Fuel and Ignition Problem

[KASilvia90]

I copied it from another site I posted it on. I started a new thread since I know the exact problems now and need to know how to fix them.

Okay,I had a long talk with my car and mystery car problem is slowly revealing itself.

The ECU finally decided to give me the code I was looking for, 21: No ignition reference pulse.

If I understand the way an ignition controls unit works correctly, the voltage passes "through" the coil (positive to negative terminals). Then when it is its time to fire, that circuit is broken and it fires to the distributor... But where is the signal cut? Is it cut on the negative or positive side and what component actually does this? I was looking on the wiring diagrams and both + and - wires go straight to the Power Transistor unit. Could that unit have gone bad? I have continuity through basically everything so whatever actually breaks the circuit to cause spark has to be what is wrong, it just has to.

Another noted issue which makes no f'ing sense to me, I pulled the distributor out to check for spark/fuel timing relationship by unhooking all injector harnesses except one and spinning rotor and noting when it clicks in comparison to the rotors location. Well Cylinders #3 and #4 spray on the intake stroke but cylinder #1 sprays on on the exhaust stroke and cylinder #2 sprays on the power stroke. My car at idle always had a very calm hesitant miss but nothing problematic, I assume that issue would cause drastic idling problems... Basically getting signals #1/#2 are backwards would always have been, the harness isnt crossed.

Anyone have some help they could offer, I'd really like to leave the house sometime this year to go see my girlfriend.

[float_6969]

That code description sounds more like a signal problem from the distributor. Do you have the ability to get a hold of a good, known distributor and swap it in to see if it elleviates the problem? It sounds to me like the circutry inside the distributor is fubared and the ecu isn't getting the sync pulse from the optical plate that it's looking for. This could also expain the strange firing pattern you are seeing from the injectors. With out the sync signal the ECU doesn't know if the cylnder is at TDC on it's compression stroke or it's exhuast stroke.

I'm at work and don't have a FSM available for me to search the code's meaning in further detail.

[KASilvia90]

Well heres a little update. My ignition system problem was due to a bad Power Transistor Unit and replacing it (cross-referenced the same part number to the KA equipped hardbodies, picked one up at a junkyard) cleared the code 21 and gave me spark.

Here is the new problem. She still isnt starting and I think I am losing hair. I was getting very light pops, I pulled the holding bolts on the dist out and it was catching pretty strong but not starting right where I couldnt rotate the dist anymore. I retimed it and it was off, I believe it simply moved a little when I reinstalled it. Now when the dist is dead center in its "adjustment zone" it catches twice and misses twice. Kind of a POW POW chugachuga POW POW chugachuga. If I adjust it at all it goes to almost inaudible pops and basically nothingness.

So I retested my fuel injector timing. Correct me if I am wrong but the injector should be spraying during the intake stroke.. Well Cylinder 1 and 2 are squirting properly and Cylinder 3 is squirting during the compression stroke and cylinder 4 is spraying during the exhaust stroke...Which means 3/4 are crossed now instead of 1/2 (But i have not altered ANYTHING with the injector wiring).

It makes no sense to me why it is doing that or if that is the main problem. I dont know if that is a distributor/CAS related problem or a ECU problem, I have neither spare right now. Also if I rotate the rotor very very slowly the injectors kinda fire on random cylinders?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am going to go test the ignition and see when it is firing in relation to the fuel in a few minutes, I have to recharge my battery first because I kind of ran it down with all the cranking/testing.

[KASilvia90]

Well I solved the problem on accident and for anyone having trouble like this, its a good thing to check.

When I was installing my + on my MSD blaster 2 coil, I dropped the little brass bolt. Couldnt find it and gave up, problem fell into the frame or something. Soldered it down and viola now it runs. Apparantly it just wasnt a good enough of connection even though it was bolted/washered down. Wiring is picky I guess.

A big thank you to everyones efforts in helping me with this, I hope to return the favor as well. happy motoring