URGENT help PLEASE?? 560 SEL

[McLaren]

We have had rain, rain and rain the last three days.

I took my car out during lunch and when I was leaving to come home .... it would not start!

It cranks and sounds normal - but the engine just wont catch.

I thought I may have low fuel, no luck, I put in 2 gallons and no luck.

I pulled the OVP out and cranked it - no luck.

I checked all the fuses in the fuse box as well as the 2 on the OVP - all is good - but the car just refuses to start.

I have never had a problem with the car not starting ..... dunno what happened.

I cannot get a spark from the plugs as the metal part is too deep inside the plug .....

Someone PLEASE help me?

[engatwork]

as the metal part is too deep inside the plug

Say what? Does it have a distributor? Have you inspected it?

[dtkw]

The distributor is the big black housing in front of the engine. If it cracked, water could get in and short everything.

[McLaren]

I did check the distributor - seemed tight and intact

[dtkw]

How about inside? Does it look like things needed to be replaced soon? rust on the metal contacts? or no gas to the engine, fuel pump....etc.

[d2bernhard]

Given the information, I am voting for fuel pump relay. You can pull the relay and jump the pump to run all the time. I do not know the jump points on your model.

Can you hear the fuel pump start when you turn the key to position 2?

[yeldogt]

I do not know what you are speaking of when you talk of a metal part and the plug.

But it sounds like the coil has failed -- Have you ever replaced it -- they tend to just go like this.

If you are not getting ANY spark on ANY plug and all else fails to show up -- thats what I would think.

normally you would still get something with a crack in the cap - they are quite robust in that motor. I can not remember what the cap and rotor cost for the 560 - but I remember them being pricey for what they are. The wires tend to go but not all 8 at once

I do not remember what the coil cost is but they are very simple and are not usually that $$.

before I spent a lot tto tow the car and then pay to scope it I would look to the coil.

You should more than likely smell gas as all is actually working except for the creation of the spark - this would rule out a fuel problem -- also do you hear the pump cycle.