I have an 86 GXL. Over the past few days I've been having an issue with cranking. I would go to crank the car and it would just turn over. It has compression, but I noticed that the RPM gauge wasn't jumping at all while cranking. Well I turn it over a few times and noticed that the RPM finally started jumping. A few more tries and it finally starts up. Well today I have no such luck. It doesn't sound like my fuel pump is working either. I'm going to push the flap in the AFM and see if the pump starts.

Any idea where to start? Search function sucks when you don't have a good idea of what's wrong. And I'm at work so I don't have all day to find a thread.

Any help would be appreciated.

Edit: Fuel Pump is working fine, still no Tach signal and no starting.

 

Well after some looking around, I tried to unplug AFM and it didn't help. I'm reading that pulling the CAS and turning it should see spark, but I have no rpm signal so that means the trailing coil is getting no juice which leaves me to think that perhaps my ECU has crapped out on me.

The motor spins, the fuel pump works, just no spark. I checked all the big fuses, everything was good. I drove it to work fine this morning, then went to go get something for lunch and wasn't able to get it to crank.

I'm gonna go mess around in the parking lot at work hoping to figure something out, any help is greatly appreciated.


It being 102 degrees and super humid isn't making this any better...

 

Get a voltmeter and check the CAS as described in the FSM. My car was giving me similar trouble recently and it was the CAS.

I didnt need to pull it, I just unplugged it and used the voltmeter to check the ohms across the pickups.

Here is the thread.

https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-specific-1986-1992-17/car-randomly-dies-then-fine-later-help-849570/

 

Well I took the multimeter to the CAS this morning and got 161 across one set and 162 across the other. the page in the FSM stated between 110-210 and I'm right in the middle. So I guess the next stop is the ECU pin out. Anyone care to chime in what I'm looking for? I'll keep trying to search, but once again, I'm at work.

Thanks.

 

Well here's a few more tidbits.

I took the CAS out, and the leading plug. I cut the ignition to 'ON', then turned the gear on the CAS. No spark to the plug. I also unplugged the Main Relay with ignition ON, then plugged it in. It clicked. I also took the voltage tester to the white plug by the leading coil. I got 11v there. I got no volts on the 2 nuts on the actual coil. Starting to run out of options...

 

Anyone... anyone... anyone..

I yanked the ECU today and it's fresh and clean looking. I'll be checking continuity to ground wires here when i get a chance.. Any other ideas?


This is my daily driver, and it sucks that it's just sitting here at work doing nothing.



If you live in the upstate of SC, such as greenville, spartanburg, gaffney and happen to have a N326 ECU you want to get rid of, PM me. Thanks.

 

maybe a coil is bad? Do you have any spark at the plug when the CAS is back in?

 

Neither coil is getting spark. I'll be swapping out some parts today hopefully, the CAS and AFM first just to make sure.

Electrical gremlins are the worst....

 

Finally found out the issue. It was the main relay. It was clicking when I plugged/unplugged the 2 wire connector from it. But I finally took the DMM to it with the 4 wire connector unplugged and 2 wire connector plugged in. Only one side of the relay was showing any continuity. So I pulled a macguyver and shoved 2 paper clips into the 4 wire connector. The car crunk right up.

So for 3 days and countless hours in the rain at work and using the search function, I figured it out. thanks for the suggestions, and hope this helps someone in the future.

 

I have a good main relay for sale if you want it. PM me.

 

By reading this thread i just fixed my car. THANK YOU!!!! never thought there was a main relay and where is was located.