drft_180sx

Hi, how is everyone doing today. Im not doing so good.

My car stalled and shut down last friday, while in motion (was depressing the clutch to downshit to second gear). The car has since not started up,.

Diagnosis:

There is no spark at any of the coils, a back up ECU replaced the original ECU, but nothing has changed, still no spark. The next step was going to be CAS. Or do you guys think that all the Coils could have gone at the same time? All fuses are in tact. Well. i only checked the ones with the main fuse (EGI, retactor, etc) should i check any others?

Thanks in advance.

Kingofl337

CAS seems like the next logical step. PM me if you need one. You might want to check voltage to the coils first though.

HAILERS

Install a good ENGINE fuse, located in the crew compartment near your left foolt.

ENGINE FUSE good???? Then put a DIGITAL meter on the black/yellow wire at the lead coil assy and turn the key to ON. You should have battery voltage there. It's good?????

Then pull the cas out. Leave the cas elec plug on it. Put the LEAD plug wires near the left strut tower. Turn the key to ON. Spin the cas's bottom gear rapidly. The plug wires should make large sparks. If they do, then you have spark and your problem lies elsewhere.

WAYNE88N/A

Hailers, did you ever wonder if the injectors are also squirting whatever pressure might be in the rails when you're doing your CAS thing? I enjoy reading your unorthodox way of troubleshooting things, but don't you worry that some of these guys won't know how to reinstall the CAS correctly for timing purposes?

My way...If you don't have a timing light to verify spark, get a small flourescent bulb, the kind you buy at Wal-mart that replaces your standard incandescent bulbs. Place the bulb next to each wire while cranking. If you see the bulb flash dimly, that wire has spark. Needless to say, don't do this out in broad daylight- it needs to be as dark as possible in the engine bay area. There you go, no pulling the CAS, no whipping out a meter, no bullshit

drft_180sx

Douple Bosts own me.

drft_180sx

Thanks for all the help, i'll try that. And i'll try and search next time.

Wayne, I tried to check the coil packs by placing the spark plug wires real close to the coil pack (then cranked) to see if the spark would jump the gap, which it should, but nothing, is that what you meant?

WAYNE88N/A

No, not exactly. I don't play with spark plug wire too much, I'm too old to get 20K volts shoved up my ***, lol...

Ideally, you want to check the system with everything intact, in its place; hence the timing light or flourescent bulb suggestion...

If you'd like, do it Hailers way, which also checks the CAS and the ECU timing signals, and all of the associated wiring. Just mark the sucker before pulling it so that you can reinstall it exactly as it came out (also heed the front cover & pulley timing marks)...

DerangedHermit

Funny story actually... oh wait, another time I guess .

HAILERS

*****unorthodox way of troubleshooting things, but don't you worry that some of these guys won't know how to reinstall the CAS correctly for timing purposes?******

No, I don't worry at all. What? Me worry?

My method is a very engine frienly method of checking for spark. My method does not require that the starter be cranking over and over and over and over wearing out the starter.

If the engine has not been cranked over with the starter for a while......the fuel pressure in the rails will have disapated long ago,....so no fuel will be injected since there is no fuel pressure in the rail.

DRFT NEEDS to put a meter on the black/yellow wire at the two wire, white connector near the LEAD coil assy to determine is he has 12v or battery voltage on that wire when the key is to ON. That needs to be done before anything else. All that cranking ain't a gonna do no good with no power going to the coil assy. It comes from .....THE ENGINE FUSE located in the crew compartment.

P.S. My wife can stab a cas and get the timing within five degrees each and every time without using a timing light.

WAYNE88N/A

Man, you are one lucky guy, very rare to have a better half that even knows how to check the oil, much less stab a CAS. I salute you

Wha? The black/yellow doesn't get it's power from the 15A engine fuse, it gets it from the 40A EGI INJ fuse in the engine bay box. It takes the 15A eng fuse to power the relay to get the juice to flow from the 40A, I'm sure that's what you meant. If you hear the main relay clicking when you turn the key, you can pretty well assume that the 15A fuse is good...

As long as you're aware of starter duty/cooling cycles, you're not gonna hurt it. And as long as you're aware that any fuel at all in the rails will be injected into a dead engine while doing the CAS spin trick, you can take take of the flooding issues after the spark is fixed. Now it's my turn for humor

HAILERS

IF the ENGINE fuse is blown..........you ain't a gonna have 12v at the black/yellow wire at the small, white. two socket connector located near the LEAD coil assy.

It's a lot more probable that the ENGINE fuse will be blown than a fuse in the engine bay. Oh, ok, I shoulda said IF THE ENGINE FUSE IS BLOWN, THEN YOU WON'T GET 12V AT THE SMALL, WHITE, TWO SOCKET CONNECTOR near the LEAD coil assy. It ain't gonna happen if the ENGINE fuse is blown. Look for 12v on the black/yellow wire at that connector. If it's not there....then it's most probable the ENGINE fuse is blown. Neither the Main Relay nor the Circuit Opening Relay are going to pull in it the ENGINE fuse is blown. Hmmm, did I mention the ENGINE fuse and the 12v on the black/yellow wire at the Lead coil??????