yy4u

Ok i posted a while back saying my car had cut out on me after a hard 4th gear run up to about 120. When i got out of the car, i saw what looked like smoke behind the UIM but that quickly dissappeared. No smoke from the exhaust. I tried starting the car again and it wouldn't start. It basically sat there for 2 months before i recently got it to start again. On the test drive, car pulled hard, nothing to indicate blown motor. Pulls 15in vacuum at idle. Idles fine, no problems. The only problem is getting it to start. It will almost always start when its cold, but is much less likely to start when its warm. Battery is strong so thats not the problem, I posted a poll more to get peoples attention than anythign else. My question is which is the most likely cause for it not starting:

1) Ignition harness. I've searched the forum and found several instances where the ground wire in the 1993 ignition harness has caused arcing from the coil and in at least one case produced smoke from the very same location (back of the UIM) that i noticed it when my car wouldn't start or i tried starting it.

2) Fouled Spark Plugs. I plan on replacing the plugs tomorrow and seeing if this fixes the problem, but i haven't heard of spark plugs preventing a car from starting, it seems like its more often a cause of break ups at high rpms.

3) Bad Ignition coil. I have also searched and found many instances of FD stock igniton coils going bad and needing to be replaced. What causes this and could this be the reason for the car not wanting to start.

4) Loose plug wire or uncovered plug wire connection to a coil. This theoretically could cause the same arcing and same problems as the ground wire in the ignition harness, and by searching i found one person who had some similar problems to me when he had a loose plug wire.

5)Bad Compression/Blown Motor - I reallllly hope this isn't the case and i'll probably have a compression test done soon if the replacement plugs don't fix it. I've had the car at 6k rpms, 15psi of boost, at WOT in 3rd gear and broke the tires loose and the car feels as strong as before the original problem which led me to discount this as the problem, but i suppose its still possible


Sorry about the LONG post, i really appreciate any input!

-Rob

rotorbrain

if you end up getting a new motor let me know. . . i need a block.

thanks,
paul

yy4u

Hey an update- replaced the plugs today. Car started a little easier but still won't start when its hot. Has no one ever experienced this problem with the car not wanting to start when its warm? Is it because my battery isn't cooled?

Well i took it out after replacing the plugs and while i was riding around at one point the cd player cut off and on and the lighting flickered. I also hear clicking under the hood from time to time.

And then the same thing that happenned before hadppenned again. I got on it, this time in 3rd gear - ran it up to about 7000 rpms and then let off the gas and as the rpms fell it fell all the way to 0 and then wouldn't start back up again utnil i let it cool off for several hours.

Its more likely to start when i jump it, but the battery has plenty of charge to start it when cold.

Could it be an ignition coil? How would i check. Is there anyway to check without replacing one of the 3 coils. Is one coil more likely to go bad than another? Like does the leading coil go out more than either of the trailing coils.

If its the harness, why would the harness be affected by temperature. WHat if anything is affected by temperature- other than the battery?

Could it just be a bad battery? (I dont' think its a bad battery because even when i try to jump start it when its warm it still won't start)

Someone please help me!

yy4u

clogged injectors? It seems to help when i give it gas when trying to start it.

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

Bite the bullet and get a compression test done on it. At least that way you'll know whether you need to keep on troubleshooting or not.

Just FYI, when my seals where gone, the car had a damn hard time starting when it was warm. Not saying that you need a rebuild, but you may as well get the compression test done.

7 eleven

.

shred

Just so you know, I am not in anyway saying that this is your problem, but a possibility. My car did that won't start when it is hot stuff and had some smoke when the seals went.

Just saying this, my car was very strong running, perfect cold in every way but wouldn't start hot (not enough vacume when spinning with the starter to get enough volume to kick the motor over). The only time you feel the seals going is at idle, the rest of the time I had perfect boost curves, awesome acceleration, oil pressure, everything in the green, damn thing just wouldn't start sometimes.

Just a similarity, compression test will tell the whole story on this, if nothing else you will eliminate this possibility.

Good luck, hope that you find the problem!! Hope that it isn't the seals but I think that might be your best bet at this point.

Clicking noise, its your air pump engaging and disengaging (if your idle surges, it does this a lot). Sure that you didn't just hit a bump??

Could be a short, did you do any work or relocation of wires that might be grounding them out against something??

BoostCrzy

does it turn over quicly when hot starting??......back fire??....want to start??....firing partially??....

yy4u

no back fire, it wants to start, it definitely turns over quickly just won't crank.

THe main reason i think its eletrical is that:
a) a few days ago when i was trying to start it the tach would jump all over the place like it was possessed or something. THis was all without the engine running
b) THe cd player cut off and then was flickering right before it died on me most recently.

I'll take it to have a compression test done everntually but it just seems like its something electrical, doesn't sound good though.

Thanks for the input guys!!

-Rob

BoostCrzy

that definately sounds electrical....check the wiring harness for any bad spots and maybe pull the ecu and check it out.......

yy4u

did a compression test - bad compression on two faces - so i guess i have a bad apex seal or possibly a broken spring or whatever. Thanks for all your help, i guess its rebuild time

yy4u

unfortunately that doesn't explain the electrical issues, which i might jsut attribute to a loose battery connection.
-Rob

BoostCrzy

good luck!..and figure out that electrical prob. before you put that new motor thru any unwanted abuse!