2003 Sedona wont start

I hope I'm wrong, and you won't like me at all if I'm right.

It sounds like the timing belt to me. If it is, you had better plan on getting a different vehicle, because a broken timing belt has surely messed up that engine big time.

Only way to know is to have it towed somewhere and have them look at it. It won't take long for them to find out and let you know.

That is the bane of having vehicles with timing belts. The newer Sedona and similar Hyundai Entourage (2006 and newer) have a timing chain.

Actually my husband removed the engine cover & checked the timing belt and it is still intact. That was our first concern as I know it can damage the valves. So that beibg said do yout think it could be the alternator and what would be the best way to check?

Thanks for the update. If the alternator were to be the problem, it wouldn't affect starting once you get the battery re-charged. So even if that is A problem I don't believe it is THE problem.

My next two thoughts (I'm genuinely grateful it isn't that blasted timing belt - and they have not had a reputation of breaking even at 83,000 miles

This post would take way too long to give you some tips on how to check those two items. I will just say that fuel pumps are always an unknown, but the Sedona doesn't have a long history of them going bad. It DOES have a long history of electrical gremlins that like to hide from being detected. So I'm betting spark box.

Again, any mechanic can check these out for you, and in fairly short order. If it is one of these two, the repair won't be cheap (though it will be far, far less than an engine repair following a broken timing belt). In fact, it will be difficult to find parts outside of the Kia dealer.

Hope you find the problem soon.

A car will start without an alternator and if the battery is good , it will run until the battery discharges . Stick in a fresh battery it will run till the fresh one is discharged . The alternator only comes into play when the engine is running then it charges the battery and supplies the juice for the radio , lights etc.

"PhilO" wrote in message news:f6p2lb$2t9$ snipped-for-privacy@news.utelfla.com...

There is an old method for eliminating a fuel problem but it is very dangerous ! I know of two cases personally of guys with permanent scars from the procedure , the most recent one was last year and he is still receiving skin grafts on his neck . The air filter is removed and a SMALL amount of gas is poured down the air intake . Make sure the engine is cold and you are nowhere near the engine when it is turned over . If you have a lot of insurance on your husband do the opposite of everything I said ! Just thought of a safer procedure after reading this over , a can of the stuff they use up North in the winter , can't think of any brand names but it's basically ether in an aerosol can sprayed into the intake .

That would be ether. However, I would recommend against it as it is so easy to damage today's "delicate" fuel intake systems. If there is a pre-warmer, the ether will make quite a loud bang just before everything totally melts.

One could disconnect the fuel line at the intake, turn on the ignition and see if any fuel flows. If so, the pump is working. If not, pump is inop, there is an obstruction, or it could also be a bad computer module that is telling the fuel pump not to produce.

Unless the OP is handy, it may be less expensive in the long run to have a shop properly diagnose. The days of a shade tree mechanic are long gone.

Rich (2002 Optima) ex-Shade Tree mechanic

I agree . The stories I told about the severe burns were not made up . Thinking back to the original post and the questions that were asked involving alternators etc. They don't need to be doing shade tree things .

Thank you all for your help. However PHILO I dont think we want any third degree burns or skin graphs. Does anyone know if you can get a dignostic code when the vehicle isnt running? My thought is to have the battery tested first and then get a dignostic code reader to see if it is throwing any codes. We have an online shop manual to see what the codes mean so that may tell us our problem. By the way we are not total idiots that have never done work on cras and are trying to fix this alone. My dad has quite a bit of experience including rebuilding an engine. It is just we have no experience w/ a Kia and no there is no Haynes manual for this vehiccle. So getting input from others who have experience w/ this vehicle is very helpful. Plus my dad is busy and wants us to figure out what the problem is then he will come help fix/install any parts. All input is appreciate! Thanks!

I guess my point is that this is a Kia. While I would hope this reality would change, and soon, at least at this time, few if anybody outside a Kia dealer would have the proper diagnostics.

If you know how to test for a fuel pump (there is a relatively easy [and safe] pressure test you can run), that you can check. Like it or not, most of the rest of the Sedona is not designed to be fixed by anyone but a trained Kia dealer.

Regarding my other symptom, the "spark box," there must be a way you would diagnose any other brand if the spark box went out. I still believe it is either spark box or fuel pump. Hope you can find a way.

Well the Sedona is running now, we figured it out. Found my owners manual so we were able to see which fuses were for the fual and starting system and it happened to have a blown Fuse for the fual injection system. Thank goodness that was a cheap fix! Thanks again all for your input w/o it we would not have narrowed it down to most likely being a fual problem.

I'm glad it was such a simple fix !