# My car died and now it won't start **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [September 13, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-died-and-now-it-wont-start/87141 "2014-09-13T17:01:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wayne\_delisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Wayne\_delisle](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Wayne_delisle)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-died-and-now-it-wont-start/87141/1 "2014-09-13T17:01:40Z")
I have a 98 pontiac sunfire with 130 k it died out last week while I was driving got a p0342 code I replaced the camshaft sensor still nothing I’m getting spark and I can hear the fuel pump click on can anyone help ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 5:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-died-and-now-it-wont-start/87141/2 "2014-09-13T17:50:11Z")
New cam sensor says timing is off? Broke or loose chain/belt? Or tensioner. ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 5:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-died-and-now-it-wont-start/87141/3 "2014-09-13T17:59:45Z")
It’s time to visit a good independent mechanic and get your problem straightened out. If you don’t…the expense may get out of hand. That can tend to happen when you get in over your head with a frustrating mechanical problem. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 6:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-died-and-now-it-wont-start/87141/4 "2014-09-13T18:03:14Z")
If the engine in your car has a timing belt, it may have broken…If it’s a chain, it may have jumped time…Does it sound normal when you crank it or does it have a different, free-wheeling kind of sound? ---
**Author:** ![MY\_2\_CENTS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@MY\_2\_CENTS](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MY_2_CENTS)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2014, 7:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-died-and-now-it-wont-start/87141/5 "2014-09-13T19:18:59Z")
This car has a timing chain whether it’s a 2.2 or a 2.4. ---
**Author:** ![Wayne\_delisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Wayne\_delisle](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Wayne_delisle)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 4:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-died-and-now-it-wont-start/87141/6 "2014-09-14T04:40:04Z")
It sounds normal it just cranks like if it was out of gas ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 4:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-died-and-now-it-wont-start/87141/7 "2014-09-14T04:53:07Z")
Cam sensors are pretty cheap and should be easy to install so that would be worth a shot in my book. If that doesn’t do it, it would be a trip to the shop. ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 5:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-died-and-now-it-wont-start/87141/8 "2014-09-14T05:19:11Z")
Have you tried spraying starting fluid into the intake while cranking to confirm spark? ---
**Author:** ![Wayne\_delisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Wayne\_delisle](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Wayne_delisle)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 6:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-died-and-now-it-wont-start/87141/9 "2014-09-14T18:51:42Z")
Will it make a diffrence if I replaced the sensor but didn’t erase the code ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-died-and-now-it-wont-start/87141/10 "2014-09-14T21:22:32Z")
No, the code should have no direct effect on the operation of the sensor.