Car cranks, but doesn't start. I don't think it is flooded.
 

My 88 Turbo II cranks, but will not start. Before I get answers of..."it is flooded", read further.

I suspected flooding so I already did the unflooding procedure. Still didn't start.

I ensured that the battery is charged. I also checked the spark plugs. These are new NGKs. They are totally clean. A little bit of soot from the cranking of the engine, but everything is normal. Spark plugs show no sign of wear.

I used my multimeter to ensure that the coils are working. Totally within spec. I also tested spark by pulling each spark plug out and watching it spark.

With the troubleshooting diagram from the FSM, I diagnose the problem to be the water thermo sensor. So I change the water thermo sensor.. It is new (non-OEM, but it should still work).

After all this, I make a code puller.

http://home.earthlink.net/~msemmes/RX7_ErrCode1.htm

Guess what error code I get.....WATER THERMO SENSOR!!!!

How can this be? The connections are fine (at least visually). So what is the exact culprit? It is totally strange.

The 86-88 ecus are not supposed to be able to store error codes (as opposed to the 89+) so I'm pretty sure that the problem still lies with the water thermo sensor. I doubt I have to reset the ecu.

The previous owner said that his radiator broke and when that happend, he replaced the radiator and thermostat. After that happend, the car would not start anymore.

Any ideas? I haven't checked compression yet, but I'm pretty sure that it is ok.

This is out of the blue, but are you sure your getting fuel? When I first got my current 7, I found out the hard way that someone had installed a fuel cutoff switch and never told me when I bought the car. I hit it with my leg/foot and I couldn't get the car to start. Jumper the fuel pump and listen for it to kick on and pressurize the fuel system.

I'll try it, but I know that when I crank the car excessively, I smell fuel in the engine bay.

BTW, How am I supposed to jumper the fuel pump?

Do you have a TII or NA and what year? On TIIs theres a yellow plug thats not connected to anything on the passenger side underneath the airbox and everything. It is down there so you'll have to look, try looking under the AFM. It only has 2 holes, so just run a wire from one hole, into the other one. Then turn the key to the on position. You should be able to hear the pump running.

Oh and if you have fuel, just try to spray some starter fluid in the intake to get it running.

I have an 88 Turbo II.

I'll give it shot, fingers crossed.

Thanks Ryde or Die.

Yep it should be the same. Do you have the stock intake? If not it makes it easier to find. Its a fairly yellow plug with nothing plugged into it.

Is it cranking at normal speed, slow, what? Need more info...

It cranks entirely at normal speed. It is not a bad alternator or starter. Battery is good.

If you're getting a Water Thermo Sensor code, that means the ECU isn't physically seeing it - open circuit sensor or a broken wire/connector. Start with that.

Has the car been sitting for a while? Came out in the morning and it was like this? What?

Dale

The car was sitting for awhile before I bought it.

I would check the wiring. My bet is a broken/cut wire.

Haha.. .Ryde...

I did the same thing when I bought my first FC. They had a fuel pump cut-off switch by my left knee. Stopped at K-Mart the first day... and bumped it on the way out of the car.

Took 3 hours to realize that the switch I kept flipping on and off to see what it was for, was for my fuel. I had flipped that switch probably 20 times and always ended up with it on...

Fikshun

I looked around for a fuel cutoff switch. I honestly don't see one. But, I'll get back to you guys.

BTW, this reminds me.

Does anyone has a completely stock and uncut 1988 Turbo II wiring harness? If so, I want to replace my wiring harness.

Unfortunately, I don't. I do have one very cut up one and one cut/spliced up one.. rewiring for haltech soon and as a wonderful side benefit I get to kill as much of the current wiring as possible.

Well, if someone can provide me w/ a stock 88 Turbo II harness, I can have a friend of mine reproduce the harnesses. My friend runs an audio shop and he is very good. He made his own harness for his SR20 powered Datsun 510.

i have a similar problem. i have this anti flood module.
http://www.our.net.au/~pnt/afm/rx7_RX7.html
i dont know if this would cause it. but the previous owner did tell me the car flooded alot until he got this.
but mostly the car wont start if it has just been driven for a bit. really annoying when getting gas.

just wondering whats the point of a fuel cutoff switch ?

Its a band-aid for a flooding problem.

its a security measure as well. :D