2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992) 1986-1992 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections.
Sponsored by:

Help!!! Tried starting car again...Engine ground cought on fire ?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 04-03-03, 10:53 PM
  #1  
von
Rotary Freak

Thread Starter
 
von's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: sandiego, ca
Posts: 2,941
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Help!!! Tried starting car again...Engine ground cought on fire ?

The ground that goes from the firewall to the tranzmission cought on fire. It looked melted on the firewall side. I blew it out but im guessing it started getting hot wile cranking only...Car still did not start even with ether starter fluid and messin with the timing and jumping the battery
Old 04-03-03, 10:55 PM
  #2  
STUCK. I got SNOWNED!!!!!

iTrader: (7)
 
Terrh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Windsor, On
Posts: 8,723
Received 13 Likes on 9 Posts
wow, that sucks man!

I blew out the stock ground (from battery to starter) on my car yesterday.. melted it good! I just cut the cable and bolted it directly to the chassis, works now

I was cranking my car for quite a while too
be careful not to wreck your starter, 15sec cranking MAX then let it rest for 30sec-1 min
Old 04-03-03, 10:55 PM
  #3  
Daily Domestic Killer

 
BlackRx7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: San Antonio, Tx, USA
Posts: 2,425
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
okaty try getting some 8 guage wire connect one sire to the - batt cable, the other to the wireing harness ground, btw my car doesn't have a tranny to firewall ground...edit yes make sure you have a good ground from the negative batt cable to the frame directly under the fuse box.....
Old 04-03-03, 10:56 PM
  #4  
STUCK. I got SNOWNED!!!!!

iTrader: (7)
 
Terrh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Windsor, On
Posts: 8,723
Received 13 Likes on 9 Posts
so, your car won't start? Do you have fuel? are you SURE?

how about spark? Is the timing set right? Are you sure?
All that's left is compression, which might be tough if it's a fresh rebuild. Hmmmmmm...
Old 04-03-03, 11:12 PM
  #5  
pei > caek

 
dr0x's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Mars
Posts: 4,643
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Add a few of your own grounds then tow start the bish
Old 04-03-03, 11:17 PM
  #6  
von
Rotary Freak

Thread Starter
 
von's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: sandiego, ca
Posts: 2,941
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Ok the compression is no excuse. Im using a jumper and it cranks fast.

Comon guys why did my wire catch on fire ??? This scares me. yes I can put a bigger ground wire but why did it catch on fire in the first place. This is not good.

I dont know if I have fuel. I dont know if I have spark. Nobody out here will help me.
Old 04-03-03, 11:19 PM
  #7  
von
Rotary Freak

Thread Starter
 
von's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: sandiego, ca
Posts: 2,941
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
I can hear the car almost grab thou wich telz me it has both. I was playing with the crank angle sensor to see wich position is best. No good results either way. I smelt the exaust but couldnt get an acurate reading.

Why is my car catching on fire ?
Old 04-03-03, 11:21 PM
  #8  
von
Rotary Freak

Thread Starter
 
von's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: sandiego, ca
Posts: 2,941
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
By the way I have had a relocated battery with big cables and the ground is 1 foot long bolted to the firewall in the back bin where the seatbelt motor was bolted to...
Old 04-03-03, 11:22 PM
  #9  
von
Rotary Freak

Thread Starter
 
von's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: sandiego, ca
Posts: 2,941
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
I cant tow start it because it doesent go into gear ... AHHHHH This is ******* gay
Old 04-03-03, 11:29 PM
  #10  
STUCK. I got SNOWNED!!!!!

iTrader: (7)
 
Terrh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Windsor, On
Posts: 8,723
Received 13 Likes on 9 Posts
Why won't it go into gear? Is the transmission fucked?

See if you have spark... get a timing light. Make sure the timing is set reasonably close to stock.

It's easy to tell if you have fuel - remove the plugs and see if it kicks out gas.
I'm not sure exactly how n/as are laid out, and if you can get your hands on an injector to see if it's getting fuel or not... but it would be a bitch on a turbo car so I'm assuming similar on yours ...

Just how big is this "gozilla port"?

Are your plugs clean? Did you flood the car out on yoru first try and that's why you haven't been able to get it to fire? I flooded mine twice before I got it to start.
Old 04-03-03, 11:43 PM
  #11  
von
Rotary Freak

Thread Starter
 
von's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: sandiego, ca
Posts: 2,941
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Ok ok. The tranz is fine. It was great before I blew the engine and its great now.

The plugs are brand new

Never cranked more than 7-8 seconds

S5 cars have built in fuel cut off when I hold the gas to the floor and crank. wich I do every now and then

Godzilla port is as big in volume as a Bridge Port for the simple fact that I did it on a 6port housing and combined the 2 aux ports and then some.
Old 04-03-03, 11:44 PM
  #12  
pei > caek

 
dr0x's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Mars
Posts: 4,643
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Only as much electricity can go into the motor as can leave it. The other engine grounds probably arent connected or have bad connections and that one was over loaded.
Old 04-03-03, 11:45 PM
  #13  
von
Rotary Freak

Thread Starter
 
von's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: sandiego, ca
Posts: 2,941
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
by the way. Why ever would a ground wire catch on fire ??? Should I keep cranking ?
Old 04-03-03, 11:49 PM
  #14  
STUCK. I got SNOWNED!!!!!

iTrader: (7)
 
Terrh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Windsor, On
Posts: 8,723
Received 13 Likes on 9 Posts
like he said, it got overloaded. Add more elsewhere

PULL YOUR PLUGS, and CLEAN THEM. They're fouled. Really. The car might start instantly after you do this.

Why can't you get the transmission in gear if it's in good shape?
Old 04-04-03, 12:05 AM
  #15  
von
Rotary Freak

Thread Starter
 
von's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: sandiego, ca
Posts: 2,941
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Sorry we replyed that same time.

About the tranz....I put in a new clutch at the same time. So im expecting the problem is within my work on the clutch install not the tranz.

About the fire ? Ummm that sucked.

What if I leave that ground off now? What will happen?

Thiers only 3 grounds that I took off during rebuild. The battery , the block to frame , and the wiring harness to block.

By the way I f-up previously. I mean block to frame wire cought on fire.

Anyone ?
Old 04-04-03, 12:07 AM
  #16  
pei > caek

 
dr0x's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Mars
Posts: 4,643
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Add a ground from the alt bracket to the battery post, one from the water pump housing to the frame and one from the UIM to the firewall. Use 8 gauge wire and the proper crimp-on ring connectors. Also sand on the contact surface before bolting down the ground, and put di-electric grease on.

Doing this you will probably need 6ft of wire and 5 ring connectors. Estimated cost: 10$.
Old 04-04-03, 12:11 AM
  #17  
Alcohol Fueled!

iTrader: (2)
 
J-Rat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Hood River oregon
Posts: 11,093
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally posted by dr0x
Hey dr0x,

you can ixnay on the whole rat for prez thing.

Jarrett
Old 04-04-03, 12:17 AM
  #18  
Former Moderator. RIP Icemark.
 
Icemark's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Rohnert Park CA
Posts: 25,896
Likes: 0
Received 19 Likes on 19 Posts
Originally posted by von
What if I leave that ground off now? What will happen?

Thiers only 3 grounds that I took off during rebuild. The battery , the block to frame , and the wiring harness to block.

By the way I f-up previously. I mean block to frame wire cought on fire.

Anyone ?
You had a bad connection between the engine, and the body. Just leaving the wire burnt will only make it worse.

As Jrat said, you need to fix the grounds, you do not have them hooked up correctly or the connections are corroded.

The fact that they smoked means you realy realy had a bad ground!
Old 04-04-03, 12:34 PM
  #19  
STUCK. I got SNOWNED!!!!!

iTrader: (7)
 
Terrh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Windsor, On
Posts: 8,723
Received 13 Likes on 9 Posts
did you clean your plugs yet? Because its sounding like me like your plugs are VERY fouled! just take them out and clean them, scrape the carbon off, and make them look shiny and new! Put on the new grounds, too! The more the merrier, you can't have too many grounds.
Old 04-04-03, 12:40 PM
  #20  
root

 
zyounker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 1,200
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Um, from what i have read combining the ports on a 6 port engine is too much. I have heard it runs like crap if at all.. Might be your problem



Try pull starting it if you have fuel & spark..


-Zach
Old 04-04-03, 02:17 PM
  #21  
von
Rotary Freak

Thread Starter
 
von's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: sandiego, ca
Posts: 2,941
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
whats pull start? Like a push start only pulling from the front ? lol man that sounds hard
Old 04-04-03, 03:47 PM
  #22  
pei > caek

 
dr0x's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Mars
Posts: 4,643
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Take a rope, tie it to the toe hook at the front bumper. Take the other end of the rope (using a thick one obviously, an actual tow rope is a bonus) and tie it to a truck or another car. Turn your car to on, drop it in first gear and get the first vehicle to pull you to like 4000rpm. The car will start up if it has fuel+timing+gas
Old 04-04-03, 04:16 PM
  #23  
Rotary Enthusiast

 
pillage6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Jax, FL
Posts: 1,060
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
First gear?
Old 04-04-03, 09:04 PM
  #24  
von
Rotary Freak

Thread Starter
 
von's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: sandiego, ca
Posts: 2,941
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
How about second?
Old 04-04-03, 11:17 PM
  #25  
Full Member

 
robfeltner's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Melbourne, FL
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
ground caught on fire

Hey,

I flooded my car then unplugged the pump and cranked car with the throttle wide open until it fired and I burnt off the built up gas. It only fired for a second or two. But, in the process, I fried my ground wire. I think I just cranked it too long. And, I don't mean too long each crank. I mean too many times in say a couple of hours. Cause like you, I was being careful and I didn't want to fry the starter. I'd assume the car is flooded and then try this for your ground while you get the car fired for the first time. Get a set of jumper cables, and connect both a red and a black to the negative side of your battery, they connect the other ends to any where on the injector that you can grab. That way, you'll have two big additional ground wires....temporarily. That's what I did, let the car heat up then shut off and replaced the ground wire with a better one. Don't worry about your car catching fire, you just put too much stress on the ground as it has more resistence due to the entire chasis being grounded...unike the hot side. BTW check your positive lead from the batt to the starter. when I cranked mine, I melted the hot lead right at the batter....also scared shitless.

Good luck.

Rob
robfeltner@cfl.rr.com


Quick Reply: Help!!! Tried starting car again...Engine ground cought on fire ?



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:36 AM.