On my 2000 TL, I finally got a chance to install a new timing belt, water pump, tensioner, pulleys, and accessory belts (sitting at 170k, all the original parts looked to be in great shape). Everything went in fine, and we made a point not to allow the crank or cam gears to move during the install. Upon completion, when I went to crank the car, it would not start. It turned over perfectly and sounded normal (no knocks or other odd noises) but simply would not catch. We went through the usual checklist, we had fuel, spark, and battery power. All fuses were intact. We went as far as pulling the timing covers back off, and could not find and connections that were left unplugged.

The only theories we have are maybe we managed to get the cam timing messed up, which confuses me since it sounded fine when it was trying to crank. Does anyone have any theories, or even better a definitive way to ensure the crank and cam gears are in the right position? We used the techniques laid out in a chilton manual and threads on here, but we (my father and I) are still unsure.

Thanks for any help! This community has been a great resource for a great car!

Rob

 

Rob,

Double check your electrical connections. When you checked for spark and fuel, did you verify at all 6 cylinders? I have seen where the cam timing is off a tooth or 2 and the engine starts and runs, so unless you totally fouled up the timing, it should run.

Does it sound as if some of the cylinders are firing or sputtering? Or just cranking without any signs of firing? There are timing marks you could verify alignment, always good if you're having trouble. But it sounds like something is not connected.

Miner