3rd Generation Specific (1993-2002) 1993-2002 Discussion including performance modifications and Technical Support Sections.
Sponsored by:

Car stalled - Now my PowerFC/Commander won't turn on.. WTF?? Car stranded!

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 05-22-04, 12:02 AM
  #1  
FD Under Construction =P

Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
 
dhahlen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Avondale, AZ
Posts: 4,030
Received 24 Likes on 9 Posts
Car stalled - Now my PowerFC/Commander won't turn on..and car WON'T START! HELP!

Alright...

I was backing up out of a parking lot and my engine just shuts off.... well I try to start it and all it does is turn over... keeps turning over... but will not start at all.

Well I looked over at my commander and noticed it was not coming on when the ignition was engaged.

Well I tried plugging in the stock ECU, same problem. Plugged the PowerFC back in... still no luck.... fiddled around with the wires a bit... no luck... and now my car is stuck out in town somewhere...

I dont know if there is a such thing as an ECU fuse or some ****, but I have no clue what to do.

I looked at the wiring harness inside the car, and I see 2 things which I have no clue where they go.

1.) A Black clip with a black wire w/yellow stripe, very small clip, looks like it connects to come sort of flat connection.

2.) A Big black box with a flat connection coming out of it, looks like it would bolt down somewhere.

Now I dont know if my friend kicked something on the wiring harness and caused something to go loose, but I have no clue what to do, or how to fix it....

ANyone in Oceanside area that can help would be awesome... I had a vacuum hose job to do at 9am tomorrow, and now I am getting buttfucked by my ECU.

ANy insight, please help ASAP.

Thank you,
-Darren-

Last edited by dhahlen; 05-22-04 at 12:09 AM.
Old 05-22-04, 12:28 AM
  #2  
FD Under Construction =P

Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
 
dhahlen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Avondale, AZ
Posts: 4,030
Received 24 Likes on 9 Posts
Here is a little more info...

THe car was working fine 30 minutes before this problem happened.

So it may be a fuse issue, I have no clue where the EGI fuse is.

I believe it has to be an electrical problem, and I am hoping it's just a fuse. What should I do replace the EGI and main fuses? or just pull and inspect... I dont even know where the EGI fuse is, heh.
Old 05-22-04, 12:54 AM
  #3  
Rotary on a budget

iTrader: (1)
 
MrRx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Austin, Tx
Posts: 823
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
try looking under the hood at one of the main fuse boxes for any blown fuse, other than that sounds like your SOL
Old 05-22-04, 01:04 AM
  #4  
Rotary on a budget

iTrader: (1)
 
MrRx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Austin, Tx
Posts: 823
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Another thing, check the ECU ground, main fuse, the black box and wire are the the cooling fans, If nothing else, get a Mult-meter and check if any power is geting to the Ecu.
Old 05-22-04, 01:40 AM
  #5  
Rotary Freak

 
mad_7tist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: tampa
Posts: 1,899
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
30 amp fuse right next to the battthe cover says egi. it pulls right out. you can replace it with the retractor fuse for the headlights to get home.
Old 05-22-04, 09:25 AM
  #6  
I am becoming...

iTrader: (1)
 
Broken09's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Montgomery, AL
Posts: 1,507
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Unless he's got a short... check your omp wiring when my car did this it was because the omp wiring had been cut through by the main pulley after the harness had shifted.
Old 05-22-04, 11:37 AM
  #7  
What's an RX-7 ?

 
TwinTriangles's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MN
Posts: 921
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Check your ignition switch...
Old 05-22-04, 11:41 AM
  #8  
FD Under Construction =P

Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
 
dhahlen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Avondale, AZ
Posts: 4,030
Received 24 Likes on 9 Posts
I just got back from checking the car... it's a 20 minute drive one way to get to it... and I couldn't figure out anything...

All the fuses look good, I checked all the main fuses... I don't want to head back over there until I have a better idea of what it could be...

Ignition is a good idea..

I didn't see any cut wires under the hood, or anything out of the ordinary by the ECU. I'm sorta on a stump here...
Old 05-22-04, 01:27 PM
  #9  
FD Under Construction =P

Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
 
dhahlen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Avondale, AZ
Posts: 4,030
Received 24 Likes on 9 Posts
^
Old 05-22-04, 03:03 PM
  #10  
Need a 20b FD.

iTrader: (16)
 
RX7WEEE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bellingham Wa
Posts: 1,946
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
can u turn on the car lights? do the dome lights come on?

if no its your main fuse i had the exact same thing happen to me. no dome light powerfc didn't come on ect...

all my fuses looked fine but i switched out my main fuse box(even though it looked fine) and the car started right up.
Old 05-22-04, 03:07 PM
  #11  
Need a 20b FD.

iTrader: (16)
 
RX7WEEE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bellingham Wa
Posts: 1,946
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
can u turn on the car lights? do the dome lights come on?

if no its your main fuse i had the exact same thing happen to me. no dome light powerfc didn't come on ect...

all my fuses looked fine but i switched out my main fuse box(even though it looked fine) and the car started right up.
Old 05-22-04, 03:08 PM
  #12  
Need a 20b FD.

iTrader: (16)
 
RX7WEEE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bellingham Wa
Posts: 1,946
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
can u turn on the car lights? do the dome lights come on?

if no its your main fuse i had the exact same thing happen to me. no dome light powerfc didn't come on ect...

all my fuses looked fine but i switched out my main fuse box(even though it looked fine) and the car started right up.
Old 05-22-04, 03:22 PM
  #13  
FD Under Construction =P

Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
 
dhahlen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Avondale, AZ
Posts: 4,030
Received 24 Likes on 9 Posts
yeah i get dome lights and everything... car lights too..
Old 05-22-04, 05:11 PM
  #14  
Rotary Freak

 
mad_7tist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: tampa
Posts: 1,899
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
ok so the ecu is not getting power because of the fuse by the dead pedal or the egi fuse prob
Old 05-22-04, 06:19 PM
  #15  
FD Under Construction =P

Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
 
dhahlen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Avondale, AZ
Posts: 4,030
Received 24 Likes on 9 Posts
i swapped all the egi fuses with good ones from my friends 7, and all his relays too... didn't fix a thing.

HOw about the ECU power wire... what's the chance that it's fucked up?

And what the hell is dead pedal?
Old 05-22-04, 08:56 PM
  #16  
my fc broke

 
1SxyRXy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: rohnert park,CA/ bay area
Posts: 2,231
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
the pedel you rest your foot on all the way to the left. well ists not really a pedel its a block type of thing
Old 05-22-04, 09:58 PM
  #17  
FD Under Construction =P

Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
 
dhahlen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Avondale, AZ
Posts: 4,030
Received 24 Likes on 9 Posts
oh yeah, i checked the majority of those fuses, and they're fine. So I dont know what else to try aside from the ECU power wire... whichever that one is.
Old 05-22-04, 10:02 PM
  #18  
Rotary Enthusiast

 
reza's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 1,252
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Maybe the PowerFC expired...

Anyway, have you try to swap to stock ECU?
Old 05-22-04, 10:03 PM
  #19  
FD Under Construction =P

Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
 
dhahlen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Avondale, AZ
Posts: 4,030
Received 24 Likes on 9 Posts
Har har har - expired.

LOL

Yes I have tried the stock ECU, same problems.
Old 05-22-04, 10:07 PM
  #20  
Rotary Enthusiast

 
reza's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 1,252
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Try to follow the wireharness out of the ECU, maybe they got cut or disconnected or shorted along the way.
There are four connectors, so follow them all... I know its hard to crawl in the space, but just check to see if that helps...
Old 05-22-04, 10:33 PM
  #21  
FD Under Construction =P

Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
 
dhahlen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Avondale, AZ
Posts: 4,030
Received 24 Likes on 9 Posts
I followed them, and they all eventually go through the firewall. There is electrical tape all over, so I'd have to get rid of all that. I am hoping it's the power wire, I'm trying to figure out which one it is, but I won't be able to check it out until tomorrow morning.
Old 05-23-04, 01:29 AM
  #22  
I am becoming...

iTrader: (1)
 
Broken09's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Montgomery, AL
Posts: 1,507
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
hmmmm i've heard that a faulty clutch switch can also cause this problem.... did the car quit when you were shifting by any chance?
Old 05-23-04, 09:56 AM
  #23  
FD Under Construction =P

Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
 
dhahlen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Avondale, AZ
Posts: 4,030
Received 24 Likes on 9 Posts
I shifted it to reverse and then it died just shortly after.

If the clutch wasn't working, wouldn't the ECU still turn on?

And the car wouldn't even turn over at all if the clutch wasn't engaged.
Old 05-23-04, 01:13 PM
  #24  
Rotary Freak

 
mad_7tist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: tampa
Posts: 1,899
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
the interlock switch will stop the car from turning over. did you look at the fuses by the left kick panel? right where you put you foot when it is off the clutch , dead pedal? if when you turn the key to on the pfc is not powering up you have a power/connection issue. make sure all the plugs are snaped in. keep looking i doubt it is a major,expensive prob...assuming the pfc is ok.........
Old 05-23-04, 01:51 PM
  #25  
FD Under Construction =P

Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
 
dhahlen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Avondale, AZ
Posts: 4,030
Received 24 Likes on 9 Posts
yeah i checked the fuses - i just want to figure out what the hell it is...

I've been told it wasn't the ignition...

So my options are as follows (I would assume)

1.) Power Wire to ECU
2.) Fuse by dead pedal

Once again, I've checked all relays and main fuses. Everything works just fine except for the ECU coming online, and allowing the car to start.

We known it is **NOT**

1.) Relays
2.) Grounding
3.) ECU Itself
4.) Interlock Switch
5.) Fuses under the hood

correct?

Could possibly be:

1.) Ignition Switch (but all my interior lights come on and beeping occurs and ****, radio works, etc when it is in the *ON* position)

So I do not think it's the ignition either... but who knows.

Last edited by dhahlen; 05-23-04 at 01:54 PM.


Quick Reply: Car stalled - Now my PowerFC/Commander won't turn on.. WTF?? Car stranded!



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:05 PM.