Car won't start - No spark

[RMiller]

I tried starting my CA for the first time yesterday. It would just crank and crank. I know I am not getting any spark, I took out a spark plug, put it in its coil and set it on the valve cover, then put a wire from the thread on the plug to the intake manifold to ground it, and there is no spark.

So, I have began checking common things that I thinkcould be at fault:

1) Ignitor, I think this may be the problem. Heres what I did: I had the key on the "ON" position and checked voltage on the 4 prong connector on the wiring harness to the ignitor, each thing had current. Then I plugged that one in and took off the connector on the other side, the 5 prong one and checked the voltage on the ignitor's prongs: none. Here's a pic of what I'm talking about. Also, this happens whether I am cranking the engine or not.

2) Crank angle sensor, this is a possiblility. I checked that there was current to it and there is. Although, with the key in the "ON" position, I took out the sensor and spun it, but I didn't hear any injector clicking.

3) ECU, I have the kick panel off right now and after cranking the car for probably a couple minutes total, the ECU was really hot, like hot enough to burn you if you touch it for too long. Is this normal? Did it only happen because I was cranking the car for a long time? Is it burning up inside? I looked inside and it looked fine.

[pulsar gtr]

If your ecu if get hot, it shouldn't, your ecu is fried and definitely have a short inside and thats why it is getting hot, and since your ecu is fried, you won't get a spark, and on your ignitor, you shouldn't get 12v, you should get 5 volts digital pulse on the input not 12v, which indicates that your ecu is fried.

Get another ecu and before you plug it in, make sure your plug on the ecu got 12vs on the right wires, and you didn't reverse the polarity on the battery by accident.

PULSAR GTR

[RMiller]

Well, I have some good news: I actually installed my tuned EPROM chip thing backwards, and I reinstalled it.the right way. The ecu no longer gets hot. I tried my ECU and ignitor on cuzan0's car and they both worked, but with a different EPROM because I think I fried mine by putting it on backwards. I hope this is the problem and I am going to try and start the car tomorrow after I fix a big coolant leak.

[float_6969]

Woot! Keep us updated.

[RMiller]

IT"S ALIVE!!!! Started in about a half a second with a different chip installed. It sounds really deep, but I've got a little grinding coming from somewhere, but it'll get worked out. I'm so stoked! And that's just with an arbitrary ROM tune. I don't even know what it's for, but it's definitely not for my z32 maf and 450's, I think it's for stock maf and 550's or z32 and 550's. What irritates me is it would have started up first try if I didn't reverse the chip in the first place. Oh well. I'll drive it slowly tomorrow and let you all know how it drives.

[kim]

Hey RMiller, any chance you might be able to help me with my CA? ( I want to test my ecu on your car if possible) I was going to go to Cuzan0 to check my ecu too but had somethings come up and I think you are a little bit closer. Let me know [email protected] or I will probably try to go to Cuzan0 on Friday.

[RMiller]

Oops. Mechanical fan just flew off. Uh...oh well I have an extra electric fan from an a/c condenser. Actually the whole water pump pulley and the thing with 4 bolts came off of the water pump. It looks like it just slides on and fits really snug so I'll just stick it back on. Oh, the grinding is gone, it was from the power steering pump which was running on empty. Unfortunately I have some white smoke and a little water condensing on the exhaust tip. Probably turbo seals. Anyway I'll keep y'all updated and I'm going to host a video once I start it again. Oh, and the coolant leak (at least the external one) is fixed, I just needed to retorque my intake manifold (cheap torque wrenches are shady sometimes).

[biosehnsucht]

HOW!? how did the pully come off ?!?! were there no nuts ?!

[RMiller]

The pully never disconnected from the square thingy with the studs. the square thingy disconnected from the water pump. This was a brand new OEM '88 pulsar nx se pump that comes with a new square plate attached.

[biosehnsucht]

That defines a whole new level of FWD pump failure with mechanical fans.

Thats beyond vibration induced failure, there must have been something wrong with the pump?!

[RMiller]

I was inspecting the engine while running to check for leaks, etc. and I notice that the water pump pulley seemed out of balance. It was wobbling a bit more than I thought it should. It fell (or broke, we'll see) off while I was revving to about, I'd say, 5000-6000rpm(don't know for sure because I still have a KA-E tach). I'm at that point where we all are or have been when I'm like, "I really don't want to drain all that fluid just to do this, maybe I can do without." I'm going to put it back together and just watch my water temps (I have aftermarket sensor in thermostat). I would highly recommend not getting this water pump.

It looks like the piece that fell off just slides into place. I don't think anything actually broke, but I also don't know if it will ever fit again the way it should.

[RMiller]

By the way props to darrell (cuzan0) for setting aside a couple hours on a Sunday night and giving me 3 ROM tuned chips. He's the man who helped me get this car running. He also sells clutches for higher output ca18det applications and I'll test out mine very soon.

Also, JC Performance where I got my chip is very helpful. I explained the chip got fried and they sent me another one the next day, no questions asked. They also gave me some advice while troubleshooting. I got their Stage 3 chip for a z32 maf and 440cc's (although I have 450's, I might run a tad richer) and as soon as I don't break it I'll try it and get some air/fuel figures with my brother's LM-1.

[slw240sx]

did you put the chip in backwards? i know someone who did that with one of our chips

By the way props to darrell (cuzan0) for setting aside a couple hours on a Sunday night and giving me 3 ROM tuned chips. He's the man who helped me get this car running. He also sells clutches for higher output ca18det applications and I'll test out mine very soon.

Also, JC Performance where I got my chip is very helpful. I explained the chip got fried and they sent me another one the next day, no questions asked. They also gave me some advice while troubleshooting. I got their Stage 3 chip for a z32 maf and 440cc's (although I have 450's, I might run a tad richer) and as soon as I don't break it I'll try it and get some air/fuel figures with my brother's LM-1.

??

[RMiller]

did you put the chip in backwards? i know someone who did that with one of our chips

??

yes

[RMiller]

FWD water pump is toast. The square plate that attaches to the pulley can't go back on once it "breaks" off the rest of the pump.

When water pumps go out, what usually happens. I'm not talking about what my new pump did, I'm talking about wear and tear. Basically, why do we replace them? The reason I ask is that I scraped off all the crap and rust that was on the turbine of my old water pump, and it's in good shape. There aren't any noises when I spin it by hand and it spins well.

[RMiller]

Yeah, found the problem. I don't think it was the FWD water pump at all. The water pump pulley is warped pretty bad. I think it was warped before it flew off, I don't know, but I ordered a new one and I'll finally be driving around by Thursday.

[biosehnsucht]

thats an expensive suck but at least you figured it out before you trashed another one!

[RMiller]

It was $27 with tax. And check it out: For some freaking reason I got a fwd pulley to go with my old (but it good shape) original water pump. They don't fit properly when mixed. I don't know if anyone mentioned this before, but the shaft on the two water pumps is different. The fwd shaft is like 1 cm and the rwd shaft is like 2 cm. So here's what happened: the original pulley has a hole that is ~2 cm and I put a fwd water pump on with a 1cm shaft. So it didn't fit snug but I didn't think anything of it. The purpose of the shaft fitting snugly is that there is some play around the 4 studs and the shaft keeps the holes centered aound each stud. When I put the pump on, gravity brought the pulley off-center, and when I revved to about 5k, the pump couldn't take the stress of being an automotive spirograph. Then I got the fwd pulley, which I had to bore out to the right size to make work, and it's about .5 cm smaller in diameter than the rwd pulley. Pain in the butt. Oh well, it runs and drives awesome now. Video soon to come.