, but I know that I should hear the pump come on when I turn the switch on).
I checked for spark at the plugs and wires- the car is not getting any spark either.

What could cause the car to lose spark and fuel pressure?

I was told that either the computer had gone out or the ignition switch may be bad. Does the fact that it read the codes mean that the computer is not bad and it is the ignition, or is there something else I need to know about this car? Is there a way to test any of these components or other possible causes before I spend money replacing this part or that part and end up sinking a lot more money into than I need to. I do not mind fixing what needs fixing, but I want to solve the root of the problem, not the symptoms. Thanks for any info.

 

[kegrov]

As a side note- my niece has a 99 Chevy Cavalier that she blew the head on by overheating. The head has hole on cylinders 2 and 3. I have her car here as she has opted not to repair it (one of the reasons I bought the sunfire is I was told many of the parts are interchangeable). Is it possible to use the computer and/ or ignition out of the cavalier in the sunfire?

 

[melsg5]

The first code is for the fuel tank pressure sensor, that shouldnt prevent starting, is the gas cap fully tightened?
http://engine-codes.com/p0452_pontiac.html
Same for the second code
http://www.obd-codes.com/p0453

Have you checked all the fuses, under the hood and passenger compartment?
Locate the fuel pump relay, probably under the hood box, and switch it with another relay in box if the other relay is identical. I would not start switching parts with the other car until you have a better idea of the cause.

 

[kegrov]

Update

I started checking all electronics for the ignition system and found the ignition switch to be bad. I pulled the electronic part of the switch and changed it with the one from the 98 cavalier I have sitting here. As soon as I turned the switch on, The fuel pump came on, however due to a weak battery, I can not get enough power to the coils (I think). I am charging the battery now. New question.....since I changed the switch, do I need to change the computer as well? If so, the cavalier is a 2.2 automatic and is a 99 model. Again, the sunfire is a 98, 5 speed. Will the computer be the same?

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[melsg5]

Are you using the original cylinder and key even though you replaced the switch? If so you dont have to change computers.

 

[kegrov]

update

Yes, original cylinder and key. I am getting power to the Ignition control module, however I am not getting any spark from the coils themselves. Replaced the ICM with the one off of the Cavalier as it is the same part number. I also checked fuses and changed relays with the ones from the donor car as well.

 

[melsg5]

If you put the key to the ON position, does the theft light come on and then go out? If it does not go out you have an issue with the PassLock system. Here is a video on bypassing it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9QQrrRxrxI

 

[kegrov]

Update

I decided not to rely solely on the OBD scan to determine if any sensors were bad. Since many of the ignition components were replaced, I decided to exchange the cam position sensor from the donor car and to the Sunfire. It then started right up with no hesitation, and then shut back off. The theft light, which has remained steady to this point, flashed a few times, then has gone back to steady. Will watch video on Theft bypass and update you. Thank you for your help thus far.

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[kegrov]

Another update

OK, Battery fully charged and it will start, but it shuts right back off. The theft light will flash 4 or 5 times, then goes steady on. Tried starting it then leaving it on the on position for 15 minutes and still no change. Didn't watch the video yet, however, I am sitting down to watch it now.

 

[kegrov]

Update

OK, I watched the video and went to bypass the anti-theft system. Upon getting the cover off of the steering column to access the wiring for the passlock, I discovered that someone apparently tried to do this already, or they were simply testing the system. The yellow wire was cut and spliced together- not properly. I fixed the wire and the theft light immediately started flashing. I did the relearn procedure and the car started right up. I drove the car for three days and yesterday pulled it into the garage to change the oil. When I started to pull it up on my ramps, the car died and now the theft light is solid again. I cannot get it to flash. I checked the wire and it was still together. I decided to follow the instructions in the video to bypass, and when I went to check the ohms on the yellow wire, I am getting 1780 ohms on the key side and am not getting a reading at all on the car side of the wire?????? I am stumped at this point. Turn the switch and it spins over, but will not start. The theft light is steady on- it will not flash. Could this be a wiring harness issue or is it possibly a bad ground? I disconnected the ground at the battery tray as there was some rust there and used my dremel to clean the rust and get to bare metal, so I know that ground is ok. I also checked the grounds at the bellhousing bolts and they seem ok. NOt sure if there are any more grounds or where. Any suggestions at this point?