hi all,
got the old girl started after solving the oil pressure problem and it has now developed a few other weird issues.

The first one is that the engine dies after 2 or 3 seconds of running. im pretty sure it starts off the prime and then the 12v to the fuel relay dies. (possible immob issue) i am trying to find out where the fuel output is on the ecu. i have jumped the fuel relay to send perma live to the pump and this makes it run. it misfires but is getting smoother and hasnt been run for 2 years haha. What could be causing the fuel positive to drop out at the relay?!

second probelm is its had hideous aftermarket headlights fitted, i removed one today and up re fitting it im sure i heard a spark, could have been a plastic fitting. anyhow after this happend now when i turn the ignition on all the relays tick like crazy and the lights on the dash flash with the ticks! pretty weird and i cant seem to get it to stop. none of the windows work while this is happening so its currently stuck with the windown down!

would appreciate your opinions on these faults, also i have tried to flash any error codes out of the ecu but there is no engine light illumonated!?

any help appreciated

 

For the fuel issue, try swapping the relay with another and see if it works. For the lights, there is probably a wire grounded or not correctly connected. Recheck the wires where the lights are. If you heard a spark, that's probably where the issue is.

 

I can hear the relay click when it starts but then it clicks off again just before it dies. I have checked the power to the relay when cranking and it goes live for 3 secs then loses power. Seems to be the ecu is shutting off power to the fuel relay but why?

 

no idea about the headlights but for the fuel....

i had a similar issue and it ended up being the fuel pump resistor. that little box under the brake booster. one of the pins had been pulled out. same as you, i was able to jump the fuel pump and get the car to run. after i removed it, it would die once the pressure in lines was gone.

i would start with the fuel pump resistor since your issues are so similar to mine.

 

Okay brilliant I will look there in the morning first, has anyone got a pic? And do you mean brake servo?
I saw a corroded heat sink down there

 

That "heat sink" under there is the fuel pump resistor. You can try jumping the connection to see if it's bad. Should ohm out to .57-.70 ohms at 68*F or something

Matt

 

update,
thanks alot cr-rex i looked there first this morning and found this!





turns out some mice decided to munch through the wires when building their nest.
So i connected them up and now it starts and runs! happy days, i say runs its misfiring badly.
Also i discovered the main battery earth was very crap so i re connected this and filed down the contact surfaces and this solved my earth problem.

now onto the running issues! can anyone help me identify what these plugs should go to?



there are a few wires floating about. and also the exhaust temperature sensor is floating about underneath the car with no corresponding hole for it to go into. i do have the original cats with this hole which might be worth putting on the get the heat light off my dash.

i also have this coming off the air pipes, not sure where this should go to either



there is also a constant beep when the car has been running for 5 seconds, any ideas what this could be?

last question there is a metal pipe that runs from the inlet manifold down the back of the gearbox. i noticed on mine it has been blanked off with a old spark plug (WTF) whats this for?

thanks for any help

heres a vid of it running and the noise for reference
http://vid551.photobucket.com/albums...pseoljhdhj.mp4

 

My word.

The empty connection at the firewall is for a ground strap that comes from the back of the engine hangar.

The empty spot on your intake I believe is for the air pump. If you have an empty looking tube going down and back past the transmission that's probably also for the air pump. No main cat in place I take it?

That buzzing sound is your coolant buzzer. It lets you know when the coolant is dangerously low. Not sure on the wires that are chopped off. Investigate your cooling system and ensure it is full and not leaking, as this can quickly lead to a blown coolant seal and a rebuild.

Matt

 

Thanks for the help Matt,
It really is a can of worms! I have blanked off the pipe coming off the intake. Also yeah the main cat has been removed. This also leaves the exhaust temp sensor out. I found out the buzzing was because the coolant sensor was unplugged. It hasn't been started in 2 years and now runs very smokey and misfiring badly. Will a compression test show up failed coolant o rings? Also it smells very rich out the back could this be from the exhaust temp sensor or maybe the misfire.
There is also what seems like exhaust gas rising from around the turbos. Smoke out the black is white and blue

 

A compression test will tell the condition of apex/side seals. THICK white smoke will indicate a blown coolant seal. Smoking from the turbos could be a leak in the area. Either a bad gasket or a fluid dripping onto it. Start with changing the plugs and wires for the misfire. I also recommend cleaning all of your grounds with the level of corrosion you can see from the pictures

Matt

 

Okay thanks. I will post a vid up of my driving down the road to see if it would clear, coolant tank seems to be pressurising very fast. All pointing to a rebuild! How can I test for coolant seals? I have replaced the plugs but leads yet. Could a bad earth cause a misfire?

 

There are a few ways to see if your coolant seals are bad, the champagne test is hit or miss. Best way I think is to pull the plugs and get a coolant pressure tester. Pressurize the system with the tester and make sure it doesn't leak down. If it leaks down and you have no apparent leaks, turn the engine by hand and see if it spits coolant out the plug holes.

Matt

 

Thanks alot matt very helpful, I will do these tests this week and report back, gonna do a compression test anyway to check the health of the rotor seals. Apparently the engine had a rebuild and was never started because of the oil pressure problem. But when I got hold of it the rear rotor had both spark plugs removed. So 2 years worth of crap and moisture could have perished the coolant o ring or gas seals. That's my theory at the moment anyway

 

Well the 2 year old oil and fuel in tne car isnt really helping your cause as far as running goes. Draining out that old fuel and putting in some fresh 93 or whatever you haves should be a big help if your tank hasnt rusted out. If your coolant seals are super bad then you can take the cap off thr filler neck and crank the engine. The water will shoot out like a geyser if they have failed. I have seen this happen with a friend.

As for the exhaust temp light, if you reach under the driver seat you will see a white 2 prong plug. It may be tucked under the carpet. If you unplug it and jump the wires then the light will go out. Everything that others are saying is some good info as well.

 

Thanks, I have taken the cap off and it doesn't shoot out it could be an air lock causing it to Pressurize, is there a good way to bleed the air from these systems? It's not running the standard rad. I have a fuel filter coming but had a look and oh my looks like a horrible job to change. The tank was pretty much empty when I picked it up and I did put 10l of super in it 98ron. Is there a place to connect a fuel pressure gauge on yhe fuel rail?

 

The pictures may be the tip of the problem iceberg and you could spend a lot of time and money tracking them all down. If it were me, I would first confirm the health of your engine with a compression check, then I'd revert everything back to stock where I could confirm everything is in good working condition when it's put back together. From there, it can be modified as desired.

 

Thanks for all the help guys, I did a compression test today,removed the valve in the tester, but forgot to open the throttle body. I got 60 on the front rotor and 75 to 80 on the rear rotor. Would the throttle body being closed drop it this low. Or is it rebuild time?