alright, this thing is starting to get to me...
i have a couple of issues on a new rebuild that i THINK may be related which is slowing down my rebuild... i think it may be electrical (cause i let someone else handle that while i secured the gearbox)... here's what i've got.

1. the thick metal ground wiring from the rear right (looking form the front of the engine bay) gets hot to the point of smoking when attached to the firewall during cranking.

2. the injectors won't fire during cranking but can be heard to click when the appropriate point at the ECU is grounded (searched) ... this makes me think that the circuit is complete but perhaps the ECU isn't getting the signal to ground out the injectors.

3. inside the car it shows low coolant (i've added boatloads of water for the first cranking) but there should be plenty... every time the engine is turned off an exceptionally loud buzzer sounds constantly to warn me of god knows what (the engine is bone cold but a high heat measurement occasionally comes back).

4. and the main one, it just doesn't bloody start after the rebuild... i figure it has to be electrical... does anyone have any thoughts on ANY of the above?

 

sounds like you may not have a decent ground from the battery to the engine and chasis. The wire on the back of the firewall is too small to handle the amperage of starter and geral load of the car. Double check any grounds you hooked up (or missed) when installing the new engine.

 

thanks! reckon that would cause ALL those problems, or just make life worse with the ones i have?

found another one now while adjusting the harness across the back of the firewall. a small wire has come loose from a plug... looks like brown/orange and white... single wire that comes out of the harness just to the ECU side of the large plug set that goes to the UIM and Throttle body. where does that go for an easy repair?
EDIT: i have a manual... searching throws up that the brown/white wire would be an auto transmission connection... if so do i just leave it open? i have never noticed it before!

AND! the plug to the oil pan just snapped out... this is sucking tonight!

 

UPDATE: Issue #3 solved... added wiring harness to the list of things that "if you want it done properly do it yourself"... funny how the aircon plug sent a bung reading to the coolant sensor huh?!

 

First, you NEED a good ground. Everything electrical on the engine works using a ground as the low for any signal. That is the first thing you have to solve. If the wire is getting hot, then you should know that something is wrong with either the wire or the gound point.

Take a jumper cable and put one side on the NEG post on the battery and the other end of the wire on the engine block. That should be a good direct ground to get started.

Good luck