Ignition Coil Relay

[Zushi]

Hey, I'm swapping a CA18det into an American model 240sx with a KA24. I've got the engine in, but now I'm stuck on the battery area wiring. Do I have to add an ignition coil relay? My US 240sx doesn't have one but my Japanese CA18 does. If i do have to add one is it as simple as patching into the ECCS relay and the EFI harness? Let me know what you guys think. Thanks.

[boost_boy]

Quote »Do I have to add an ignition coil relay?[/quote] Whatever's on your CA harness (engine that is), leave it. I've never heard of a coilpack relay; maybe the ignitor, but not a relay.

[Zushi]

Well see, in my japanese front clip in the fuse box next to the battery was a relay called the ignition coil relay. It patches into ignition, afm, etc...but there isn't that same relay on the 240sx. Not sure though. Also, know anyway to test the ignitor(power transistor)? Let me know. Thanks.

[boost_boy]

As long as the ecu has it's power source and the wires are correctly connected by the battery, you shouldn't have any problems. Disregard the JDM engine compartment fusebox.

[Zushi]

Hey, so would I wire the CA18det conversion as I would an SR20? I didn't think so, but is that the case? let me know. Thanks.

[boost_boy]

Close enough! They are not that much different and the CA is actually easier. Ask "nismo1182" for assistance with this as he's very helpful in this area.

[NeedCAforS13]

yes he is:) you can follow the directions from an SR swap guide though... like boost_boy said, its very close (but easier)

Sean

[Zushi]

have you known anyone to do a ca18det swap? e-mail?

[NeedCAforS13]

boost_boy and I have done them before yes:) as has almost all the active members of the CA forum here...

Sean

[Zushi]

what could be causing my engine not to spark. bad power transistor(?ignitor chip?) or what? Can you diagnose that stuff?

[NeedCAforS13]

it could be a bunch of things... are you getting fuel? it could be the Cam Angle Sensor, it could be bad wiring somewhere, it could be the ignitor chip... you have to be more specific... or have someone check it out in person. where do you live?

Sean

[s13sr20chris]

does the ignitor get hot immediately when you turn the motor over? if not it is not working. if the ignitor is the same as an sr20 unit i will look up the resistance specs for you. just let me know if you need them. ckp sensors are a regular fault as well. actually i dont know anything about a ca18 ckp other than it looks just like the one on a vg30de(tt). those mitsu ckps are just kind unreliable. open your ecu and check for water damage.

[boost_boy]

Questions I would ask is: Have your wiring been molested before or after you took ownership? Do you have a dropping resistor? Did you properly wire the brownish colored plug from the CA's harness to the one in the battery corner of your car? "s13sr20chris" CA ignitors or power transistors don't get hot and if they did, I'm sure that would mean that something is seriously wrong. Too many variables "Zushi" to make one guess as to what's your problem. I'm sure it's a wiring issue, but like "Sean" said, would help if we all knew where you're located so maybe one of the members could possibly help if they lived close to you.

[NeedCAforS13]

chris was saying that it gets hot when it doesn't work properly Dee;)

Sean

*edit* I am sooo wrong! too many "nots" in one sentence...Me fail english!

[boost_boy]

Quote »does the ignitor get hot immediately when you turn the motor over? if not it is not working.[/quote] chris was saying that it gets hot when it doesn't work properly Dee Check this out again "Sean". I'm probably wrong, but I'm sure what he said was if the ignitor doesn't get hot immediately when turning the motor over, then it's no working properly. Oh well, on to the next topic.

[s13sr20chris]

nope i meant that it should get hot when working properly. that was assuming it was one of nissans typical hitachi units. if it is the old mitsu type then i dont know. i should include a little discaimer that i dont really have much experience with the ca. i do have some, but most of my comments stem from experience with other engines. do the ca18 ignitors look like the new style hitachis? anyway to avoid spreading misinformation, a regular hitachi ignitor will get too hot to handle when working properly. sometimes when they are shorted, they will get super burning hot instantly when the ign is turned on.

[boost_boy]

It's a mitsibishi piece! And these stay pretty cool while in operation.

[s13sr20chris]

oh crap. sorry guys. im not an idiot. that face on your avatar is scary now. carry on...

[boost_boy]

That's about what I look like, but I really am a cool dude until you piss me off and that can be done pretty easily:D J/K

[s13sr20chris]

OT, but i dont care. you look like that guy? he looks pissed. heh, great. i just pissed off the ca guys. maybe i should check out the rb forum now:D j/k

[boost_boy]

Naahh, I'm not pissed man! We're all one big/happy bunch around here:) .

[s13sr20chris]

rock and roll! some people(righty so) get pissed about that whole spreading crappy info around thing. hey, i get pissed about it too. you seem pretty protective of the ca group as well. recipe for disaster. all better now. conflict resolution at nico!

[NeedCAforS13]

lol you crack me up "Dee" with your quotes :pface good times... good times... nice to see a new face around here chris:) you work for Nissan too if I remember correctly right?

Sean

[Zushi]

hey, im living in Oklahoma, USA. if anyone lives near, let me know. Ill check my battery area wiring. Thanks.

[s13sr20chris]

lol you crack me up "Dee" with your quotes :pface good times... good times... nice to see a new face around here chris:) you work for Nissan too if I remember correctly right?

Sean

yup

i just kind of browse all of the forums. i really love the engineering forum the best. if i ever get jcm up and running then i will be more active.

[Zushi]

hey, i wired up my harness like it says to on srswap.com. After I wired it up and tried firing it up, it ran pretty rough(actually, it was hardly alive and would only putter back to life when i played with the gas). I pulled the diag codes from the ECU and it read a code 12. a bad or missing air flow meter. I just replaced my air flow meter like a week ago. I had this problem before, and that is why I thought I would have to wire in an ignition coil relay(in order for the air flow meter to work). Think maybe my air flow meter is really bad or think there is a ****-up in the circuit? I wired it just like the sr. any ideas?

[boost_boy]

Unplug the AFM and see how it runs. Did you extend the AFM wires? And if so, make sure that all wire are back to where they belong. Or worst case scenario, go to the connector at your ecu and make sure that a white wire is not disconnected. This usually occurs when the previous owner installed black boxes like a super AFC or something like that and then removed it when he/she scrapped the car.

[Zushi]

Hey, those of you who have done this swap. did you get your tachometer to work properly? for some reason my tach doesn't work. Let me know if you know anything about that. Thanks.

[float_6969]

Zushi-did you lengthen the MAFS wires? If so, check the continuity from the ecu to the plug. every wire should have continuity through it, if not, you have a wire thats not connected. As for the Tach I'm assuming you have an 89/90. If so you'll either need to get a tach from a 91-93 w/o HUD (or w/HUD if ur car has it) or get a JDM gauge cluster. I was lucky enough to get the cluster w/my swap, so I just pulled the JDM tach out and put it in my USDM cluster. So my mileage is still right and I have a 9G tach, yea!

[Zushi]

yeh, i lengthened the AFM wire with the insulated wire off of another AFM. They each have continuity too. Yeh, my 89 240sx has HUD but my JDM didn't. Hrmm. Thanks though.