No Start after rebuild. Confirm diagnosis?

[Hallen]

OK, so I finished installing the engine.

On my first start attempt I got nothing. I fiddled with a few things and checked all my connections again. Still nothing.

I did all the checks in the Bentley with the ECU connector. Everything checks out. Fuel pump pumps, relays click, injectors click, TPS has the right response, CPS is fine, etc.

The main relay and the fuel relay seem to be fine. The fuse link in the back is fine too.

I checked the coil. Resistance readings were a bit off. + and - check was .7 ohms where the book says it should be .5 ohms. Center and + was 5700 ohms where the book said it should be 5000. It isn't far enough off to be a dead giveaway, but I am thinking this is the problem. I worked fine before I did the rebuild though.

When I turn it over, I am not getting any fuel out of the rail at the pressure regulator. And I don't seem to be getting any spark. I am sure I did the timing right. It's pretty straight forward and easy enough to do with the engine out.

The engine was running fine when I pulled it. AFM should be good.

Any thoughts on this? I appreciate the help.

[nando]

you said you're not getting any fuel in the rail - did you hook up the fuel lines backwards? pressure goes to the rail and return goes to the FPR. if the pump is running there should be fuel in the rail no matter what the ECU is doing.

[mooseheadm5]

No fuel and no spark suggests no pulse from the timing sensors. Make sure they are not switched. Do you have power to the injectors? Do you have injection pulse? Have you tried jumping out hte main and fuel pump relays?

[Hallen]

you said you're not getting any fuel in the rail - did you hook up the fuel lines backwards? pressure goes to the rail and return goes to the FPR. if the pump is running there should be fuel in the rail no matter what the ECU is doing.

Nope, fuel lines are hooked up correctly. Supply line is hooked on the back of the engine and return is hooked on the front to the pressure regulator. I didn't disconnect the fuel line from under the car. I only disconnected them at the engine and they were marked. The supply line is new, I had put that in before I tore the engine out.

No fuel and no spark suggests no pulse from the timing sensors. Make sure they are not switched. Do you have power to the injectors? Do you have injection pulse? Have you tried jumping out hte main and fuel pump relays?

I tried switching the pulse and CPS lines, no joy. I had them marked and I hooked them up the way I had them marked. The CPS is new, but I tried the old one too. Again, I checked at the ECU connector for everything and I did jump the fuel relay and the pump does come on. I don't get fuel out of the pressure regulator when I crank the engine though. I don't think I tried checking the fuel out when I jumped the relay though. I might have.

[mooseheadm5]

Still need to know if you have power to the injectors and injection pulse. Do you have OBC? Is it possible you have left the connector next to the ECU or the connector at the Code relay unplugged? This would prevent your car starting for sure.

[mooseheadm5]

Also, did you check for spark at the coil?

[Hallen]

I did all the checks in the Bentley with the ECU connector. Everything checks out. Fuel pump pumps, relays click, injectors click, TPS has the right response, CPS is fine, etc.

Still need to know if you have power to the injectors and injection pulse. Do you have OBC? Is it possible you have left the connector next to the ECU or the connector at the Code relay unplugged? This would prevent your car starting for sure.

I don't know what those are. The OBC comes on and it works insomuch as I can see the OAT and toggle through other things.

Also, did you check for spark at the coil?

Yes. I didn't get any. But it is possible I didn't do something right. I just ran a wire from the center post to the lead going to the distributor cap. I am working by myself so I had to put it someplace where I could see it. I had the lights down so any spark should have been pretty obvious. I didn't see anything.

[mooseheadm5]

I don't know what those are. The OBC comes on and it works insomuch as I can see the OAT and toggle through other things.



Yes. I didn't get any. But it is possible I didn't do something right. I just ran a wire from the center post to the lead going to the distributor cap. I am working by myself so I had to put it someplace where I could see it. I had the lights down so any spark should have been pretty obvious. I didn't see anything.

The OBC power comes from the cluster, BUT there is a small plug near the ECU that must be plugged in for the car to start. That is the wire that makes it so the OBC can disable the car using the Code feature. On your car it is a small white 4 or 5 pin plug. One socket is on the engine harness, and the other goes to the left toward the cluster. I know one of the wires is green and one is black, but I can't remember any of the others off the top of my head (yellow, maybe?) If that is not plugged in your car will never start, so check it out. The other part of the Code system is near the steering column, but if you didn't touch it there should be no problem.

[Hallen]

The OBC power comes from the cluster, BUT there is a small plug near the ECU that must be plugged in for the car to start. That is the wire that makes it so the OBC can disable the car using the Code feature. On your car it is a small white 4 or 5 pin plug. One socket is on the engine harness, and the other goes to the left toward the cluster. I know one of the wires is green and one is black, but I can't remember any of the others off the top of my head (yellow, maybe?) If that is not plugged in your car will never start, so check it out. The other part of the Code system is near the steering column, but if you didn't touch it there should be no problem.

OK, thanks, I'll check that out. There are several small plugs above the jockey box near the ECU that it could be. If that plug has to be disconnected to pull the harness out, then I did disconnect it. It was 9 months ago though. I might not have gotten it plugged back in.

[Hallen]

Well, Moosehead, you are the King of the M20 tonight. That was it. Fired right up. Thanks a bunch!

And then made bad sounds. *crap*

[nando]

nice

[Hallen]

Yeah. All day fucking around trying to diagnose everything... well, at least I learned a lot and I confirmed that everything else is in pretty good shape. I deeply appreciate the help. I would have NEVER thought of that OBC cable.

But I must have done something horribly wrong.

It made a squealing sound when I started it and then proceeded to make a horrible thunking sound. It's not the transmission or the driveshaft. It was in neutral and the clutch was in. I can't imagine it being in the engine. I suspect I screwed something up with the flywheel, clutch, and pressure plate. Grrrrrrr. I'm an idiot.

[Adrian_Visser]

I learn alot from reading this forum that's for sure. Good tip Moosehead ima remember that one. Hallen I hope that wasn't something major you heard.

[mooseheadm5]

Make sure the tin shield between the engine and trans is not rubbing the flywheel.

[Hallen]

Make sure the tin shield between the engine and trans is not rubbing the flywheel.

Yeah, I thought of that too. I can only hope that is the culprit because it sounds loud and it sounds very bad. Unfortunately, it looks like the only way to check things out is to pull the engine again. Getting the transmission off while working on my back under the car is not very appealing, I must say.

We'll see. Now I just have to get the energy to go out and tackle it. Right now, I'm too tired and frustrated to worry about it.