HELP! No spark, searched but still have questions...

[ACV1081]

***UPDATE @ THE BOTTOM***


OK, being the nice guy I am I decided to help/do my buddie's front 60K on his 93 ATX. Everything way going eerily smooth, so I was waiting for the SHO Gods to have their way with me but here's my problem... I replaced the CPS, waterpump, timing belt, and go to fire it up BUT I get NO spark. I have tried two CPSs, a different DIS and crossover tube(yes the ground bolts are present and tight) and two timing belts while triple checking the marks. Question is, what could I possibly be missing that would cause a no spark condition? Granted, I am trying to start the car with only the timing belt on, but I'll be damned if I'm going to reassemble everything before I know it A runs, and B is in correct time. Bottom line is I drove the car into the garage and it ran fine before I tore into it, even with a leaky H2O pump and an antifreeze basted CPS. So, fire away... what am I missing, or what should I check before I get out of SHOs all together? Thanks in advance everyone!


Adam



FYI, I found ranjerJ's extensive post on checking the DIS and IRCM but I was just hoping you all might read my situation and see something silly I may have missed while dealing with the front side... I mean there is just not that much I have touched that could have effected the car getting spark.

 

[SASHO91]

Check the grounds....
make sure the DIS is plugged in...
Are you positive timing is correct?

Check the coil pack....
CID?

 

[ACV1081]

Check the grounds....
make sure the DIS is plugged in...
Are you positive timing is correct?

Check the coil pack....
CID?

DIS is plugged in, positive timing is right, checked the obvious ground(one on back of intake, one off the neg terminal, which others?) Coil pack still needs addressed and CID I suppose. I just can't believe the coincidence of something failing while I just happened to be doing the CPS and what not. Also, the Tach moves up to ~100-150 RPM when cranking (same with both CPSs I tried.) & CE light is illuminated. Thanks for the reply.


Adam


PS, it's like 5 below with the windchill here after being 65 last Tuesday... SO I don't plan on messing with too much until it warms up a little. Darn Iowa weather

 

[SASHO91]

Are you sure its not getting spark? how did you verify this?

 

[ACV1081]

Are you sure its not getting spark? how did you verify this?

Pulled a wire and stuck a screw driver in it... no arch, so grabbed the metal to see for myself and still no juice.




Adam

 

[Mr Anonymous]

The CEL should not stay illuminated while cranking.

That usually indicates a PCM problem. Are the fans coming on as soon as you turn the key to run? Check to make sure the ground strap from the firewall to the intake is good, also the PCM ground from the neg batty cable to the connector by the washer filler.

 

[Jaz2099]

Did you gap the crank sensor properly?

 

[LeddZepp8687]

no help here but FWIW, it was -6 W/O the windchill here on saturday morn.

Best of luck to you though!!

 

[ACV1081]

Did you gap the crank sensor properly?

Yes... twice Thanks for the reminder though

 

[ACV1081]

The CEL should not stay illuminated while cranking.

That usually indicates a PCM problem. Are the fans coming on as soon as you turn the key to run? Check to make sure the ground strap from the firewall to the intake is good, also the PCM ground from the neg batty cable to the connector by the washer filler.

I better double check, but I'm pretty sure the CEL stays illuminated. FYI, the fans do not come on, and I checked the ground on the negative terminal by disconnecting the EEC round plug in... of course then the fans came on. I'll keep everyone posted, but this is why I don't do work for other people .



Adam

 

[Mr Anonymous]

I better double check, but I'm pretty sure the CEL stays illuminated. FYI, the fans do not come on, and I checked the ground on the negative terminal by disconnecting the EEC round plug in... of course then the fans came on. I'll keep everyone posted, but this is why I don't do work for other people .



Adam

Ok, then the next step to try would be another CCRM.

 

[projectSHO89]

I hope you checked the IGN COIL fuse...

If it's blown, no spark and no PCM power. A shorted coolant sensor usually blows it.

ATX only. 93-95.

Steve

 

[ACV1081]

OK, messed with the car a little more today to no avail... tried a different IRCM, no change, tested voltage @ DIS and the dark blue (CPS) wire reads 2-12V, the yellow with green stripe (Spout) reads like .3V, the gray with orange stripe (IDM) reads nothing as does the dark green wire (CID.) Also, the IGN coil fuse is A-OK. Please help me figure this out... the CEL DOES STAY on too while cranking, but all the grounds tested good.



Adam

 

[SHO92]

Adam, when you put the intake back on, are you actually bolting it down to the heads? I wouldn't trust just the alignment pins for grounding, since the rest of the intake is isolated by the gaskets.

 

[ACV1081]

Adam, when you put the intake back on, are you actually bolting it down to the heads? I wouldn't trust just the alignment pins for grounding, since the rest of the intake is isolated by the gaskets.

The intake is completely fastened on... I only removed the crossover tube to do the front end stuff. I know it's not the DIS and I'm pretty sure the ground bolts b/c I've tried two seperate crossover tubes.




Adam

 

[ACV1081]

Anybody have any suggestions?

 

[ACV1081]

***UPDATE*** I FINALLY got this problem solved after bringing my buddy who is an actual mechanic over TWICE. We did everything suggested by various SHO gurus to detect the right signals to the CPS, verified grounds, ran the codes, put the car on a scanner (this found no CPS output)... basically beat our heads against the wall ONLY to find that I am once again an idiot. In my attempt to be a smart SHO fixerupper I was trying to get the car fired up before I reassembled the car completely ie no acc. pulley/belts/covers/etc. Well, in my haste I did not 100% seat the timing belt pulley (that goes on the crank) completely in and the CPS was not getting the metal rings to pass through it enough to get a reading. So, after hours of diagnostic work I found out that the problem was being caused by the pulley not being a 1/16 of inch far enough back. What a dumb culprit and if I would have been my normal self and put it 100% back together before trying to fire it up it would have been fine. AT ANY RATE PLEASE CHECK THIS IN THE FUTURE AS I WAS GETTING NO SPARK, NO START, NO NOTHING. For the record, the tach always moved when cranking the engine... even with the CPS completely disconnected and also the CID disconnected so I don't think I'd pay attention to the tach when trying to diagnose CPS failure. All in all, I didn't want to post the reason but if someone else can save the headaches I endured then it's worth it to out myself as a retard to better the SHO community. Sorry for the long post, this has just been a long battle.





BTW, I get to swap the timing belt and CPS again to the new stuff tomm for the 3rd time and reassemble everything else, so the job is not completely done. All out of the goodness of my heart for my friend... well he used to be before I started working on his car



Adam

 

[BlackandBlue]

Hey Adam,
What to come work on my SHO?
Eric

 

[ACV1081]

Hey Adam,
What to come work on my SHO?
Eric

I now live in Puerto Rico and have lost both arms, did I forget to mention that? :laugh_ti:

 

[BlackandBlue]

I guess you won't make it to my wedding and I do not have to make it yours then...