Problems Starting
10-13-2006, 04:19 PM
#1
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 30
Okay...i also have an 89 Rx-7 convertible and cannot get her started.......when i got the car it didn't start.
Here's the story:
The guy i bought the car from said the kid that he first sold it to messed with the "distributor" (i know these cars have CAS) and they hadn't been able to get it started since. When I got the car it sat for a couple months till we got the title from the guy. Then we bought an 87' parts car and my dad swapped out the coils on it and she started without one of the plugs even hooked up. Hadn't been able to get her started again, all she'll do is just turn over. The spark plugs on it looked new when i got the car.
Before everyone starts saying try deflooding......i've tried over and over again and it doesn't work.
Things i have done:
Replaced leading coil a 2nd time - still no start.
Replaced CAS - no start.
Checked for spark - none.
I have just gotten another junk yard CAS and Leading coil, but haven't tried those yet. I also bought new NGK spark plugs today and will be buying spark plug wires in the morning. Also forgot to add but the mufflers on both sides seem to be blown out or something....i'm thinking it's got a bad catalytic converter in it. The wires i'm getting are Omni spark from O'reillys....i figure that a new set of possibly crappy wires would work better than a possibly worn out crappy set of NGK's
I've read on this board that if you spin the CAS instead of cranking the engine with the ignition then you should get spark. I've tried it on the CAS i just got and i still got no spark.
Maybe i'm not checking for spark the right way. I've just been holding the wire with a spark plug in it next to the fender and had someone try starting the car and i didn't see spark. I've also read to check the ECU and i don't know where it's at on a convertible.
Help please....I've been trying to figure it out searching for over a year now and still no luck. Just feels like i'm trying the same thing over and over again with no luck.
Here's the story:
The guy i bought the car from said the kid that he first sold it to messed with the "distributor" (i know these cars have CAS) and they hadn't been able to get it started since. When I got the car it sat for a couple months till we got the title from the guy. Then we bought an 87' parts car and my dad swapped out the coils on it and she started without one of the plugs even hooked up. Hadn't been able to get her started again, all she'll do is just turn over. The spark plugs on it looked new when i got the car.
Before everyone starts saying try deflooding......i've tried over and over again and it doesn't work.
Things i have done:
Replaced leading coil a 2nd time - still no start.
Replaced CAS - no start.
Checked for spark - none.
I have just gotten another junk yard CAS and Leading coil, but haven't tried those yet. I also bought new NGK spark plugs today and will be buying spark plug wires in the morning. Also forgot to add but the mufflers on both sides seem to be blown out or something....i'm thinking it's got a bad catalytic converter in it. The wires i'm getting are Omni spark from O'reillys....i figure that a new set of possibly crappy wires would work better than a possibly worn out crappy set of NGK's
I've read on this board that if you spin the CAS instead of cranking the engine with the ignition then you should get spark. I've tried it on the CAS i just got and i still got no spark.
Maybe i'm not checking for spark the right way. I've just been holding the wire with a spark plug in it next to the fender and had someone try starting the car and i didn't see spark. I've also read to check the ECU and i don't know where it's at on a convertible.
Help please....I've been trying to figure it out searching for over a year now and still no luck. Just feels like i'm trying the same thing over and over again with no luck.
10-14-2006, 01:57 PM
#3
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 30
i'm going to put some ATF in the spark plug holes to see if that might help. I haven't tried the new plugs and wires yet cause i was wanting to put ATF in there first. I'll post back later and update if that worked or not.
10-18-2006, 01:08 AM
#5
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Webster, NY
Posts: 31
This may help
Now I quickly ran through what you typed so if i mention something you already have checked for I apologize now.
Now. Yea the first thing id do is check for spark. Take the spark plugs out and set them dirrectly on the frame of the car or engine. anything ground really. Turn over the beast. If u see spark thats something a complished. if that case is good then next would be with the spark plugs out, listen to the spark plug holes for rushes of air. Thsi is checking for compression. Duh you prolly already know this. u hear that thats good. Now my another thing to check for at the same moment is ur air flow meter opening. now if this is a s4 then it metal and if an s5 its plastic. Same spot different design. U should see it being pulled in. as u turn it over. I dont really know why im saying. REally makes no different. I just it justs tells you if there is a leak. It may make it mroe difficult to turn if not impossible. My last resort is the that crank angle sensor. It could just be that sensor is so off that its fireing at the wrong time. Like you said that "some kid was ******* with teh distributor" those coils are not exactly ur distibrituor but that crankabgle senor is practically that. Its that post runnign out of the oil pump in front of ur engine. Un screw that beast and tweak that. Oh and dont forget about the 5 billion screws on the throttle body that regulate air flow and sensors. I know if mine are off my engine will not start. good luck. see if this helps
Now I quickly ran through what you typed so if i mention something you already have checked for I apologize now.
Now. Yea the first thing id do is check for spark. Take the spark plugs out and set them dirrectly on the frame of the car or engine. anything ground really. Turn over the beast. If u see spark thats something a complished. if that case is good then next would be with the spark plugs out, listen to the spark plug holes for rushes of air. Thsi is checking for compression. Duh you prolly already know this. u hear that thats good. Now my another thing to check for at the same moment is ur air flow meter opening. now if this is a s4 then it metal and if an s5 its plastic. Same spot different design. U should see it being pulled in. as u turn it over. I dont really know why im saying. REally makes no different. I just it justs tells you if there is a leak. It may make it mroe difficult to turn if not impossible. My last resort is the that crank angle sensor. It could just be that sensor is so off that its fireing at the wrong time. Like you said that "some kid was ******* with teh distributor" those coils are not exactly ur distibrituor but that crankabgle senor is practically that. Its that post runnign out of the oil pump in front of ur engine. Un screw that beast and tweak that. Oh and dont forget about the 5 billion screws on the throttle body that regulate air flow and sensors. I know if mine are off my engine will not start. good luck. see if this helps
10-18-2006, 11:41 PM
#6
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 30
okay....it seems that some of the wiring may be messed up but i need some help locating which wires and if they may be messed up or not.
Whenever i unhook the tach and partially connect it with the ignition in the on position i hear a clicking sound coming from the engine and the tach will jump up. I replaced the connector for the tach and now i hear a clicking sound coming from the block everytime i move one of the nuts that hold the trailing coil assembly bolted down. Also when i checked the plugs that give power to the leading and trailing coil assemblys, with the key in the on position on the leading i got 12 volts and on the trailing....one of the sides i get 0 and on the other i get .2 occasionally.
I'm about at the point that if i can figure out where the wires go to then i'm going to just rewire it....might have to do that anyway, so if you know or have experience with rewiring the trailing coil please let me know. I looked under the dash and there are some wires that have been cut and connected to another wire that goes to the back of the car....don't know where exactly. So i'll be reconnecting those wires, but i'm sure that is not why the car isn't starting. Also i have headlights, tailights, and turn signals but no lights for the gauges.
Please give me some ideas guys....i'm pretty mechanically inclined, but i start getting lost, confused, and frustrated when it comes to wiring anything other than stereo systems.
Whenever i unhook the tach and partially connect it with the ignition in the on position i hear a clicking sound coming from the engine and the tach will jump up. I replaced the connector for the tach and now i hear a clicking sound coming from the block everytime i move one of the nuts that hold the trailing coil assembly bolted down. Also when i checked the plugs that give power to the leading and trailing coil assemblys, with the key in the on position on the leading i got 12 volts and on the trailing....one of the sides i get 0 and on the other i get .2 occasionally.
I'm about at the point that if i can figure out where the wires go to then i'm going to just rewire it....might have to do that anyway, so if you know or have experience with rewiring the trailing coil please let me know. I looked under the dash and there are some wires that have been cut and connected to another wire that goes to the back of the car....don't know where exactly. So i'll be reconnecting those wires, but i'm sure that is not why the car isn't starting. Also i have headlights, tailights, and turn signals but no lights for the gauges.
Please give me some ideas guys....i'm pretty mechanically inclined, but i start getting lost, confused, and frustrated when it comes to wiring anything other than stereo systems.
10-19-2006, 07:35 AM
#7
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Webster, NY
Posts: 31
the clicking noise is normal. Well I hope. Mine is doing the same. You need to awnser what u checked for on my list. Were you not getting spark through those spark when u were turning it over. Make sure ur able to see from the drivers seat unless u got a buddy that can help. Do not hold the spark plug not even the rubber part. There is enough voltage to even jump around the rubber insulators (not through but around it). hardly any current so it wont kill ya. Now you are talking about the whole ignition and coils. Im guessing you are not getting any spark. This is actully better news in this case. You have a lead on the problem. I do hear those coils can go bad but never in my life time which is about 4 years considering im 20. lol. aka not much. There is a diagnostic on those coils which I used to fix any problems i had on my 91 rx7.
RX7 S5 Factory Manual - Enegine Electrical
Now if its not the coils, then that can be good also. but you still dont know the problem. I think you mentioned that part of your wireharness has cut or a cluster of wires and rewired togather. BAD! if thats the case. If you think its a short issue replace the harness. have fun with that
Let me know what you have checked and what u have not from what i mentioned for you to do.
Ryan
RX7 S5 Factory Manual - Enegine Electrical
Now if its not the coils, then that can be good also. but you still dont know the problem. I think you mentioned that part of your wireharness has cut or a cluster of wires and rewired togather. BAD! if thats the case. If you think its a short issue replace the harness. have fun with that
Let me know what you have checked and what u have not from what i mentioned for you to do.
Ryan
10-19-2006, 10:27 PM
#8
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 30
Well...i found the problem....i knew that the convertible top was leaking somewhere around the window seal, and it looks like the water affected the ecu and the wiring harness on the car is toast where it plugs into the ecu....not to mention there might have been a rodent in some point in time camping out in the car (lots of chewed up paper and carpet padding in a pile next to the ecu). When i tried unplugging the wires...some of them broke right before the connector....on some of the other places the copper of the wire was showing (looks like some of the damage the rodent did).
So...i'm gonna be ripping the seats and stuff out of the car (hopefully the extermination has already been done), cleaning the carpet, replacing the ecu and wiring harness, switching it over from automatic to manual, and then she should be good as new after smoking like a chimney for about 15 mins from the excess fuel and ATF in the motor.
I already know where to get an ecu from....anyone got a wiring harness for a S5 vert?
So...i'm gonna be ripping the seats and stuff out of the car (hopefully the extermination has already been done), cleaning the carpet, replacing the ecu and wiring harness, switching it over from automatic to manual, and then she should be good as new after smoking like a chimney for about 15 mins from the excess fuel and ATF in the motor.
I already know where to get an ecu from....anyone got a wiring harness for a S5 vert?
10-19-2006, 11:08 PM
#10
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 30
Well....on second thought....just so i don't blow anymore money.....i'm going to go ahead and try to repair the wiring harness where it hooks into the ecu (cut out the bad part of wiring, clean, and reconnect it to see where that gets me)....i was planning on going 13brew so i only really want to rip out a wiring harness and replace it once.