Hi guys. So glad I found this board.

I recently bought a used 2003 S2000 that was running great for all sorts of driving, and now suddenly the engine won't start. It makes a sound like it is almost starting but doesn't. I don't have the owners manual because the seller had lost it and the one I ordered hasn't arrived yet. Before I have my car towed for maintenance, is there anything I can do on my own to get my car started?

 

Make sure you have fuel, and no blown fuses for starters.

 

Bill's on top of it as always. If you discover that the fuses are good and there's fuel in the tank, work backwards from the head to determine where you're missing either spark or fuel.

Check that all 4 plugs are getting spark.
Check the fuel line, check the fuel filter and pump if necessary.

 

Thanks Bill, and thanks Memphis man ;-) [I like cowboys]. I will try to check those things. I know I have fuel, so it's one of the other problems you suggested or something else for my mechanic to find.

 

Nobody mentioned battery yet? The smallish S2K battery is known to have about a 3-year lifespan, depending on conditions. Have you tried jump-starting it?

 

Thanks twohoos. I didn't know that about S2000 batteries. Good to know. Since from inside the car everything electrical seems to work, I am thinking it's not the battery. I'm having trouble checking the spark plugs or fuses. I know where they are but not what to look for. I guess I'll have it towed to the mechanic. Sucky to think of my goregous car being towed. I can let you know what I find out in the end.

 

Cowboys? Bah, I don't own a shotgun, don't hunt, and I don't chew.

I eliminated the battery as an issue since the engine will spin by the starter.


EDIT: It can spin the starter but still not spin it fast enough not to start the car. If you aren't positive the battery is fully charged, mebbe get that checked. You can pull the battery and take it to Autozone for testing/charging.

 

Okay you guys...I earn the dumb blonde award for the day.

The tow truck came for my car; the driver asked for the key; the engine started for him 3 times...I thought "What is different here?"

Then it hit me...Duh, the key I tried last night and this morning was the spare key that I had copied at a shop. The key I handed the tow truck driver is the original. I asked the pro mechanic over the phone if this might be the key to my engine problem (sorry for the bad pun). He said "yes" (meaning 'duh'). The original key has a micro chip in it that communicates with the car's computer. Without the original key, the car won't start. Everything will work but the engine itself.

Thanks for the support here. Next week I'm taking this car to the pro mechanic for inspection.

[Memphis, now that I think about it, I guess cowboy hats and S2000s are from different planets. I can't bring myself to listen to my Tim McGraw CDS in this car.]

 

Good thing you figured out the problem before an unknowing mechanic tore 1/2 the car apart!

 

It's called the Immobilizer System. There's a green pic of a key that flashes on the dash.