CA18det Problems. Please Help!

[AustinHarbour601]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsxMptgf ... e=youtu.be

SORRY FOR s*** VIDEO! IPHONE APPRENTLY SUCKS!

1991 240sx hatchback CA18det
Having problems and just can not figure out what it is.

TRIED: MAF, Coilpacks, Sparkplugs, checked grounds,checked vacuum lines, checked boost leaks, checked timing, codes on ECU (55=no problem)

Me and a friend just swapped this CA18det 5 speed. Wiring specialties harness, new coilpacks, FMIC, turbo intake replacement. But we can not figure ou why this engine is doing this. It also will not cold start, we have to use ether (starter fluid) to get it started. Help please?

[float_6969]

Sounds like fail safe. have you pulled the codes?

[AustinHarbour601]

Tried. It was 55 (no problems)

[cbh148]

Maybe a fueling issue? Assuming you've squared away spark if you've changed out coilpacks and/or ignitor as well as properly gapped your plugs (how do your plugs look btw?).

Do you have an aftermarket fuel pump? Fuel pressure regulator? Any idea if your fuel pressure is as it should be (~36 psi before cranking)? Are you sure your fuel send/return lines aren't mixed up on the fuel rail or the gas tank?

Do you have another cam angle sensor or MAF you can try out?

[float_6969]

All of this ^. Mainly the plugs. I'd like to see pics of all 4

[AustinHarbour601]

Well when the car first cranked I bought new ngk coppers for the car and gapped them according to stock requirements. Ill pull the out today and get pics. I have a walbro 255 fuel pump and a stock FPR. I'm pretty sure the lines are correct, wouldn't I have just getting fuel problems if they were mixed? Tried another ca18 MAF it made no difference. I'm just wondering if it could be the cam positioning sensor.

[beans33]

That stock fpr isn't liking that walbro 255. It may not be the source of your problem now but soon it will be.

[AustinHarbour601]

Replacing FPR with aftermarket, new pentile caps and rings on injectors, and a new ecu coolant temp sensor. When I final ill see how it's running, and cleaned injectors and idle control.

[AustinHarbour601]

Well I put in a aftermarket FPR, and a new coolant temp sensor and yes it does idle better, but im still having the same problem.

http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a60 ... 7beb58.jpg

here are the spark plugs. piston 1 is the top one and it goes down in order.

[Liquid_Neon]

I dont quite understand whats going on in the video? is it missing around 3k so u shift or back off? OR... is it jsut stoping around 3k revs and breaking up to the point where it wont rev higher?
Also, did i read that u are using coppers... didnt it get discussed under most normal situations CA's like plats?

Just my 2 cents

[AustinHarbour601]

It's sputtering at 3k, and/or when building boost. Are you suggesting new plugs? And to what gap. Part number please

[float_6969]

Those plugs are fouled out due to being too rich. If those are new plugs, you've got an overfueling problem. Is this a stock ECU? Stock injectors?

[AustinHarbour601]

Stock ecu from what I know. And yes stock 370cc top feeds. I can tell too much fuel is the problem. I just don't know how to correct it.

[cbh148]

You sure you set the base fuel pressure correctly? And the fuel lines are all confirmed connected where they should be (under the hood and at the tank)?

Still no word on swapping out the CAS with a spare one (if you have one)?

And this may sound dumb, but you've got your injectors plugged up in the correct order right?

And when checking for vacuum/boost leaks, did you use an actual boost leak tester to pump the charge piping and intake manifold with air (with soapy water to track down the bubble leaks)?

[float_6969]

All of these thing ^

[Liquid_Neon]

Well if u decide to swap plugs, just tell the parts guy its for an 88 pulsar nx se with the 1.8 unless anyone says otherwise, I have found that under stockish conditions platniums work the best. Irids run to cold for me, although Ihavent had copper in my det Ionce tossed a set of cheapy coppers in my totally stock ca18de and it missed a lot.
That's my additional 2 cents and experiance

This most more then likely won't solve the whole issue but I'm a fan of plats.

[AustinHarbour601]

Well replaced spark plugs and adjusted the FPR, checked for boost leaks. I might have some vacuum lines messed up but idk. Now did figure this out. Unplug the TPS nothing happens, unplug O2 sensor nothing happens. Could these be the problem?

[Cams]

Hi, I'd check timing is correct and if Water Temperature sensor isn't faulty. If I remember correctly there are 2 Temp sensors, one for the temp needle, one that feeds the ECU. The ECU one might be incorrectly saying the engine is too cold, therefore causing the overfueling.

[Cams]

Also, reading another thread remembered that a bad Dropping Resistor would cause injectors to get stuck open. Sucks that so much stuff can mess up spark/fueling.

[AustinHarbour601]

Could be the resistor considering I did have to make one from a Altima

[Cams]

Don't really know about Altima DR, others might comment on that. I'm using a RX7 one with my CA18 and I know the DSM one also works.

[AustinHarbour601]

Well swapped dropping resistors that's not the problem. My last resort is either stuck open injectors or messed up ecu. Swapped CA18det MAF to the KA24e MAF still same problem. And swapped a few vaccumm lines arounds. I'm so confused on this because my friends nor I have worked on a CA18 before, just SR20 cars.

[AustinHarbour601]

Also ecu temp sensor was replaced with a oem pulsar one brand new, so I don't think that's it.

[float_6969]

The more I listen to this, the more it sounds like an ignition issue, like weak spark. Even before it totally breaks up, it's not running smoothly, and the CA is a pretty smooth motor. And after watching it again, this isn't a fail-safe cut. Fail safe is brutal, and it's RIGHT AT 3K. BUT, it runs fine up to 3K. This isn't doing that.

You're not getting codes, which eliminates most of the major sensors that would cause this EXCEPT for the CAS. The ECU will log a code for the CAS, but it has to have completely failed. They often fail in such a way that they send faulty info to the ECU, making the car run like azz.

For example, we had an older Altima in my father in law's shop. It had been in a zillion times because it would randomly die and run poorly. They looked for days trying to figure it out. I came over, they told me what they had tried and I told them to swap the distributor out for another Altima just like it they had done a repair on. Car instantly ran fine, and the other car ran poorly. Still no codes.

Another potential issue that won't throw codes is the Ignition Amplifier (ignitor). Same deal, car will run like crap, but it won't throw codes.

To me it doesn't SOUND like a fueling issue, but the video could be changing the sound of it. Both the CAS and Ignition Amplifier could both cause the plug fouling your seeing as well.

The CAS will have to come from another CA16/CA18DE(T). The Ignition Amplifier can come from multiple cars, but most of them you have to re-wire to make it work. The only one that's PnP is from the the COP pulsar's and the older Q45 if you're looking for used parts. If you're going to put new on there, then the 89' Pulsar is the same thing.

[AustinHarbour601]

I tried the igniter off another CA car and same problem. CAS could be the problem mmm.

[AustinHarbour601]

Is there a way to test a CAS?

[float_6969]

Not with out a really expensive multimeter, or an oscilloscope.

[AustinHarbour601]

Fluke multimeter expensive enough?

[float_6969]

I should have been more specific. You need a multimeter with logging capabilities that can record and display square wave signals.
Such as this; http://www.fluke.com/fluke/usen/digital ... ?PID=56058

[AustinHarbour601]

Well that sucks. Mmm ways to clean? I might as well just order a functioning used one. New ones are pricey.