KA24DE not sparking Code 23

[chausaster]

So I swap over a KA24DE into my 90 nissan 240SX. I haven't been able to get a single spark out of the car since I put it in. I replaced the coil, swapped 6 ignitors, replaced the distributor and still nothing. I tore apart the harness and found lots of nothing again. I pulled the distributor off and when I spin the distributor around I can hear the injectors pulsing. So when I tested my ECU for codes I get a Code 23. Which is idle switch that's in the TPS. So could my TPS be bad and make it so my car doesn't spark? From reading other threads it can be a factor but has anyone had any proof of it being true?

[chausaster]

Anyone have any sort of idea?

[91white_ka]

TPS is cheap off ebay, might as wel try it

[chausaster]

I can get them from my work(autozone) also. So I was going to try it I just wondering if anyone has had any experience with the TPS actually being an issue with ignition control.

[liquid_cool]

this sounds like the coil to me man...as a matter of fact..i went throu this with my swapp project allso..i just did a aftermarket workaround...and my issue was solved...

the way to test this is to use a (test light) "probe style with a grounding clamp and lightbulb in the handle....ground the probe...then touch the probe on your positive coil connector..have someone crank the car over..if you have the light in the probe flashing..then you have power to the coil...if not!..then its sumpin else...once you find you have power to the coil..you need to remove the probe..pull the center wire going to your dizzy and have that about 1/2 inch off the frame..have your buddy crank the car over again..if ya have spark..its not the coil and is somewhere up the food chain..if no spark at all...then the coil would be toast.

[liquid_cool]

if its not the coil man...it could be the nutral safty switch.

[chausaster]

Well this is what I've done to try to remedy the problem. after checking for power to the coil and ignition control module. I tried cranking it over. I got nothing out of either of those. So I replaced the coil with another of the same kind and still got nothing. Well I'm now onto a accel superstock coil with a .8 ohm resister and wired and blah blah you get the picture there. and yet nothing there. Been swapping ignition control modules thinking this may be the cause. Yet still nothing. I've been checking the everything countless times with a multimeter or my timing light to see if I get any cranking response from the dizzy. So I've moved onto the dizzy. I pulled it out took her to my neighborhood automotive learning institute and borrowed there oscilloscope and proceeded to test that. I'm still not sure if the tests came out conclusive or not but I've gotten another distributor coming in soon.

I'm not seeing where the neutral safety switch would make a no spark condition. the reason for the switch is to keep the vehicle from learching forward in the case of the vehicle being in gear. So my vehicle cranks but it doesn't get any spark at the moment. I'll keep an update on what happens next.

[zerepdivad]

no

[chausaster]

Not really sure where the "no" is being directed...... so moving on as of late. I changed out the TPS for giggles of course no change. Then moved under the vehicle to play around there. I found a bunch of unwired stuff and found out what was what(this includes the neutral safety switch) and wired it in and still nothing. I'll wait for the distributor and see what happens next.

[KGB]

This is perfect. I just passed my no start competency in wyotech the other week. We know for sure your not getting spark correct? Working from the source of the power to the ignition (relays, fuses, wires) test with a test light the fuses (they have that little hole on the top of each side which allows them to be tested), next check the relays. You can hear or even feel them working/switching (thats what they are esentially). Check for power at the coil. What I would do for this is use a spark tester and see if your getting spark FROM the coil, no spark the coil might be bad OR again open in the wire or fuse/relay is bad. So, if you get power there then you might have an open in one of the wires that gives power to the ignition system. What will help you the most is a wiring diagram which will be hard to read cause its nissan made it compact, youll see what I mean if you can get your hands on it. A few more things, if you get power through all of the components check the PCM and make sure power is going to and from it. Hope that helps.

[chausaster]

Well it seems that everything you had mentioned was something I have done already. I went through checked power to the coil found that to be good. I still replaced my coil with an accel super stock and a .8 ohm resistor. Then I went on to wiring diagram and such(its really not that bad to read as electrical is my forte) and tore through my harness looking for anything out of the abnormal which didn't happen. So I went through the rest of my harness and buttoned up a bunch of nasty looking wiring the previous swapper decided to do. So I'm still waiting on the distributor we'll found out more as we go.

[zerepdivad]

Did they properly do all the wiring from the ecu do the dash up by where the ecu mounts?

[KGB]

how about the icm (or the igniter) or the connnectors. I say the connectors cause at school there was a 97 bonneville that had a loose connection for the ICM ground wire at the icm connector (hope that makes sense--> ICM ground wire was loose at connector)

[liquid_cool]

the new dizzy might fix your issue as the cam sensor is inside it and uses a photo cell style reader for cam position ..if thats out..it wont fire...the FSM has a way of testing that for shure with a standard volt meter....

word of advice...dump the accell crap...there junk...msd or bust bro!...i had 3 accel coils fry on me..leaving me stuck in the middle of knowhwere out by the pyramids..

[chausaster]

I'll remember that from now on but i just wanted to get the car started at first. So new development in the KA project looks like a bad distributor is the culprit. So I finally got another one and she now gets fuel and spark now I just gotta get her timed right and she should be ok. More info as it comes.

[chausaster]

ok so huge update......... THE CAR STARTS!!!!! The timing was off by like 10 degrees so thats fixed now. so going along with that I have a few things to button up and clean up so I'll be working on that for a bit. other then that she is a monster with no exhaust. Thanks again for the help from everyone that posted. So for the final thoughts. If you get no spark work from coil back to the distributor. Or in my case go to the distributor first. Good luck to anyone that may not have a 240 running for similar reasons as mine.