#1 |
ok, so about a week ago, Something Bad happened, and now my car won't start. The starter turns, the fuel pump primes, but it doesn't seem to fire at all.
Here's my trouble-shooting path:
1) After the Bad Thing happened, the engine still would start and run, so I thought maybe I had a timing problem -- I just replaced the timing belt a couple months ago. With SPOUT out and a timing light on cyl 1, timing is 10 deg BTDC.
2) I thought maybe it was only firing on 3 cylinders, so I shut off the engine and pulled the #1 plug wire off the distributor, to see if it made a difference. After that, the engine never fired again, even after replacing the wire....
3) I came to NATO, and went through the "Diagnosing a 'no start' condition" in the FAQ. Results:
- a spark plug connected to the coil or to end of the #1 spark plug wire gives a spark
- the fuel pump runs for a few seconds at key-on
- #1 injector red wire has +12V whenever key is on
- test lamp on #1 injector gnd flashes during cranking
I didn't check the fuel pressure, mostly because I couldn't easily get the cap on the schrader valve off. But I don't really want to spray fuel everywhere, and I don't think that's really the problem.... (Not sure why not, because everything else seems ok.)
So what else could it be?
A couple other points on recent service:
- Back in May 2012 I changed the fuel pump -- FPF019 from Auto Performance Engineering.
- When I changed the timing belt, I foolishly started it late in the evening, outside, on the last day before it got really cold last fall, and couldn't finish that day. So it sat in the snow for a couple months with the hood not quite latched all the way (cuz I leave my tools on top of the radiator) and the front cover removed, until it warmed up enough for me to finish.
- About a month ago, after finishing the timing belt job, the alternator failed and I got it rebuilt. (Interesting side note -- just before it really failed, it would only charge after goosing the engine speed above 2000 rpm. The rebuilt one starts charging right after engine start.)
- And finally, since I changed the timing belt and corrected what I think was previously horrible timing, I thought that maybe I could go back to running 87 octane fuel. So the tank of gas it's running now is the first time it's had less than 89 in several years.
And, for background, here's What Happened:
I had just pulled out of the parking lot, everything fine, and was stopped at a stop light. I went to take off, and when I let the clutch out I thought maybe I'd popped it to fast, since I was trying to take off. But right after that the engine began running...rough.
I can't quite put my finger on it, but it was sort of missing. The clutch was making more noise, but it's had a squeaky bearing for a long time, and I'm not sure if the bearing suddenly got worse or it was just making more noise because of a rough engine. Pushing the clutch in quiets it down.
Everything seemed ok if I went about 30 mph in 3rd gear, but faster or slower, or a different gear, and it was rough. It stalled once, but I got it restarted. Idle sounded rough, until I concentrated on it, and then it seemed ok. I pulled into a parking lot and checked under the hood, and everything seemed fine, and the engine sounded fine then. Get back in the car, though, and it was...rough. If I stepped on the accelerator, it would make boost. (I didn't push it past 10 psi but the turbo sounded ok.)
It stalled again when I pulled into my destination parking spot, but restarted ok when I left, and I made it home, no change in performance. I parked it for a few days, and then started my troubleshooting, above....
Where do I look next??
Here's my trouble-shooting path:
1) After the Bad Thing happened, the engine still would start and run, so I thought maybe I had a timing problem -- I just replaced the timing belt a couple months ago. With SPOUT out and a timing light on cyl 1, timing is 10 deg BTDC.
2) I thought maybe it was only firing on 3 cylinders, so I shut off the engine and pulled the #1 plug wire off the distributor, to see if it made a difference. After that, the engine never fired again, even after replacing the wire....
3) I came to NATO, and went through the "Diagnosing a 'no start' condition" in the FAQ. Results:
- a spark plug connected to the coil or to end of the #1 spark plug wire gives a spark
- the fuel pump runs for a few seconds at key-on
- #1 injector red wire has +12V whenever key is on
- test lamp on #1 injector gnd flashes during cranking
I didn't check the fuel pressure, mostly because I couldn't easily get the cap on the schrader valve off. But I don't really want to spray fuel everywhere, and I don't think that's really the problem.... (Not sure why not, because everything else seems ok.)
So what else could it be?
A couple other points on recent service:
- Back in May 2012 I changed the fuel pump -- FPF019 from Auto Performance Engineering.
- When I changed the timing belt, I foolishly started it late in the evening, outside, on the last day before it got really cold last fall, and couldn't finish that day. So it sat in the snow for a couple months with the hood not quite latched all the way (cuz I leave my tools on top of the radiator) and the front cover removed, until it warmed up enough for me to finish.
- About a month ago, after finishing the timing belt job, the alternator failed and I got it rebuilt. (Interesting side note -- just before it really failed, it would only charge after goosing the engine speed above 2000 rpm. The rebuilt one starts charging right after engine start.)
- And finally, since I changed the timing belt and corrected what I think was previously horrible timing, I thought that maybe I could go back to running 87 octane fuel. So the tank of gas it's running now is the first time it's had less than 89 in several years.
And, for background, here's What Happened:
I had just pulled out of the parking lot, everything fine, and was stopped at a stop light. I went to take off, and when I let the clutch out I thought maybe I'd popped it to fast, since I was trying to take off. But right after that the engine began running...rough.
I can't quite put my finger on it, but it was sort of missing. The clutch was making more noise, but it's had a squeaky bearing for a long time, and I'm not sure if the bearing suddenly got worse or it was just making more noise because of a rough engine. Pushing the clutch in quiets it down.
Everything seemed ok if I went about 30 mph in 3rd gear, but faster or slower, or a different gear, and it was rough. It stalled once, but I got it restarted. Idle sounded rough, until I concentrated on it, and then it seemed ok. I pulled into a parking lot and checked under the hood, and everything seemed fine, and the engine sounded fine then. Get back in the car, though, and it was...rough. If I stepped on the accelerator, it would make boost. (I didn't push it past 10 psi but the turbo sounded ok.)
It stalled again when I pulled into my destination parking spot, but restarted ok when I left, and I made it home, no change in performance. I parked it for a few days, and then started my troubleshooting, above....
Where do I look next??
stock (mostly) '88 TC, slowly deteriorating....