Why do my spark plugs look as they do???

[chalander]

Thanks for the replies, I will get ahold of a new igniter ASAP. Regarding the DSM dropping resistor, my good friend has a talon that's sitting right now (my next project) so I should be able to borrow his.

Yes float, I found that thread along with your comment:

"by float_6969 » 11 Mar 2007 15:11
Quote Source:
dsm-resistor-ca18det-t194177.html

This is for using a DSM resistor pack on the CA18DET. AFAIK, any 1st gen eclipse/laser/talon should have this resistor pack.

I mention this because I tried finding one at a local parts store and they could find any item by the name of "dropping resistor" is there another name? I looked for it under the two models of eclipse and talon 2.0 liters turbo, and the guy at O'Reillys couldn't find it.

Also, while searching I found this thread (below) explaining how to hook up resistors to basically do the same thing the dropping resistor does. In the threa he mentions to use resistors which have an 8 ohm limit, does this mean that a stock CA18det should have the sane 8 ohm resistance? Inferring so, i will be looking for that "golden" number 8 on my ohm resistance test. (Using a multimeter is pretty new to me, I'm sure it's apparent)
http://zilvia.net/f/archive-faqs/133034 ... roved.html

[chalander]

My drop resistor read 6 ohms, so my thinking is that it is bad/failing. Thus allowing more current through,making it run rich. Correct?

[float_6969]

FSM page EF & EC 128

6 ohms is normal. Did you test all 4 resistors? See that page for proper inspection directions.

[chalander]

FSM page EF & EC 128

6 ohms is normal. Did you test all 4 resistors? See that page for proper inspection directions.

Thanks for the reference, yes I checked all four.

[chalander]

So as an update, I've checked for continuity on every wire between the ecu and sensors. As well as the wiring between the igniter and coil packs, I also checked the injector wires. Everything worked fine.

I checked the continuity as directed by the FSM for sensors; coolant temp sensor, iniectors, AAC, drop resistor, igniter, coil packs, TPS, idle switch. Everything reads okay, excluding igniter which has be previously discussed.

The next thing I will check is:
•CAS-by swapping it with a spare I have
•Injectors-if I can talk my friend into letting me tear the 450cc injectors out of his car, I will try running them.
•Compression test-to ensure my head gasket is intact.

If everything reads out fine then I'm clueless on what to check next, the only thing I can think of trying is a new ECU to ensure I have the proper Air fuel ratio, but it's hard to tell because I don't have a wide band Air Fuel gauge Otherwise my problem has to be mechanical.

Any ideas?

[chalander]

Ran a compression test today here were my results...

Dry compression test:
155 psi cylinder 1
150 psi cylinder 2
140 psi cylinder 3
140 psi cylinder 4

Wet compression test:
180 psi cylinder 1
230 psi cylinder 2
230 psi cylinder 3
180 psi cylinder 4

This means my valve seals on cylinder 1 and 4 are weaker than the ones on cylinder 2 and 3. Correct?

[chalander]

I just said f*** it and bought an air/fuel gauge kit, i figured that if I was going to spend the money to try to revert to stock setting for trouble shooting purposes, I might as well spend the money to see just exactly what my air fuel ratio is... I hope my air fuel ratio is out of wack! - So I can fix it.

The gauge is an "AEM Uego wideband" here is a link it, I feel it should be adequate for the job: http://www.aemelectronics.com/wideband- ... -gauge-25/

Comment!

[chalander]

My CAS was bad. I replaced it with the proper timing, with 1.1 spark plug gap and set the fuel pressure to 35 psi. Now she revs fine without blOwing smoke. Under load when boost builds she will sputter, if I keep my foot out of it then it's drivable. I think with my new wide band gauge I'll see that my AFR is off quite a bit.

[float_6969]

Did you know the CAS was bad because you replaced it, or did it test bad, or what? Did you replace the igniter? If not, it could be that igniter causing it to cut out under load.

[chalander]

I had the CAS set to 15* btdc, when I checked it again it was 0*. When I tried to correct the timing by advancing it I ran out of rotation, and it was only at 9* btdc. So I pull the old CAS off, inspected spline in both CAS and exhaust cam and they were both intact and solid. However I never tried testing it according to the FSM.

I had an extra CAS laying around and threw it in, I took my time to ensure it was installed properly (splines matching). I dialed in the timing slowly, advancjng the timing a few degreea at a time while testing the engines response via revving. I obtained 15* btdc with plenty of room to advance it further if needed. At this point I realized the engine was running smoother the more I advanced the timing. I noticed that the further advanced my timing was, the better it ran. At 25* btdc the sputtering quit and it revved clean.

Since then I have driven it and noticed sputter only when the motor is under a load at 50-100% throttle. Adding a few more degrees, 30* btdc, the sputtering only happened at 70-100% throttle. It seems that my motor runs better with a timing that is set further advanced than stock, idk why.

I received my wideband gauge on Monday this week and will have it installed ASAP. With this I figure I can tune my fuel pressure and ignition timing so that they are in sync. I'm hopin this will result in a clean reving motor.

On a side note, I've been having the time of my life scooting around in my car even though it's not running 100%. The CA is too much fun, can't wait until I can get double the gas mileage of my Cadillac again. Oh and bishez LOVE the BOV, gets em wet - i will update once I get this wide band install and everything dialed in to the best of my ability.

Still haven't replaced the igniter yet but I will.

[float_6969]

30°base timing on the CA is NOT right. Your cam timing is off, or something ignition related.

[chalander]

30°base timing on the CA is NOT right. Your cam timing is off, or something ignition related.

I'll tear it down to check the mechanical timing, although I count the number of cogs in between the gears to ensure it is properly aligned when I installed the belt last. In regards to it being something ignition related, what things could cause this?

I still haven't bought a new igniter yet, but I will.

I installed my wideband and my numbers looked like this:
Condition / air fuel ratio
Idle / 14-16
Under load / 11 +,- 1
cruising / 12-13
Throttle opened 5-10% (boost read 0) / 15-16
Throttle opened 15-100% (boost is present) / 11-12
Throttle opened 70-100% (stumbling/hesitation occurring) / 11-12
When CAS is fully advanced (no pinging present@ about 35 degrees) / 12-13
When CAS is fully retarded (at 5 BTDC(!?!?)) / 15-16

I have inspected the exhaust cam center spline and it is intact and seems to have to no defects, as well as the female portion of both CAS's.

I don't think my CAS was bad after all considering the Spectrum of this CAS is really no different. I'll run a continuity test for these as directed by the fsm, just haven't gotten to it yet.

On a side note, my turbo timer reads 13.55 volts at idle, 13.12 volts with lights and two 12" radiator fans on. It will get down to 12.5 volts with my light ad fans on after ive come to a stop at a stop sign. Driving ill see 13.3 on avg. When I test the out put of the alternator it reads 13.9 while my turbo timer reads 13.3 volts. I decided to check the engine ground and I found a .12 volt reading between the block and chasis. Is this bad? I read somewhere anymore than .1 was bad... Float I know u've dealt with ground issues, what do u think about my .12 volt between engine and chassis? Also most the time my speedometer won't work unless I hit the dash with my fist(lol) today the rpm tach started to cut out too, which lead me to believe there is a bad ground.

[float_6969]

I would add some grounds. It never hurts. The failing speedo and tach is common to S13's. Bad soldier joints in the cluster.

I use the timing marks on the pulleys and the rear timing cover (the one behind the cam pulleys) as well as the mark on the crank pulley and the oil pump. This is the best way.

[chalander]

I replaced the igniter and now I can go wide open throttle without sputtering! I'm going to clean up all my grounds next, I have a misfire that is present at idle and I blow blue smoke at times, ill be checking my dump pipe to see of my turbo is leaking oil.

[float_6969]

So it's basically fixed?

[boost_boy]

Hmmm, after seeing all of this carnage, I'm convinced that his car is low on voltage and possibly lacking the proper grounds needed to ensure that the ECCS is fortified with necessities. I've seen this before and you should turn your focus to the voltage output of your ecu and various 12volt input stations.

[chalander]

No it's not fixed yet. It has it's good days and bad days... While sitting at idle I noticed when I turn my 2 12" radiator fans the car would gradually begin to miss fire, along with the miss fire my airfuel ratio went from 12.5 to 16-17, as thr miss fire got worse. When I turned the fans off the miss fire would slowly disappear as the wideband gauge went back to 12.5. It would do this when I turned on the vents too but not as bad, prObably because operating the radiator fans draw more power than the vents.

Also in regards to my car having good days and bad days, the air fuel ratio doesnt stay the same. One day it will idle at 15-16 the next 12.5 the third day 10 or richer (my gauge only goes as low as 10). With that said, sometimes I can go WOT with no sputtering while other times I can't.

I am going to take your advice boost_boy and check my voltage and go over all my grounds. In the past two weeks I haven't even seen my engine bay, I've had to travel out of state twice and have been working 12s, and on my time off I had to help my friend diagnose and replace his leaking throttle body and replace the auto tensioner on his 4g63 so he didn't have to replace his cylinder head for the THIRD time! It was crazy while fiddling around in his engine bay i noticed vboth cam gear rotated one cog By themselves! I has never heard of such a thing but Once we tore it down I noticed The piston on the auto tensioner was bent and had "slipped" off the tensioner arm allowing slack in the belt. Completely off toPic I know....I'll have time to focus on my car monday of next week when im back in town.

When checking my voltage what number should I be looking for? Does it matter if the car is idling or not?-Assuming the ignition is "on".

[speedeast]

I don't feel like reading all of the replies, but Cylinder 2 plug chamber is leaking oil, which means that the valve cover seal on that tube needs replacement. Too much oil in that tube will cause it to misfire and leave you with a gunked up appearance on the end.

[chalander]

Thanks for the 2 cents Speedeast. However I Have some new pictures of my plugs and I think most would agree that they look awesome(compared to the first set). Cylinder 3 has a timecert so im assuming thats why there is oil on all of the threads instead of the first 3-5 threads like my other plugs.

Cylinder #1


Cylinder #2


Cylinder #3


Cylinder #4

[chalander]

I'm not sure if I should start a new thread for a new problem but I'm going to add to this one because I believe it may be related to the main culprit that I've been troubleshooting for the entire time.

One day, while I was checking my ignition timing, my car died on me from a healthy idle. Ever since then it wont start. I turn the key and the motor cranks maybe once, twice, three times, but never more than four full revolutions. The starter comes to a complete stop along with the dash light dimming drastically. After it does this I back off from starting it, if I turn the key again it does the same thing. If i continuously hold the key in the start position the car will go through the cycle of dying every four revolutions or so.

Trouble shooting results-
* When I disconnect the power transistor my motor cranked healthy.
* I tried unplugging each coil pack one by one via wiring harness but the problem persisted.
* The dash lights dim when the motor quits turning over.
* Battery is new and the starter is strong.

I'm thinking there is a short somewhere... I really I have no idea where to look. I did some research and someone said that an alarm system can cause intermittent starting problems. I have a viper alarm system that I had a shop install.

Could someone point me in the right direction?

[float_6969]

Low voltage. Like BoostBoy mentioned earlier. You've got bad grounds. I've had these same problems before. I ended up having to get brand new ground cable from the battery to the chassis and from the chassis to the engine. This helped immensely. I then added more grounds and even added one that went from the battery to the main ground for the ECU. This made a big difference too. "Smoothed" things out is the only way to describe it.

[chalander]

I agree, I did a few more tests and found out that each cyclinder has spark. Also, yesterday I hooked my car up to a 200 amp battery charger and measured a drop in voltage to 10v from 14-15v, but that was with it cranking healthy (power transistor/igniter disconnect). With it connected and cranking during the intermittent problem I observed a voltage drop from 10v to a voltage drop to 7-8v during the hesitation of cranking. Again, my normal voltage without cranking was 14-15v, while cranking 10v, during the hesitation with the starter 7-8v.

Thank you for the advice float, I found a lose ground for my coil packs that I will be fixing tomorrow. I'm not too confident in it being the solution to my problem but If it is ill let everyone know.

[float_6969]

That shouldn't have anything to do with the cranking. It sounds like the main negative cable need replaced. When it happened to mine, it Ohm'ed out OK, but when pulling a lot of Amps, it couldn't flow it, and the voltage would drop.

[chalander]

I finally got it to start. Turns out my cam angle sensor is sensitive to adjustment, I have two of them and they both cause the voltage drop at times so its an intermittent problem. My focus now is on my afr, I've noticed when it sputters under throttle the afr leans out really bad, my wideband only displays up to 18:1 and that's what it reads, tho its probably going leaner. I did check and relocated my neg battery cable that had a ohm of 9 but now is less than 1. I also had the alternator rebuilt because it tested bad at the auto store, so now I'm pushing 13.5 volts or so at my turbo timer. I'm in the process of obtaining my base tune settings for my Mines ecu but am currently waiting for a response, hopefully they respond... On a side note I'm thinking my turbo is on its last leg because it smokes at times and makes a "wuuuuuu" sound at times. There is some shaft play but I don't have much experience judging how much slop is "ok". I'll keep updates posted.

[float_6969]

glad to hear you're making progress

[chalander]

Thanks for the support everyone! I owe a big thanks to the nico community.

Quick update, my motor is running fairly good considering I have a slight misfire at idle (I think it's a bad CAS but I'm not going to get into that right now) also there is an intermittent issue with sputtering (i think its due to a failing fuel pump because when it does sputter my wideband a/f gauge reads off the scale (18+) lean when it does the sputtering it begins to take on the sound of a Subaru flat four engine, really distinct combustion sounds) Otherwise a/f ratios are okay when sputtering is nonexistent. So I've been driving my 240 half the time instead of my Cadillac which is my daily driver.

I contacted mines from japan regarding my their ecu that was installed by my vehicles previous owner and after a few weeks of spamming their email inbox they replied with this:
Hi
I'm really sorry for the delay and here's a spec of your ecu

Fuel mapping and ignition timing optimized
Speed limiter cut
Rev limit +500 from stock
With use of aftermarket boost controller set up to 0.90kg/cm2 MAX
Written for use with only OEM air cleaner.

Written for use with 100 ron octane rated fuel

Best regards

Shin.
MiNE'S

I'm very happy because now I know to replace my existing 450cc injectors with my spare stock set of 370cc injectors (I will be ordering a rebuild kit for the 370cc injectors next week consisting of new pointless caps, filters, o-rings, etc.) because my current pintle caps are cracks on the set of 370cc injectors.

On a side note, although I've been reading nicoforums for the past four years, i am new to actually posting and creating threads. My intention is not to ramble but rather so this thread can be referenced by other ca18det owners who are troubleshooting problems with their cars. It irritates me to read people's threads to only find out that they quit updating prior to resolving their issue. So until told otherwise, I will be noting my struggles religiously until I fix the car or get discouraged and push it off a cliff !

[chalander]

Update:

I fixed a bad ground in my wiring harness that lead into the CAS plug. The engine would abruptly die prior to me fixing the ground. Also giving me the starter issues mentioned in early posts.

I tested my fuel pressure with an inline gauge that I read while driving around. The pressure was strong and never fell under heavy throttle tho the sputtering still occurred, with that said I think my wall bro 255 is running healthy.

I rebuilt my stock 370cc injectors with new filters, pintle caps, orings, etc. I then replaced the 450cc ones I had in originally with the fresh 370cc injectors. The result show it has the same sputtering issue, tho it idles at 14.4-15.1, I'm happy about that

With all that troubleshooted my next idea is to swap out each coil pack with a brandnew one that I already ordered(should be here tomorrow). Also the sputtering creates a lean condition that my wide band picks up, I'm thinking its because one coil pack isn't producing spark which in result pushes all the unburn air out the exhaust which is why my wide band displaying +18:1 a/f. (my wide band scale only reads 10:1-18:0 )

[float_6969]

Yea, that's a spark issue. Either a failing coil pack or ignitor... Or another bad ground, lol

[chalander]

Well the ignition coil didnt help so I'm thinking its back to being a ground issue.

I rewired a bunch of ecu grounds, even ran a dedicated ecu ground to the neg battery terminal.

Relocated the neg battery cable to the top of my rear strut instead of on the sway bar, the resistance reads good now.

I added two more ground on the block and one on the timing cover.

Still, no luck. I'm kinda puzzled here... My CAS seems to still having grounding issues. If i pull it away from the timing cover the idle seems to bump up and the motor sounds smooth, I decided to check the resistance between my chassis and CAS, it read anywhere from -15 to 20 ohms depending on how I touched and maneuver the CAS. Also my a/f is reading really lean at idle (with miss present).

I did noticed that the resistance from engine manifold to battery read 0 ohm but once I turn on the ignition the ohms read at 40-50! Also if I turn on my radiator fans then my turbo timer voltage drops from 12.5 to 11.5 ...

Reading the power emitted from the alternator is 14.5 and across the battery terminals is also 14.5

[chalander]

The car has a bad idle, sounded like it was missing and the a/f read +18:1. I decided to take it out for a quick test drive, it drove really well, no missing unless I was idling with 0 throttle.

The power was good, probably best its ever ran, stoked.

However, on my test drive I went to get gas and on the way back my car died on me... I pulled over, cranked no start... So I adjusted the CAS and still nothing. I then swap the CAS with the spare one I have it fired right up! - so confusing... I'm gonna do some more troubleshooting with the CAS and see if I can't correct the issue with leaning out during idle ( running lean ).

In conclusion, I believe rewiring my grounds has helped.