help! no start...

[b00st33d]

The other day, coming home from work, my car started acting up. It would rev up and down, starts clicking, and check engine light/brake light turns on. I got home by pulling over to the shoulder and waited for a couple minutes, and then drove off fine. I did this routine for about 40miles and got home fine. As soon as I got home, I took the alternator and got it tested, which turned out okay. So I installed the alternator back and the car started out fine.
Now the next day, Friday, I drove it to work and everything was working okay. When I tried to go to lunch my car would start up fine but when I tried driving it, it would rev up and down, jerks forward, and brake light and check engine light would come on. So I got it towed to my house that afternoon and recharge the battery.
Now awhile ago I tried starting the car with the battery that was charged and the engine would not even turn over. The battery would just drain after a couple of times turning the key.
I really did not have any time to work on it today. Hopefully I will have time to get my battery check tomorrow and see if it is still okay. So my question is, what else do I need to check? I guess I am going to start cleaning the battery terminals/grounds. I really don't have a logger to diagnose the car but I have a multimeter handy. BTW, my car is completely stock. TIA

 

Have you checked your ecu, or had the caps done?

 

[b00st33d]

I have already checked the ecu and the caps still looks fine. No fishy smell there.

 

[Muskrat]

What CEL was it throwing? If it's not currently showing it'd should still be stored.

If you don't have a datalogger you need to get one. It's an invaluable tool.

 

Quoting b00st33d:
the caps still looks fine.



We don't care what they look like. Have they been replaced? If you have the stock, original caps in there they are bad.

 

[b00st33d]

Sorry, I did not get a chance to check what CEL code it was throwing... keydiver, there was a sticker in the case that says it was rebuilt. Is there a way to confirm that I still have the stock capacitor?

 

[stevep]

If it has a sticker saying it was rebuilt then it's likely messed up since few places take the time to do the job right. Some of the worst ECU's I've received had been hacked up, I mean "rebuilt" by places that called themselves professionals. They don't care if it lasts, they have a stack of other ECUs to ship you if it somehow managed to get returned.

 

Quoting keydiver:
Quoting b00st33d:
the caps still looks fine.



We don't care what they look like. Have they been replaced? If you have the stock, original caps in there they are bad.


wow /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif

 

[b00st33d]

I had a few minutes to swap over a working ecu this morning. The car would turnover but would not start. I did not put too much time on it but I will work on it after I get home. How would I check if I am getting fuel and spark?

 

[stevep]

First check that the "good" ECU is turning the CEL on for five seconds and then off to make sure it's powering up and you don't have a blown MPI Fuse.

Checking for fuel and spark involve pulling the plugs one at a time and seeing it they are wet then grounding the threads and seeing if they spark when you crank the engine. You can check the the fuel pump is activating by pulling the return hose off the FPR and run a line into a bucket then crank or activate the fuel pump with the check connector or MMCd.

 

im having a very simular problem with my galant as well, i put a new alt and a new battery in and i can only start my car if someone jumps me, but as soon as i turn off my car it will only crank for like half a turn the all the relays start clicking... i must have a short somewhere, but i checked all over the car and i cant find were its shorting out. my battery is holding 12 volts but as soon as i turn the key to start it my battery is loosing all the volts, i re did the wiring on the starter today and i found out that my alternator fuse 100a was blown so then i replaced that but still i cant get my car to start with out a jump....... any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Wizardawd]

A battery that drops below 10 volts under a full load within a few seconds is bad. And even brand new they can be bad off the shelf.
My guess, you 'had' and 'have' a bad battery. Take it in and get it checked, it's free and under warranty.

The Alt fuse blew because someone changed out the alternator without disconnecting the battery. And arched the 12mm wrench between the positive terminal on the alternator, and the pivot bolt that was being removed from the alternator.

Wiz

 

[b00st33d]

I just checked my fuses under the hood and they are all okay. One thing that I noticed, when I turn on the car, I dont hear the fuel pump making the buzzing sound. The car will turnover but would not start. How do I check the MPI relay?

 

Do you have a logger?

 

[b00st33d]

^^^ No, I dont have a logger.

 

[AnotherNewb]

It only takes 3 things to make an engine run: Fuel, Air, and Timed Ignition.

Do you have proper fuel pressure? How do you know, did you put a gauge on it? Has your fuel pump been rewired? What is your voltage at the pump? I had an S10 with a bad fuel pump, it would idle all day long but as soon as you went to move it the truck would stall out.

Has your MAS been hacked, changed to a 2g mas?

Best thing to do with your ECU is send it to keydiver to give it a once over, replace the caps, socket it and install a chip to support you mods.

You should really know the basic stuff first before posting, keeps everyone from playing the guessing game if you know what your CEL is, fuel pressure and supporting mods, Just my 2 cents

 

Quoting bOOst33d:
^^^ No, I dont have a logger.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe most loggers have a funtion to check the fuel pump and injectors /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif They very affordable and worth every penny, pick one up.

 

[Wizardawd]

Hrm

 

I Was checking my fuel pressue and i was at 30psi..... shouldnt i be at like 40-42ps? im thinking i mit need a new walbro 255??? any help would be great.

 

[AnotherNewb]

Urm, 1947 has like 32 psi of fuel pressure idling, unhook the vacuum to the FPR and it jumps to something like 42, 32 psi should be enough for it to run... Get a logger... Goes a long ways to diagnosing problems like this. Sounds like your problem is electrical. I know it doesn't make sense that it ran fine the night before but won't start the next morning but parts go bad over night all the time. Since you have already swapped another ECU in I would be checking sensors, and a great way to do that is.... with a logger....

2 more cents so thats like 4 cents towards a logger I have given you /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Edit: Sometimes if I have a bad fuel pump I can have someone crank on the car while I "beat" On the bottom of the gas tank, sometimes it is enough to jar the fuel pump into working.

Are your plugs wet after prolonged cranking? No Spark... Are your plugs dry? No fuel. Will it fire over on starting fluid then die? Fuel problem. If not, Ignition problem.

2 more cents, thats 6 cents...