KA24DE Cranks but Won't Start
KA24DE Cranks but Won't Start
Hey all I just traded my barely running mk4 GTI for a '95 240 that he said just needed a fuel pump. I replaced the fuel pump for it to still not start up. I've tested for spark and fuel delivery, and I'm getting both. I tried retiming my distributor, twice, still to no avail. Car won't even start up with starter fluid. I'm really stumped here so any input is appreciated just trying to get it running enough to get it out from in front of my house.
Re: KA24DE Cranks but Won't Start
The FIRST thing you must have is KOMPRESSUN ........AND spark.......AND fuel then the ability to crank, which you got along with , you say you have spark and fuel ,correct ? 
Do a proper KOMPRESSUN test , have you ever done one ?? Some people make the mistake of leaving butterflies closed , or the mistake of NOT removing ignition fuse AND f/pump fuse ( f/p relay Ok) , huh?
p.s. IF you " blocked " the butterflies open - TAKE OUT THE BLOCK WHEN DONE WITH TESTING , many have overrevved and BLOWN their motors by forgetting that , I'll usually have help and my older cars with mechanical linkage (NOT throttle -by-wire) my helper puts the pedal to the floor , let's go =no problem ,ya know?
Do a proper KOMPRESSUN test , have you ever done one ?? Some people make the mistake of leaving butterflies closed , or the mistake of NOT removing ignition fuse AND f/pump fuse ( f/p relay Ok) , huh?
p.s. IF you " blocked " the butterflies open - TAKE OUT THE BLOCK WHEN DONE WITH TESTING , many have overrevved and BLOWN their motors by forgetting that , I'll usually have help and my older cars with mechanical linkage (NOT throttle -by-wire) my helper puts the pedal to the floor , let's go =no problem ,ya know?
Last edited by macgiver on Tue Feb 22, 2022 7:36 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Re: KA24DE Cranks but Won't Start
Yep has spark and fuel, and I did a compression test running about 140 in all 4 cylinders.macgiver wrote: ↑Tue Feb 22, 2022 7:24 pmThe FIRST thing you must have is KOMPRESSUN ........AND spark.......AND fuel then the ability to crank , which you got along with , you say you have spark and fuel ,correct ?
Do a proper KOMPRESSUN test , have you ever done one ?? Some people make the mistake of leaving butterflies closed , or the mistake of NOT removing ignition fuse AND f/pump fuse ( f/p relay Ok) , huh?
Re: KA24DE Cranks but Won't Start
wow , 
...We have almost simultaneous exchanges ....SO did you do like I mentioned ??
I mean 140 aint bad I don't know the motor , but see IF 'n your plugs (ALL) are getting wet/moist with fuel ? LIke if you assume 'rail' pressure only , is good , gotta enter the chamber ya know?
Also starting fluid DOES'NT start it ? Don't know at this point what more to say kinda .
...We have almost simultaneous exchanges ....SO did you do like I mentioned ??I mean 140 aint bad
I don't know the motor , but see IF 'n your plugs (ALL) are getting wet/moist with fuel ? LIke if you assume 'rail' pressure only , is good , gotta enter the chamber ya know?Also starting fluid DOES'NT start it ?
Don't know at this point what more to say kinda .Re: KA24DE Cranks but Won't Start
Did the test just like you stated. Whenever I tested for spark I felt and smelled the fuel on my spark plugs. And no starting fluid doesn't do anything.macgiver wrote: ↑Tue Feb 22, 2022 7:32 pmwow ,
I mean 140 aint bad
Also starting fluid DOES'NT start it ?
Re: KA24DE Cranks but Won't Start
I bet there maybe something your 'missing' in the spark department.....some questions :
1 ) "HOW" are you seeing spark ? With a sparkplug body grounded laying on engine & HV wire OR coilpack connected proper ?
2 ) Test ALL plugs , wires/coilpacks SAME WAY ?
3 ) measure with a VOM (multimeter) the resistance between plug tip and top , (body NOT touched here!)
Do #3 on ALL plugs FIRST actually , say before sreps 1 and 2 , ya know?
1 ) "HOW" are you seeing spark ? With a sparkplug body grounded laying on engine & HV wire OR coilpack connected proper ?
2 ) Test ALL plugs , wires/coilpacks SAME WAY ?
3 ) measure with a VOM (multimeter) the resistance between plug tip and top , (body NOT touched here!)
Do #3 on ALL plugs FIRST actually , say before sreps 1 and 2 , ya know?
Re: KA24DE Cranks but Won't Start
To test for spark all I did was put the plug in the coilpack and touch it to the valve cover looking for a white spark. I will try step 3 first thing tomorrow. What numbers should I be looking for?macgiver wrote: ↑Tue Feb 22, 2022 7:51 pmI bet there maybe something your 'missing' in the spark department.....some questions :
1 ) "HOW" are you seeing spark ? With a sparkplug body grounded laying on engine & HV wire OR coilpack connected proper ?
2 ) Test ALL plugs , wires/coilpacks SAME WAY ?
3 ) measure with a VOM (multimeter) the resistance between plug tip and top , (body NOT touched here!)
Do #3 on ALL plugs FIRST actually , say before sreps 1 and 2 , ya know?
Re: KA24DE Cranks but Won't Start
Resistor plugs , if that's what you got (probly) are generally 5,000ohms (5k ohm) give or take a couple thousand due to Brand's slightly different mfr. OR there will always be like 5% tolerance differences I've seen.
Now , here's the WEIRD PART , way out there , your talk'in to macgiver now
... 
But listen to this scenario:
You got a car that JUST SO HAPPENS TO NEED F/PUMP?????? hmmmmmm
You need to check that gas in there , like very VERY SAFELEY take gas from as close to engine as possible ,gather like 2-3 ounces in jar ,put that gas on ground clear of ANYTHING , then safely light it, seriuosly , ya need to see the ignitability of your freakin gasoline IN THERE !
Some bastard may have put something into the tank & forced the prior owner to sell ....TO YOU !!!!!!
I'm NO chemist , but I believe if gas smells like gas , the " walk like-a duck-smell-like -duck ..." won't work ? Right ? See IF that damn gas is easily ignitable , I hope ya didn't buy a car that had a "Pay-back" done to it
Maybe the starter fluid is old , does Ether break down ..........??? Thirty years ago , I now remember , I beleive it was starting fluid like 4+ years old and it didn't smell 'strong' and left WATER behind , really .....SH!!TT
Now , here's the WEIRD PART , way out there , your talk'in to macgiver now
... But listen to this scenario:
You got a car that JUST SO HAPPENS TO NEED F/PUMP?????? hmmmmmm
You need to check that gas in there , like very VERY SAFELEY take gas from as close to engine as possible ,gather like 2-3 ounces in jar ,put that gas on ground clear of ANYTHING , then safely light it, seriuosly , ya need to see the ignitability of your freakin gasoline IN THERE !
Some bastard may have put something into the tank & forced the prior owner to sell ....TO YOU !!!!!!
I'm NO chemist , but I believe if gas smells like gas , the " walk like-a duck-smell-like -duck ..." won't work ? Right ? See IF that damn gas is easily ignitable , I hope ya didn't buy a car that had a "Pay-back" done to it
Maybe the starter fluid is old , does Ether break down ..........??? Thirty years ago , I now remember , I beleive it was starting fluid like 4+ years old and it didn't smell 'strong' and left WATER behind , really .....SH!!TT
Re: KA24DE Cranks but Won't Start
Really hoping that I didn't get a revenge car, but I won't be able to find out til possibly tomorrow since it decided to sleet all day. Just my luckmacgiver wrote: ↑Tue Feb 22, 2022 8:16 pmResistor plugs , if that's what you got (probly) are generally 5,000ohms (5k ohm) give or take a couple thousand due to Brand's slightly different mfr. OR there will always be like 5% tolerance differences I've seen.
Now , here's the WEIRD PART , way out there , your talk'in to macgiver now ...
But listen to this scenario:
You got a car that JUST SO HAPPENS TO NEED F/PUMP?????? hmmmmmm
You need to check that gas in there , like very VERY SAFELEY take gas from as close to engine as possible ,gather like 2-3 ounces in jar ,put that gas on ground clear of ANYTHING , then safely light it, seriuosly , ya need to see the ignitability of your freakin gasoline IN THERE !
Some bastard may have put something into the tank & forced the prior owner to sell ....TO YOU !!!!!!
I'm NO chemist , but I believe if gas smells like gas , the " walk like-a duck-smell-like -duck ..." won't work ? Right ? See IF that damn gas is easily ignitable , I hope ya didn't buy a car that had a "Pay-back" done to it
Maybe the starter fluid is old , does Ether break down ..........??? Thirty years ago , I now remember , I beleive it was starting fluid like 4+ years old and it didn't smell 'strong' and left WATER behind , really .....SH!!TT
also really wish I could say it was bad starter fluid but it was a brand new can that I bought that day...Re: KA24DE Cranks but Won't Start
Brand new can was what I wanted to suggest too , kinda unfortunately (didn't work) you used new. Be carefull too with starter fluid , it can hammer piston , rod bearings (less so large crank journal bearing).
What you should try , now , is stop fuel by fuse or f/p relay removal , w/well-charged battery crank for solid 4-5 sec.'s , wait 20sec's crank again for 4-5 sec's you've pumped oil @ decent pressure reaching the ROD BEARINGS ! Make careful note of sounds of this cranking. NOW put fuse back and do the "starter fluid thing" and see if " you mean to tell me" your getting NO combustion ? NO stumble bump firing ? Does the cranking seem NO different than when you primed the bearings ???
Always ALWAYS 1 ) have hose turned on ,nearby 2 ) have Fire extiguisher nearby , 3 ) MOST important have car readily able to be pushed into street IF ya catch fire ( carport , garaged , close to house here? ) Keeping in Neutral + 1 blocked wheel , or easy handbrake release fine too .
Starting fluid=explosive and is the biggest mystery that it hasn't seemed to work
What you should try , now , is stop fuel by fuse or f/p relay removal , w/well-charged battery crank for solid 4-5 sec.'s , wait 20sec's crank again for 4-5 sec's you've pumped oil @ decent pressure reaching the ROD BEARINGS ! Make careful note of sounds of this cranking. NOW put fuse back and do the "starter fluid thing" and see if " you mean to tell me" your getting NO combustion ? NO stumble bump firing ? Does the cranking seem NO different than when you primed the bearings ???
Always ALWAYS 1 ) have hose turned on ,nearby 2 ) have Fire extiguisher nearby , 3 ) MOST important have car readily able to be pushed into street IF ya catch fire ( carport , garaged , close to house here? ) Keeping in Neutral + 1 blocked wheel , or easy handbrake release fine too .
Starting fluid=explosive and is the biggest mystery that it hasn't seemed to work
Re: KA24DE Cranks but Won't Start
Okay so I like to second guess myself a lot, and thankfully I did but I did a second compression test and I found out that cyl 3 is at 80psi. So now that I know that what are some good swaps? Or is it worth going na-t?macgiver wrote: ↑Wed Feb 23, 2022 4:52 pmBrand new can was what I wanted to suggest too , kinda unfortunately (didn't work) you used new. Be carefull too with starter fluid , it can hammer piston , rod bearings (less so large crank journal bearing).
What you should try , now , is stop fuel by fuse or f/p relay removal , w/well-charged battery crank for solid 4-5 sec.'s , wait 20sec's crank again for 4-5 sec's you've pumped oil @ decent pressure reaching the ROD BEARINGS ! Make careful note of sounds of this cranking. NOW put fuse back and do the "starter fluid thing" and see if " you mean to tell me" your getting NO combustion ? NO stumble bump firing ? Does the cranking seem NO different than when you primed the bearings ???
Always ALWAYS 1 ) have hose turned on ,nearby 2 ) have Fire extiguisher nearby , 3 ) MOST important have car readily able to be pushed into street IF ya catch fire ( carport , garaged , close to house here? ) Keeping in Neutral + 1 blocked wheel , or easy handbrake release fine too .
Starting fluid=explosive and is the biggest mystery that it hasn't seemed to work
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NukeKS14
- Posts: 310
- Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 2:50 pm
- Car: 1995 240SX SE - KA24DE-T
AC Cobra Mk IV Rep.
2020 Civic Si
Re: KA24DE Cranks but Won't Start
That's all up to you man. I like my KAs (this is my fourth 240sx and all have been KA in some form). So it was worth it to me to build for boost. I'm making a comfortable 400+ whp but it didn't happen overnight.
Depends on what you want to do with the car, your mechanical aptitude, and monetary constraints. Worth is completely subjective.
Depends on what you want to do with the car, your mechanical aptitude, and monetary constraints. Worth is completely subjective.
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