Can't start car!

hcca · Post by **hcca** » Fri Mar 19, 2004 8:58 pm

Ok, well this is technically a continuation of my 'electrical problem' thread, but I think that's sorted now.

Anyway, I can crank it over and it seems to 'catch' and then dies straight away. I put some fuel in, but I think it was completely empty before so perhaps the lines need priming or something? Tried disconnecting the coil and cranking it for a bit, but that didn't seem to help. There is a very fuelly smell coming from the engine bay after it dies, but I can't see any leaks.

Any suggestions?

By the way, before you try to start a new engine for the first time, make sure that you've tightened up the oil cooler fittings and replaced the snapped off oil pressure sender first :).. It makes a big mess otherwise.

Cookiemonster · Post by **Cookiemonster** » Fri Mar 19, 2004 10:03 pm

Sounds like your getting fuel.

Are you getting spark?

Camotec · Post by **Camotec** » Fri Mar 19, 2004 11:25 pm

I would say ignition aswell, is it an optical dizzy or points?

had this sort of issue on a eh holden, i know it a different thing but it had a injection conversion running a wolf3d, turned out the ECU had a bad contact some where relating to ignition.

Anyways my 2 cents.

Cheers.

hcca · Post by **hcca** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 12:48 pm

Yeah, it's got spark. I'm wondering if it has something to do with the vacuum lines - there are a few that aren't hooked up right now although the ones that go to sensors are. I don't know if they would actually prevent it running altogether though or whether it will just make it run like shit.

Camotec · Post by **Camotec** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 1:09 pm

They can make the car die so i would have a look at those, what is your idle controlled by? does it have an adjustment? because maybe you could adjust it up and then play with the vacuum lines, this was the case for my gemini after i took the carbie off i think i knock a vac hose from somewhere else and it would not keep idleing at the standard idle so we turned the idle speed up to allow us to find the issue with the car, turned out to be dodgy plumbing of a vac hose (2 smaller diameter hoses joined by a larger diameter hose used as a sleeve to cover the join)

Anyways good luck :)

hcca · Post by **hcca** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 5:11 pm

Ok, well now it's just cranking over and not really doing anything else. As I said, after a few cranks there's a very fuelly smell.

I think the timing is right.. cam at 9 o'clock, dizzy in, rotor at 8 o'clock, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a timing thing. Is it possible to install the cam gear so that the timing mark -won't- appear at 9 o'clock? I think there's a locating pin though, so probably not the problem.

Although all the vac lines aren't all hooked up, I wouldn't think it would prevent it from starting at all.

hcca · Post by **hcca** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 5:57 pm

Definitely getting fuel.. cylinders are loading up, spark plugs getting wet.. :glare:

Will · Post by **Will** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 6:28 pm

Do you have someone to help crank the car while you watch the timing with a timing light? I had my dizzy out by one tooth which is easy to do. It did exactly the same thing as I couldn't get the spark close enough to around 10 deg. with just turning the dizzy body.

Just aiming for 8 o'clock might not be accurate enough. Line the dizzy cap up as though it was screwed on, and check that the rotor button points near the post for #1 spark plug lead (with the cam marker in the 9 o'clock position and crank at TDC #1 of course). Then dial it in while cranking with a timing light and shifting the dizzy body.

With the vacuum lines, have you plugged up the ones that aren't hooked up? Especially the big ones like brake booster. If you're using an air flow meter, then any vaccum leaks will make it run leaner as soon as it starts, and might be enough to make it stall.

hcca · Post by **hcca** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 7:00 pm

It's not even getting to the point where it will fire.. it's just cranking away. The strange thing is that when it didn't have any fuel in it, it came close to starting, now it's not doing anything. There seems to be spark - when I turn the crank, I can hear the coil fire.

Tried turning the dizzy round a bit, didn't make any difference. Will try again tomorrow. There's a timing light around here somewhere so i'll give that a go tomorrow (hopefully someone will be here to help :)).

Bloody Starions! (just had to say that :))

scum · Post by **scum** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 9:48 pm

"catching" usually means cam or ign timing, I think. if you think it is flooded just unplug the 4 pin connector to the injectors and crank it for a while. if it is just flooded that will start it after a little while, 10sec or so from memory.

David · Post by **David** » Sun Mar 21, 2004 11:02 am

Did you hold the throttle wide open (ie, foot down) while cranking dry???

That's what you need to do to perform a flood clear...

If there's extra fuel in the manifold, and your timing, etc, is correct, you may have to do that for up to a minute (crank at WOT with injectors unplugged) to clear the excess...

Then it will actually start and run long enough in most cases for you to get
out, walk to the bonnet and plug the injectors back in,

Regards
David

hcca · Post by **hcca** » Sun Mar 21, 2004 1:55 pm

I'd say it's pretty damn flooded since the spark plugs are nice and wet.. i'll disconnect the injectors and see what happens.

David McLeod · Post by **David McLeod** » Sun Mar 21, 2004 4:29 pm

I had a similar problem for a while. It was the air flow meter. When trying to re-start, when shut down warm, it would just crank and flood. I found that by unlatching and opening the air box lid the car would start ok, then I had to close the box up to drive. It was the air flow meter. I sent it away for recalibration and it then worked fine. When it was playing up I found that after waiting sometimes it would start by keeping the foot to the floor (as previously suggested). I think that by passes the computer imputs and used datum settings to the injectors so it stopped the flooding.

hcca · Post by **hcca** » Sun Mar 21, 2004 4:35 pm

It seems to be flooding... i pulled the spark plugs out again and they were dripping with fuel. Disconnected the injectors and cranked it with the plugs out - could see fuel spraying out the spark plug holes. So I pulled the top off the plenum and found that one of the injectors has fuel flowing through it regardless.. I can blow air through it and i'm guessing that's not a good thing :).. sounds like maybe I need a new injector? This would probably explain a lot!

Powerslave · Post by **Powerslave** » Sun Mar 21, 2004 4:50 pm

Long shot but you never know : Reminds me of a faulty ECU on a mate's commodore. It was holding an injector open even when the igintion was on with the car not running , and filled up a pot full of fuel , causing it to stall upon cranking. After finding that one , we dumped the oil in the sump only to find it full of fuel too !!!

Austarion

Can't start car!

Can't start car!

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