TT won't turn over! [URGENT] [VIDEO]

[Corvidae]

After over a year of being off the road, I'm almost done with fixing my 93 TT! I have just about everything hooked up, but it's having problems starting. It'll chug a bit and occasionally start for a couple of seconds, then it just dies. Internal lights, etc. all seem fine, as does the battery. When the car does manage to run, it seems to run smoothly. Checked the fuel pump, etc. and that seems fine as well.

There are two issues that are bothering me, and at least one could be related:

Issue #1: There are three connectors in this picture and I have no idea where they go:



From bottom to top:

* 2-pin female connector: There's a hot wire running to the battery. Not sure where the other one goes, but it looks like it's color-coded W/R, which according to the diagram is fuel injector #3. No idea where the male counterpart to this is (I really hope it's not on the transmission somewhere...)

* Smaller ring terminal: This is ground. Not sure where I can connect this (presumably it's close to where the 2-pin connector above goes)

* Larger ring terminal: This line is hot even when the car is off. Seems to connect directly to the battery, and it doesn't look like there's a fuse on it (it's accidentally shorted a couple of times, so it's taped up right now just in case)


Issue #2: it sounds like the teeth on the starter gear are "skipping" off the transmission's flex plate as I release the key from "start", as if the starter motor isn't pulling back quickly enough to disengage. This only lasts for a second, but I don't really like the sound / potential for issues. Is this normal, could it be related to the issues in #1, or is this something different that needs to be investigated?

Thanks in advance.

[Corvidae]

Okay, those lines go to the alternator. Thought that had been reconnected, but apparently not (and getting those ring terminals back on when everything is mounted is Not Fun). :P

She runs considerably better now... I'm actually smelling exhaust, and she'll stay running for ~5 seconds or so. I'm still getting the starter "chatter," though, which isn't really encouraging, and the idle is all over the place. Car is throwing codes 12 and 34, neither of which I'm terribly concerned about at the moment (the intake hoses are disconnected so there's no airflow past the MAF and the knock sensor harness is broken). If I understand it correctly, she should be able to run at this point, just in limp mode until I get the MAF hoses reconnected. Any thoughts as to what the problem could be?

[t.mcginley.jr]

You mean the intake hard plastic pipes? If the MAF is disconnected, it should then try to run off the TPS. Either way it should stay running but might run rough. Since yours seems to keep cutting out it sounds like a fuel issue to me.

[Corvidae]

Yeah... all the hard piping is disconnected at the moment. Running rough / in limp mode would be fine at this point.

Fuel pressure looks good coming out of the filter. I thought that the engine could be flooded from numerous start attempts, but pulling the fuel pump fuse, cranking the engine, and trying to start it again appears to have brought the car back to where we started (cranks, but won't turn over).

[Corvidae]

Okay, this is starting to get incredibly frustrating. Here's what I've done:

* Checked vacuum lines; all look good now (there were a couple issues)
* Reconnected the throttle body hoses to eliminate the MAF code
* Drained 2 batteries trying to start (got about a 3 second run before it stalled and died)
* Checked injector connectors (in perfect shape, plus dielectric grease)

The problem definitely seems to be fuel related. I tried applying vacuum to the fuel damper, which does help... but there's tons of vacuum coming off the "bar" on the rear top of the engine. I haven't tested the injectors / plugs / coils, but those were all working perfectly when the car was taken down due to the turbos seizing (injectors and half the coil packs had about a month of use on them total). Is there a way to test the damper / pressure regulator without having the car running?

Here's a video of a couple of bad starts. Not a lot to see, really (wasn't able to get it to really turn over at all), but this is what I've been dealing with. If anyone has any ideas of where the problem could be, I'd _really_ appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkSddMZQknM[/youtube]

[t.mcginley.jr]

Read this:

http://s95014253.onlinehome.us/63104/13 ... on*id*val*

You could possibly have the same problem. Either way at this point it couldn't hurt to try, its not very hard to do. Others have done this same delete without issues.

[Corvidae]

I have actually done that. Doesn't appear to have helped much, if at all.

[t.mcginley.jr]

Have you verified that you're getting spark? To me it seems like a fuel issue, somewhere after the filter. Sorta sounds like it's starving for fuel since it can't stay running. Have you checked out the fuel dampener and fuel pressure regulator? Sometimes they get clogged or the diaphragm inside gives out.

[Corvidae]

Applying external vacuum to the dampener seems to let the car run better, but I'm not sure how to actually test it to make sure that it's operating properly. If anyone has any info on how to verify that the dampener / FPR are working properly, that would be greatly appreciated.

[t.mcginley.jr]

I think for the FPR you can pull the vacuum line off of it and plug in your pressure tester. When cranking it should hold pressure around 36psi. You could possibly get a cheap used one and see if it changes anything instead of spending like $80 on a new one.

[GerryO]

Tried starting my J30 up after a WP, timing belt, oil seals, etc change with all of the intake ducting and the MAF completely disconnected. It started normally, ran smoothly for a bit, before the engine sputtered and died. Connecting everything made things right and don't ECMs store, loose (when the battery is disconnected) and over time re-learn information that makes the engine run better?

Later learned that the engine would only crank/not start all with the TPS disconnected.

Eventually things ran OK, but not really right, even though I'd swapped the KS connector with one O2 sensor connector and a vacuum hose between the EGR control valve and the EGR valve wasn't connected. Code 34 is the KS, which will make it difficult to correctly set and check engine timing.

Once had trouble starting the car after it had sat overnight and wet in a damp garage. It took an extended cranking session with the gas pedal held to the floor to start the engine and seeming clean things out. Haven't had to do that again.

Just for drill, I'd ohm check all of the fuel injectors and check the condition of the connectors.

[BigTDogg (MA)]

Get it started yet?

[Corvidae]

Not yet... waiting to get a vacuum meter so I can make sure that the vacuum rail is sucking enough. Hoping to have that checked tonight. I'll definitely post back with an update either way.

By the way, thanks to everyone who's posted! So close...

[Corvidae]

Got it!

Reconnected the exhaust, fixed a couple of vacuum leaks, and she fired right up. There are a couple of rattles here and there, but she's running smoothly.

Thanks for your help!

[t.mcginley.jr]

Awesome!