• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Fire but no start

bigjeepman

NAXJA Forum User
Location
New Albany, IN
I had a lifter fail and it ended up breaking a push rod a while back. Put all new lifters in, New harmonic balancer, new timing chain and gears, new ignition module, new camshaft position sensor, new crankshaft position sensor, New plugs and plug wires, new map sensor. i basically replaced everything i can think of and the manual says to replace. Granted I probably went a little overboard but oh well.

I still can not get it to start. i am getting frustrated and I am ready to scream. This is my last hope before i have to fork money out to take it somewhere and get it fixed. we all know that cost to much.

Please help if you can at least lead me in the right direction. Maybe I am missing something or overlooking something simple. Let me know if you need anymore info as well.

Thanks
 
The first thought I would have is basic timing. First, the possibility that your timing is on the mark but 180 degrees off on the distributor. Make sure you're really firing cylinder one on compression TDC not exhaust.

One tooth off on the distributor could be enough to cause no-start, and two definitely will be, so you could begin there. Try one tooth forward, and one tooth back. It may vary with samples, but when I was fooling with my 87 I found that one tooth too advanced started very hard, but ran well. One tooth back started easily but would not get past idle.

Last, of course, is the possibility that your whole cam timing is off, but we can hope that's not the case, but only you can say for sure how careful you were with that.
 
I tried 180 out on the timing but i have not tried ansingle tooth one way or the other. I timed the thing five times and the timing marks always lined up the right way.

What about the computer?
 
Might help a little if we knew what year it was. Did you replace the cam?

Did you get #1 set at TDC on the compression stroke (not exhaust stroke) to set the distributor? Where is plug wire #1 facing on the distributor now?

Are you sure its getting fuel, if yes, could it just be flooded? If its flooded just press the accelerator to the floor and crank, that will turn off the fuel pump and dry it back out quickly.

Are any of the plug wires on there wrong? Recheck them!
 
It is a 1991 and it is getting fuel. I checked pressure with guage and it is within specs. I did not replace the cam!

I put #1 at tdc on Compression Stroke but I do not remember where the distrubutor was pointing right now. I want to say #1 because that is where it should be I believe. I have cycled through the complete 4-strokes and check where the valves should be on each stroke and everything works out.



Thanks for your help
 
I never tried replacing a Cam shaft position sensor, I always replaced the entire distributor. Could the CSP sensor in the distributor be installed wrong?

Have you checked the spark plugs for fuel to verify the injectors are opening?
 
I will double check tonight to verify fuel to plugs. I will alos check to make crankshaft position sensor is installed correctly. From there though I am at a loss. That is everything electrical that I can think of!
 
You have checked for a spark by pulling a spark plug wire and setting the open end of it close to a ground? If you are getting a spark, it either has be no fuel out of the injectors inspite of fuel to the injectors which might be a camshaft sensor problem, or else its got to be a distributor timing issue, or wiring or computer problem.
 
I checked spark as you say. I am worried that it is weak. I only get a few hours a weekend to work on it. I think the wiring is okay but I will go back and check. I am going to pull some scodes tonight and I will see what they say.

Thanks again for your help
 
Ecomike said:
You have checked for a spark by pulling a spark plug wire and setting the open end of it close to a ground? If you are getting a spark, it either has be no fuel out of the injectors inspite of fuel to the injectors which might be a camshaft sensor problem, or else its got to be a distributor timing issue, or wiring or computer problem.

I'm guessing against a sensor problem if there are no codes. ON the other hand, I've had a camshaft sensor go twice now, once on a 93 and once on my 95. The 93 lit the CEL and threw a code, but the 95 only set to code, without ever lighting the CEL. Go figger. However, as far as I know a bad cam position sensor, even though it does not involve spark, will result in no spark, because it aborts whatever bootup sequence the computer uses. You can start with a bad cam position sensor if you disconnect and reconnect it with the ignition on. It runs poorly but it might get you home.
 
Back
Top