I am having trouble starting the engine I just rebuilt. When it does start, it will run (with no leaks). The problem is that it will only start about once in fifty tries.

The engine floods when attempting to start it. I had the fuel injectors (high impedence) rebuilt and leak tested. They seem to be in good working order.

When trying to time it, the timing light will only flash when it's connected to the L2 lead. It will not flash (well, it might flash VERY intermentently) when attached to L1, T1 or T2. I swapped coil packs with a car that was running perfectly and I get the same results as with the original ones.

Does ANY of this make sense to you???

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might have.

Walt

 

Compression, Fuel, Spark.

It sounds like you've got an ignition issue.

Remove the EGI/fuel fuses from the engine fuse box, pull all the plugs (leave the wires attached), and set them onto the upper intake manifold (make sure they're grounded).

Have someone start the car and see if all the plugs fire.

If not, you apparently have a wiring or electrical problem. Or, bad plugs (unless they're new).

(or, it's just flooded... turn it over with the fuses pulled and the plugs out to blow the nastiness out of the combustion chamber.

 

Yup.

Also if it has flooded that many times, the plugs HAVE to be replaced.

At the very least do that.

 

... pulled the plugs and all four sparked. I re-installed the plugs and the engine would not start.

The engine is firing, it just won't start. Could the injectors be squirting fuel in a steady stream and not in pulses?? If so, how might I check it?

Again, thanks for any help.

Walt

 

2nd step would be to pull the fuel hose and confirm that fuel is flowing strongly. It more than likely is, but it's best to make sure. How old is the fuel filter?

Let it flow into a clear bottle...

If you've got an S5 (89-91), try flooring the gas to deflood the engine.

I've never worked on an S4 (86-88), but almost every time my car floods severely, I have to manipulate the gas pump a LOT and it'll eventually start, but sometimes after up to a minute of starting (yes, that is bad for the starter).

Strangely enough, manipulating the gas back and forth seems to work better than just flooring it to use the deflooding system.

I'm not entirely sure WHY it works, but I think it has to do with the increased air causing the fuel to be compressed better, making it more liable to ignite.

 

... are you? I live in Huntsville (English Village).

 

Fuel hoses backwards?

 

That seems...unlikely, it it was running before.

I'm in Auburn at the moment. Otherwise I'm in Fairhope (which I probably will be this weekend...).


Edit: Oh, it's a rebuild...

In that case, make sure the fuel hose with the fuel filter on it is connected to the nipple on the left.

 

does it click when it wont start?

if so, check your battery.

 

that's really weird that the timing light only shows L2 sparking even though all the plugs are sparking outside the engine. Maybe you missed the engine ground when reinstalling it in the engine bay? Try hooking a jumper cable between negative bat and something big and metal on the engine.

Someone correct me if the spark plugs don't get ground from the engine.