Ca18DET Won't start

[campground man]

Bone stock Ca18det, with factory maf. I've got a Pulsar ECU that's had all the fuel maps etc set to factory ca18det specs.

I'm getting gas and I'm getting spark. I did a self-diagnosis on the ECU and I'm getting 55 code, however since it doesn't start I can't properly warm the car up before doing the self-diagnosis...

What should the timing be set at?

[anumeric]

Timing should be at 15'degrees btdc iirc.

[ca18detgabby]

what does it do when it "doesnt start"

spudder, clicking, nothing?

[anumeric]

This may be a dumb question but since you have spark and fuel I'm assuming that you have checked for compression as well? Hence those are the big 3 for getting any motor to crank over. After that I would check timing, sensors etc. I read your other post as well and have you already tuned your ecu for the correct maf?

Wei

[campground man]

It just cranks as if I'd you'd removed the coils. Not hitting, no spuddering, just cranks...

Not tested the compression yet, having a buddy drop by with a compression tester so we can check that out. I'm really hoping it's not some deal with the nistune not working correctly, but on the flip side I'd hate to tear the block down for anything.

[campground man]

Okay I tested the compression and ended up 112, 112, 107, and 150 psi. Also, I noticed that with the sparkplugs removed that only a mist of gas came out of cylinder number one. Cylinders 2-4 seemed bone dry after cranking the engine several times and looking in with a flashlight...

Tomorrow I'll get a fuel gauge and see if I can get the psi on what the Walbro is putting out...

[biosehnsucht]

if you're getting fuel to cyl 1 and not the others, I doubt it's the fuel pump, but the injectors or the connections to them.

that compression seems mighty low for 3 of the 4, also. probably a rebuild in your future.. but then you might also get a weak reading if you're having trouble getting enough juice to crank the starter hard enough.

a good motor should be 171psi standard at 350rpm, 142 psi is considered minimum at 350, and the differential limit between cylinders min/max is 14.

having said that, even with bad compression it should limp at idle at least, just be totally undriveable. I'd suspect your main problem is no fuel in 2-4 and possibly no spark. have you tested that you are getting spark ?

[campground man]

I put a spark plug in the coil on cylinder 1 and was getting spark, i didn't test each one though. It was a good solid spark too.

[biosehnsucht]

check them all, cause any one coilpack or the wiring to/from being bad could cause problems. Also you can pull the coilpacks and test them per the FSM (in the EF&EC section someplace, it's a resistance test across two of the three terminals).

[campground man]

Little update...

Checked the Fuel Pressure...Good....

Checked the injectors....Good...

Checked the power 12v to the injectors...Good...

Checked the pins for grounds and power on the ecu for the injectors...good...

Now here is my problem, I jumpered power and ground to the injectors and they squirt gas, but they are not squirting gas when hooked up.

In other words I have fuel pressure, but the injectors are not firing. I hooked a meter up to the plug that goes onto an injector and it's not grounding out while cranking the motor. Isn't it the ECU that switches one of the wires from power to ground to fire the injectors?

Any clues?

[campground man]

Also, power to dropping resister input and output is good.

And the engine is etremely well grounded...

UPDATE:

Seems the power to the dropping resister had a short and was only showing voltage SOME of the time. It started, albeit it ran like crap. Hopefully this evening I can find the problem with the input 12v wire and get that permanently fixed.

Then I'll make sure in Nistune I have the stock ca18det fuel map etc and see if I can get it running really nicely.
Modified by campground man at 12:19 PM 2/19/2008

[campground man]

Such crap, apparently the fusible link didn't save the ECU. I think the wire got nicked when I put the harness in this car...

Kind of curious, the dropping resister requires voltage with key on and start. If I run a wire from the fuse box that meets these voltage requirements will it give me any problems? I mean it would be bypassing the E.F.I. relay.

[campground man]

Ah hah! I figured out the short... It seems someone had bent the metal casing on the dropping resister and it was grounding to the wires tabs under it. Too bad I found this out after it fried the ECU...

[IggyEGuana]

Interesting. Simultneous problems with both fuel and spark? Weird problems too.

[campground man]

A wire grounded, or a lack of a ground can cause all kinds of weird stuff to happen...