Q: I own a 1994 Mercury Cougar that's in very good condition. Recently, though, I'm having trouble starting the engine. I tried jump-starting it and the motor turns over real good. It just won't fire up. I can't do too much myself because I'm 66 years old but I don't want to put much money into it because I plan on selling it this spring. I'm wondering if you have any tips that could help me get the car started. -- D.H., Oak Forest

A: D.H., your Mercury suffers from either a lack of spark or a lack of fuel. Try shooting a small amount of starting fluid into the air intake by the air cleaner. Then attempt to start the engine. If the engine seems like it wants to start with the starting fluid, you've confirmed that your Cougar suffers from a lack of fuel. A lack of fuel could be something simple like a blown fuse or tripped inertia switch, or more expensive like a faulty integrated relay control module, or bad electric in-tank fuel pump.

Your Cougar's inertia switch could have gotten tripped by bumping into your car. It's located in the trunk on the driver's side. At the top of the inertia switch is a button that can be reset by simply pushing it down. If it's already down, it was not tripped. If, however, your Cougar doesn't seem like it wants to start with the starting fluid, it's likely not getting any spark to the spark plugs. A lack of spark could be due to a faulty ignition module or ignition triggering device.

If you're unable to get to the source of your Cougar's woes, have it towed to a shop that employs ASE certified technicians.

Q: In February, S.M. from Elmhurst mentioned that his 1995 Pontiac Formula had a problem where the engine would die out while driving. I had the same thing happen to my 1990 Chevrolet Beretta. It took about one year to find the problem, but it ended up being faulty fuel injectors. When the injectors warmed up, they would short out. It takes one on each bank to stop the engine. You can test the resistance of the injectors to see if they're bad. The service manual lists the amount of ohms they should have and if they're low, they are bad and need to be replaced. -- W.B., email

A: W.B., thank you for responding. Yes, faulty fuel injectors can cause an engine to stall. However, I don't believe faulty fuel injectors are the source of S.M.'s problem. S.M. of Elmhurst mentioned that he couldn't hear the electric fuel pump running when he attempted to restart his engine, but he could get the pump to run if he played with the ignition key. It's more likely he has a poor electrical connection or faulty ignition switch.

Q: I own a 2000 Cadillac Eldorado. A friend was telling me that the starter motor for my Caddy is under the intake manifold. Do you know if that's true? If the starter goes bad, will it take all day to change it? -- J.P., Chicago

A: J.P., yes, it's true. But it's not as bad as it sounds. The intake manifold in your Caddy comes off fairly easily. The labor time listed to replace the starter motor is 2.1 hours.

Questions for Ira Siegel? Call the Auto Adviser Hotline at 708/633-6839 or e-mail Autoadvisr@aol.comAutoAdviser: Ira Siegel is an Automotive Instructor and ASE Certified Master Auto Technician