Bass1st
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| posted on 14/2/10 at 10:42 PM |
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My car won't start¬
Help... I am running a 4a-ge 16v, DHLA 45 carbs and an Omex 150 ECU and can't get the car to start. Changed the coil, HT leads, dizzy and rota
and still won't go. Engine turns over fine - I either get the thing struggling on what sounds like 2 cylinders or puffs of smoke from the carbs.
Three things to try on my list; new plugs, test the crank sensor or try playing with the ECU map. Plugs I can do  Any ideas how to test if the crank
magnetic switch is working correctly? Also anyone got any experience with this ECU?
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austin man
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| posted on 14/2/10 at 10:44 PM |
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timing out by 180 degrees possibly, wrong firing order ? have you checked all these.
Have you had the car running prior to this attempt
Life is like a bowl of fruit, funny how all the weird looking ones are left alone
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boggle
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| posted on 14/2/10 at 10:50 PM |
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check your cam timing..has it jumped a tooth?
just because you are a character, doesnt mean you have character....
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DavidM
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| posted on 14/2/10 at 10:52 PM |
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It would help to know if the car was previously running ok and isn't now, or if it has never run.
David
Proportion is Everything
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JimSpencer
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| posted on 14/2/10 at 10:54 PM |
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Got it wet recently?
I've had water get into my Omex ECU, twice, and had those symptoms.
Took ages to find the first time it happened..
Easy cure though - as it's just 4 screws holding it all together and then a hair dryer
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tul214
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| posted on 14/2/10 at 10:57 PM |
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Mine had these symptoms once. I was sure the plugs and leads were good so bought a new coil pack and had the boys at Omex service/test my ecu.
It needed new plugs and leads!
1.6 Raw Super6 sold
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ashg
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| posted on 14/2/10 at 11:13 PM |
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sounds like the crank sensor to me. plug the omex into the pc and see if your rpm readout is intermittent.
Anything With Tits or Wheels Will cost you MONEY!!
Haynes Roadster (Finished)
Exocet (Finished & Sold)
New Project (Started)
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contaminated
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| posted on 14/2/10 at 11:18 PM |
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It's gonna be someting wired up the wrong way round for sure - plug, wires, CPS or TPS (actually the latter wouldn't stop it running would
it?).
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dhutch
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| posted on 14/2/10 at 11:22 PM |
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I would defiantly clean/replace the plugs.
- I had exactly the same last week, took the plugs out, cleaned and dried then, started first time. (ran rough for about a minute then picked up)
[Edited on 15/2/2010 by dhutch]
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zetec mike
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| posted on 15/2/10 at 12:09 AM |
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If it was running ok its probably something simple, possibly flooded. Whip the plugs out and see if they're wet. If threy're wet and sooty
burn them off with a blowlamp or fit new. Check for a spark, if no spark, do as suggested and plug laptop in and look for rpm. I assume the fuel pump
is running ? I wouldnt start playing with the map before checking the basics.
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Bass1st
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| posted on 15/2/10 at 12:18 PM |
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Thanks all - some good advice. The car has been running OK in the past. I think I will change the plugs first off and see what happens (the current
ones were wet and sooty). I have been in an email exchange with a very helpful chap at Omex. If the coil is generating a spark then the crack sensor
is working OK (eliminates this!). He suggested taking the spark plugs out and grounding them to the head, turn the engine over and check for sparks at
all plugs. I can also check the timing at the same time. Just need to remember to turn my fuel pump off first!!
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Bass1st
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| posted on 15/2/10 at 08:03 PM |
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Changed plugs - no difference! Ran the plugs out of the engine and I get a healthy spark on each. I moved the engine to TDC and interestingly the
dizzy rota is in between the lugs! I have to move the engine to 60 degrees BTDC to get cylinder 1 lined up with dizzy lug 1. I also turned the engine
over while the plugs where out and used my timing light - seems to be firing at 5 degrees ATDC?!? I can categorically say that nothing has moved in
the engine (all marked up from previous rebuild). Any ideas??
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RK
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| posted on 16/2/10 at 02:56 AM |
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Did you wire the instruments after the engine ran? This was my problem:
Tach wired to coil #2 instead of the OTHER yellow and red wire. Same symptoms as you. Took me several months to figure it out.
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Bass1st
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| posted on 16/2/10 at 08:48 PM |
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Thanks RK - tell me more... The instruments have not changed, but if there is an easy way to eliminate the wiring I will try it. I have four wires to
the coil - do I remove one or more of these to test?
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Bass1st
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| posted on 16/2/10 at 08:52 PM |
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BTW, I have no yellow wire in my loom. Only violet goes to the coil.
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RK
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| posted on 17/2/10 at 12:33 AM |
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I had a guy over to help me because it is patently obvious by now that I don't know very much about car engines. Or any other engines.
My engine (Nissan CA18DET) has one coil per cylinder.
This is what he did: he pulled each coil and spark plug. I did the honours, and cranked the engine. #2 didn't fire. THEN, we checked each coil
against #1 coil wire, which we knew worked and looked to see if it fired. Yes, was the answer. Did this with the others and came to the conclusion
that
A) the coils themselves worked fine
B) the problem was the wire going TO the coil #2
I simply looked at the ECU wires, saw the one that should have gone to the #2 coil was actually going towards the tacho, and reversed it with the one
that should have gone to the tacho. Bingo, that's it, everything works.
Except right now, my starter won't turn over. That is another story, and one I am not prepared to try and fix myself anymore. Refer to what I
said in the first paragraph to see why. I HATE CARS! I want a bus pass!!!!!
[Edited on 17/2/10 by RK]
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Bass1st
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| posted on 17/2/10 at 07:00 PM |
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Thanks RK. My car has one coil and I am definatley getting a spark on each plug so I don't think it is the same problem. Appreciate your help
though! I am now convinced this is an alignment problem between my dizzy cap and rota arm. I am going to see if I can get another cap and I am now
suspicious that the one on the car is not the original.
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Bass1st
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 posted on 20/2/10 at 08:59 PM |
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Problem solved! I took the dizzy out, rotated it by about 160 degrees so it lined up with pin #1 and it started first time! Just need to set the
timing now on the Omex then job done. I have no idea how the chap who had the car before me got the thing to run!!
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