RB20DET Troubleshooting, no start - VIDEO

[Acecool]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFqIRpWjICg

[nizmo zilvia]

Bah, easy fix and I HATE THAT PROBLEM WITH LIGHTS BEING ON!!! Drained my battery!!

Anyways whats your setup? Like do you have intercooler installed and piping on and all that good stuff? Everything looks good as far as I see. You hear your fuel pump clicking and priming? If thats good try one more thing....

GET STARTING FLUID!!! (best if 2 people do it, one sprays, one cranks)

This helped me BIG time along with other people. Remember the engines been sitting for so long without being started (not sure about your situation). Spray some in there and hear it rawr!! (pump the gas pedal and then hold it so it can idle and let go)

[Acecool]

ANOTHER VIDEOhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lONwt-tswwg

Just bought an SD card so I can make videos up to about 20 minutes long now...

Yeah, pump primes and whizzes, relays click, engine cranks, I smell fuel...

NO INTERCOOLER yet..

Josh

[jrd450r]

If no intercooler, make sure your MAFS is unplugged or it wont start. What I did when I had the same issue, I pulled the CAS and put my key in the ON position, I then pulled each spark plug and rotated the CAS so that I could see that each plug was firing. That will test your ignition system. If that is not the problem then its a fuel issue. Check to make sure your fuel lines are hooked up correctly they are very easy to put on backward and it will not start in that case. If that checks out then go to your ECU and put your key in the ON position, have a buddy stand next to the motor and use a grounded probe to fire each of your injectors. The injectors are fired by the ecu grounding that specific one, thats how it works. By the way you have to spin the CAS to get the injector to fire, have your buddy by the engine bay listen for faint clicking sounds, this is your injectors firing, if you dont here them then thats your problem. Those are pretty much the only things it could be.

[Acecool]

Ill make another video.. hmmm, my maf is plugged in, lemme try undoing that..

be right back with another video!!

josh

[Acecool]

8 minute video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faQ0Ja2CyXA

[S13 240SX]

i am having the same issue with mine too bro expect i dont have the dash lights staying on problem.. just no start.

sometimes i could get mine to start by pulling the fuel pump fuse incase if it was flooded.

so go to your stock 240sx fusebox on passsanger side under hood and pull out the fuel pump fuse its a 10a or 15a, pull it out and try to start it, it'll start and stall right away which is fine., and then plug the fuse back in and start again.

[Acecool]

Just tried that, didnt work..

ill try regrounding the igniter chip by screwing it to the block...

Josh

[S13 240SX]

oh and if my first idea doesn't help.. then you'll gonna be doing what i been having to do for months now, checking my spark and firgue out why i have a poor spark or no spark on some cylinders.

mine rb hasn't started in 3 months so i feel ya pain

[jrd450r]

8 minute video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faQ0Ja2CyXA

The gray plug with black and white wires looks to be your O2 sensor, it should plug into your dump pipe. If you check the ignition and injectors the way i described in the last post, It will tell you exactly what your issue is, I suggest you try this. From the video your fuel lines look like they are hooked up correct.

[S13 240SX]

Just tried that, didnt work..

ill try regrounding the igniter chip by screwing it to the block...

Josh

where do u have it grounded now? i had mine on the firewall as a ground and still no luck for me when i used that for a ground.

do u have aim? my s/n is hcr32sky240sx

[S13 240SX]

i have one last idea maybe that i know that helped someone i know with rb starting problem. But unforantly didn't help mine out.

But go to your alternator and unplug the posivite cable or unplug them all off and clean off any crap ie corrison off them and connect it back up and try again.

[Acecool]

Ill give that a shot real quick...

I just tried moving the ground from the firewall, back to the original spot on the block where the entire ignitor thing was... now it sounds like before but the crank gets a little weaker?? maybe ears are playing tricks..

Josh

EDIT:

My O2 sensor is plugged in though, with a different plug... - Josh

[NeRd_pUnK]

Ok if you go on to your 8 minute clip..go to minute 3:02...You say this wire is not plugged in and it is black and white well that could be your problem there because that wire is supposed to be plugged in to this little box..Im guessing some type of resistor box or something.Here some pictures of the wire plugged in on my swap.

I remember when I didnt have mine plugged in it just spun over.I 99 percent sure that is it.

[Acecool]

I did auto to manual swap...

I dont have that box on mine...

I did jumper a plug under the fusebox that was black/yellow and black/white, should I plug this into there or jumper it?

[NeRd_pUnK]

i dont know if you can jump that but try seeing if you can

[Acecool]

Alright, ill try that once I get home from school, thanks.

Josh

[Acecool]

ok, I tried jumpering that black and white 2 wire plug, no luck...

no voltage going to it in off, aux, on or start position..

Josh

[Jesse J]

The encased aluminum ^^^'resistor box'^^^ is not necessary in any way for the motor starting.

[Acecool]

Anyone in Charleston SC willing to come out and take a look.. I am stumped!

Josh

Cranks good and strong, but wont fire...

Lights stay on if I follow the instructions and use the 12v when on/start and 0v when off to white/purple wire... but that wire has constant power!!!!!

Josh

Maybe I missed a ground near the ecu, but I have several grounds..

1 for igniter chip box, 1 to the coil pack housing bolt right under the igniter box, 1 for the engine and I think that is all I have grounded.

Josh

[Yellow4g63]

It's a wiring problem. What year is your car? my light on the ecu would come on when ever there was power. It might be the wiring you have at the fuse box. The ecu light shouldn't be on unless the key is on.

[Acecool]

89 240sx sohc auto to dohc rb20det manual...

Its really weird, if there is a constant power wire going to it, it acts perfect except the relays dont click...

if I connect the 12v when on/start then the lights stay on...

ill go over the wiring on sunday I guess.

Josh

[mentordrift]

Acecool;

I am having the EXACT same start up troubles as you are, only with an RB25DET series 1 engine. It cranks, has spark, fuel, and power but it just won't catch.I am replacing my ignitor to see if it is a voltage problem that I cannot detect, but I am still getting spark to each of the cylinders and all of the injectors are firing. Matt from Import Intelligence has been helping me through my ordeal: they have an S13 with a series 1 RB25 also.

The bad news: they said that the ecu might be faulty.

[OlyDriftSquad]

Wish you guy`s lived closer!. lol.. Fly me out on a weekend, we fix, fly me home. lol..

[mentordrift]

Okay, humor me and check your fuel lines on the engine.

I switched mine around and it fired up.

Make sure that they are going to the right spot, even if you think that they are, switch them anyway and just check and see.

[craz4240]

I said before......I don't believe my white/purple wire is routed to anything under the fuse box anymore I believe I switched it to just the ignition power under the dash.

[craz4240]

At some point there is also a constant power and your switched ignition going to the same wire at one time...the white/purple wire should have a switched power and nothing else going to it.

[Acecool]

Yeah, I havent had a chance to pull the harness and find where the power is coming from yet...

Fuel lines ill double check after I do the harness.

First I need to dremel out 2 of the coils and replace the springs :-)

Josh

[Cpt_Impossible]

When my car was having drain issues, the ecu light would stay on, a lot of sensors were on and injectors had power when the ign was off. It turned out there was a wire connected improperly with the 2 green relays. I clipped it and everything works fine now. IIRC it was orange making a y between both relays and the main harness going to the ecu.

[Cpt_Impossible]

I would think the easiest thing to try would be turning the ign off and taking a multimeter to the harness and see what is still hot. Find out what is keeping everything on.