Car is a 93 base automatic I have performed a 5 speed swap on. I purchased it as a roller and it has definitely been in some questionable hands in the past few years judging by the work attempted on the car. Either way I have swapped in a good long block, wiring harnesses etc and really expected it to fire up like all the other FDs I have put together over the years. Here is the current situation.

1. Car is an auto to manual swap
2. Using auto wiring harness with inhibitor switch bypassed(this rules out any clutch switch issues as it isnt even wired in)
3. Known Good Starter
4. Known good ignition switch
5. Known good wiring harness
6. Newer Charge/Battery harness from Jspec car(Possible issue but I dont see any differences)
7. Good Battery
8. 12 volts at Starter to S post(not getting any power during cranking to trigger wire or solenoid)
9. Security Relay Bypassed
10. Main 125 amp fuse is good
11. Checked other fuses all look good.


I don't ask for help often and have searched extensively the last 3-4 days. If everyone could inform me on what situations would cause a no click/nothing/nada when the key is turned with a verified good battery and all of the above please let me know. I am running out of ideas.

Thanks
David

 

I had an ignition switch with with gummed up terminals. Took the switch apart and lightly sanded the contacts down, has work great since.

 

Clutch switch? The one on my 5-speed is a little weird, and when it doesn't engage, I get those same symptoms. Dead in the water.
Do the lights and accessories work? I mean just to rule out the battery or harness?

 

Swapped ignition switch from my personal FD so that is ruled out.

I am using the auto harness and have bypassed the inhibitor switch. Clutch switch is not wired in nor does it have any effect when using the auto harnesses.

Keep sending suggestions though.

 

All lights and accessories work, just no click at all when I turn the key.

 

this! i don't know the path the "start" wire takes in the FD, but with a JDM harness maybe its different?

as a test you can supply 12V to the trigger/start pin on the starter and it should crank

 

You've got a bad component, connector, or run of wiring somewhere. If I were faced with this scenario I'd just start at the battery and follow the circuit, testing for 12v at every connector/switch/component until I get to the starter. At some point you'll find that you don't have 12v when and where you should.

 

Is the starter relay engaging? According to the schematic CPU #2 has something to do with it.



If nothing works then you might have to trace the trigger wire and see where it gets cut off.

 

try triggering it from the diagnostic box

 

Changed out the CPU2 last night feeling hopeful....and nothing. Only thing left to try is switching out the charge harness which Ill try to get to later this week. Car is about to be for sale for a good deal if I can't figure it out quickly. It was supposed to be a quick two weekend project and time has expired.

 

Damn thought that could be it, I would remove the starter cut relay, and jump that 12V signal to the starter just to get it going first, then work your way back. Or instead of bypassing the inhibitor switch, try putting it back in and leave it in park position.

 

I am fighting a similar problem right now, but mine is intermittent.

i have to turn the key back and forward several times before it starts. mine is 93 base factory 5spd single turbo harness. yada yada yada.

I have messed with the starter solenoid. the 1 wire clip seems to be pretty loose to me.
when i get this problem its usually in high humidity ( like monday and sunday with all the storms rolling through.) so in my eyes i think its just a bad connection with the signal wire, if thats that it is called.

since my car is stock ride height i have reached up under the car and pushed in and wiggled the signal wire to the starter and jumped back in the car and started right up.

 

I've had this happen before and tapped on the starter with a wrench and all was well after that.

 

yep

could be the starter solenoid but typically you get the click 1st and not completely dead or the flat line effect he's getting

I'd try swapping the battery harness and be sure all the grounds are connected, tight and touching good metal

If that doesn't do it wire straight from the battery to the starter with a push button in between (race style LOL).

 

Hey David!

You'll probably need to get a multimeter out and start testing things.

First, make sure the main power cable to the starter has a good, healthy 12v to it. Next, check to make sure there's a good ground, the case of the starter to the negative battery terminal should have little to no resistance.

Finally, pull the small wire off the starter and have someone hold the key at "start" - you should see 12v there. If not, time to trace that wire back.

On a manual trans car, that wire goes from the ignition switch, through the clutch switch, through the starter cut relay, then on to the starter. I would probably try and trace it, see where you're getting 12v and at what point you're not.

Good luck man!

Dale

 

This is very likely going to be the outcome if I change the charge harness with no luck.

 

Dale

Thanks for the input. I have verified I have 12volts at the starter and had my wife turn the key and I get nothing to signal wire. She is literally 9 months pregnant and not very comfortable climbing in and out of an FD to help me. My other option is my 3 year old, and though he is willing, not the best move.

Ill have some people over this weekend to help me for a couple minutes and hopefully get it sorted.

Thanks for all the help everyone.

 

Are you sure you don't have the oil pressure sending unit and starter solenoid wires mixed up?

 

Come on man They arent mixed up. The car had some questionable wiring in the past and I thought I resolved it but there is something I am missing. I'll keep digging Sunday or sometime next week.

 

I seriously just had an auto/manual swap car in the shop, this was the no start issue. Automatic starter harness is different from the Manual, since the Auto starter sits next to the engine, in front of the bell housing, manual starter bolts through the bell housing. This makes the two similar connectors easier to mix up on the auto.

Real simple test, check the oil pressure sensor wire for 12V while the ignition switch is engaged.

 

Might be a silly question....but have you tried push starting it?

 

Got the car started today!!!!.........but only on starter fluid. I wired the push button race car style from starter signal switch to battery and that resolved the cranking issue.

I have fuel pressure, spark but not getting a signal to the injectors(Verified with node light). Ive always thought the injectors and coil were on the same circuits minus the different wiring harnesses. I've replaced CAS sensors and all the main relays.

When key is on position but not cranking, Im getting around 2.5% Injector Duty Cycle on the commander. When cranking it goes to 14% injector duty cycle and falls down to around 5-6%. However, node light is not registering any signal. Engine to ECU harness was bought used from a shop with good reputation saying the harness came out of a running car.

Any other ideas as to why I am getting spark but no pulse to injectors?

So close yet so far, keep the ideas coming.

 

Both primary injectors are getting 12volts but no getting the ground signal. I spliced in a new ground wire about 2" out of the ecu from Connect 4Y directly to the ground wire at the rear primary injector, then cranked the car. Still nothing from the noid light. Any chance this could be related to the NO click issue? Really strange to be getting a signal for the coils, having 12 volts at the injector but no ground signal. Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks

 

Hey dave. Funny enough... I was doing some wiring and mis-read the Factory wiring diagram.... I ended up cutting the bigger black wire with white strip on one of the corners of the ecu connector closest to the floor. I was getting 12 Volts...but same ground problems....

 

the ECU grounds the injectors, so you should see 12v at the injector wires at the ecu, with the key on engine off.

if the PFC shows a duty, it is probably working, and the harness or injectors are bad. i have seen hatlechs fail on the power side though, so it'll show outputs when there are not any. the PFC seems to be more robust though.