The no start saga continues.. with a story :)

[Modemagic]

Ok, so here goes... it's 20 degrees out and I have a bright idea to work on the SHO today and get some more info as to why it isn't starting. I have a small list of things to check, fuel, spark, etc. I grab my solenoid jumper, (an old tool used to crank the motor over from under the hood) So I hook it up to the solenoid and pull a spark plug wire. I take out the plug on the numbr 4 cylinder and here's a picture of it:

Not too bad.. a champion plug, so I jot that down on the list of things to fix/replace. Smelled like gas though. I put the plug in the end of the plug wire, and hit the button. Morot cranks over, no spark. Then I remember that I don't have the key in the ignition so I put it in and turn it to the on position. Grab the button and hold the plug on a bolt on the intake... "OUCH!" It's got spark!!! Too busy yelling to get a good look at it though. So I prop it on the intake bolt by the number 4 cylinder and get in real close for a look-see. Hit the button... mental note: Gas shooting out the plug hole into your eyes really sucks! Answers that question though as well. The spark was a orangish-white. Not super-bright, but sparking none the less.

I pulled codes on the Sho and came up with a code 21, 24, and 81. Would any of these cause it not to start?? When I bought the car, it was suspected that the car had a blown head gasket. I took a couple of pictures of the oil:

The oil has the liquid property of water, and smells funny, but not burnt. Could this be the no start culprit??

I'm not quite sure where to go from here, other than start ripping down the motor and grab those head gasket replacements.

<small>[ February 18, 2003, 12:15 AM: Message edited by: Modemagic ]</small>

 

[AutoSHO]

A bad head gasket wont cause it not to start, it will just loose coolant and overheat. Have you checked the compression?

Change that oil, for sure. Sounds pretty nasty. Has the car been sitting for a long time?

Have you checked the fuel pressure or tried holding the pedal to the floor while turning the engine over? If its flooded this will clear it out because the computer turns off the injectors.

Code 21 - ECT out of range. This will contribute to the car not starting, it is the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor.

Code 24 - ACT out of range. This is a non-consequential code as of yet, it will not stop the car from starting.

Code 81 - IAS Circuit Failure. I believe this is the idle air speed circuit. If it has failed it will certainly cause the car not to start. Check to see if your Idle Air Bypass is plugged in. If you have not tried it yet, clean the bypass.

I *think* that if you hold the pedal to the floor the car will sputter and start, but with the codes given it may or may not idle. Try stepping on the gas a bit, after changing the watery oil!

 

[Modemagic]

AutoSHO

Code 21 - ECT out of range. This will contribute to the car not starting, it is the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor.

Where is this sensor?? Could this be a code because of it being cold out and minimal coolant in the car??

AutoSHO

Code 81 - IAS Circuit Failure. I believe this is the idle air speed circuit. If it has failed it will certainly cause the car not to start. Check to see if your Idle Air Bypass is plugged in. If you have not tried it yet, clean the bypass.

Where the **** is this at? What do I use to clean it with? Autozone.com has a Intake Air Temperature Sensor.. if its the same thing, I'll just go buy a new one.

I planned on an oil change figuring I'd wanna flush out as much crap out of the motor as I could with the bad gasket. The car has sat for quite awhile now... I've been messing with it for a couple months now and I think it sat in the previous owners driveway for six months or so.

 

[AutoSHO]

Modemagic:

AutoSHO

Code 21 - ECT out of range. This will contribute to the car not starting, it is the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor.

Where is this sensor?? Could this be a code because of it being cold out and minimal coolant in the car??

It could be, but typically those codes are stored when the car is running, meaning it tripped that code while running. But, because of the next code, I wouldn't worry too much yet about it.

Modemagic:

AutoSHO

Code 81 - IAS Circuit Failure. I believe this is the idle air speed circuit. If it has failed it will certainly cause the car not to start. Check to see if your Idle Air Bypass is plugged in. If you have not tried it yet, clean the bypass.

Where the **** is this at? What do I use to clean it with? Autozone.com has a Intake Air Temperature Sensor.. if its the same thing, I'll just go buy a new one.

I planned on an oil change figuring I'd wanna flush out as much crap out of the motor as I could with the bad gasket. The car has sat for quite awhile now... I've been messing with it for a couple months now and I think it sat in the previous owners driveway for six months or so.

The IAS is not the Intake Air Temp Sensor. The IAS, or IAB as it is commonly referred to here, is the Idle Air Bypass or Idle air speed control. If you look at your intake, across from the throttle body is a round cylindrical device that faces Front to back. It is screwed to an aluminum casting on the intake itself. There are very good instructions for cleaning the IAB on http://www.shotimes.com/ that will lead you step by step through the process.

<small>[ February 18, 2003, 01:04 AM: Message edited by: AutoSHO ]</small>

 

[Mike Kopstain]

The ACT and ECT will not prevent the engine from starting as it stays in closed loop mode until it is warmed up.

Just thought I would add that so you can take it off the list. boink

 

[sdpatt]

That fuzzy picture of the Champion spark plug shows me a few things. The plug is a non-platinum plug and would not last more than a few thousand miles before the gap was out of range. The plug is wet from gasoline on the electrodes and insulator. The plug exterior shows evidence of oil staining. That would be from leaking spark plug well seals (add that to your list). With this information, I'm guessing that those plugs have not been in the engine very long. What was the condition of the car when you got it?

The code 81 says that the idle air control valve is not responding to the EEC. This is a function of the electrical portion of the valve. Either the connector is not in place(?) or the servo has failed or is failing to move the valve section. You could remove and inspect/clean the valve portion, but I don't think that is the problem. Try cranking the engine with the throttle cracked open with the gas pedal - not full throttle.

Before you try that, you had better put some real oil in the crankcase. That does not look right. Maybe a detergent was added to clean the engine. Whatever it is, get it out.

 

[Modemagic]

The car wasn't in great shape. When I got it, the previous owner told me that it had a bad head gasket and it "Shot the blue smoke" as he put it. It ran momentarily while I was there and stalled out. Hasn't started since. Is it worth dumping the oil out and refilling it and continuing to troubleshoot the no start trouble, or go after the head gasket, rebuilding as I go up and hopefully taking care of the no start issue as well?? I already had the sparkplug well seals on the list, so no biggie there. The previous owner didn't really know anything about the motor, (spark plugs, etc.) other than it had a motor swap about 54k miles ago. Dunno the who what where the motor came from, other than she isn't original to the car.

I'm beginning to wonder if this SHO project idea of mine was such a good idea??!!??!

 

[projectSHO89]

I'm beginning to wonder if this SHO project idea of mine was such a good idea??!!??!

heh heh heh

Steve

 

[Modemagic]

Well.. I had some free time so I did some more SHO work. I tried starting the SHO with the gas pedal in both the full open and cracked positions and still got nothing. Any ideas???