No spark!!

[littlewhitedsm]

I just finished a headgasket. I put everything back together except the timing cover and pulleys just to make sure the timing is correct.Anyway I tried and start it and it wont start.So first thing I do is check for spark and nothin.Everything is plugged back in.When I pulled the head off he ripped the wires out of the plug for the egt temp sensor I doubt this could be the culprit just wanted to throw that out there.Let me know any ideas thanks.

 

[91 Turbo Mitsu]

Always start with the simple things first. Check all of your fuses and make sure that you didnt pop one. If thats ok get out your repair manual and start checking for power at the cas, power transistor and coil. Did you pull a plug wire off and check for spark or do you think that is the problem because it wont start. You can also check for injector pulse to see if the injectors are firing. If you dont have a noid light for this take a standard 194 marker light bulb and bend out the little wires and stick each one into the connector for one injector. Turn the car over and see if the bulb lights up. It could also be a worse scenario in that your ecm fried.

 

[91 Turbo Mitsu]

Sorry my bad reread and saw that you said you checked for spark. Travis

 

[1990talon]

I would bet you forgot to plug something in check all you connectors coil, power transistor, CAS. Ect. dobble check all you connectors and the fusses as well.

Good luck,
Brandon

 

[littlewhitedsm]

I have checked the fuses and all of the connections. The ecu worked fine when i started taking the car apart. so they just stop working when a car sits for a week ?

 

[Dsmx17]

I assume the starter is turning the motor over, so we'll start from there.

You said everything is hooked up, you checked and rechecked, now check your engine grounds. since the head was off Its worth a shot to double check. also, did you dissconnect the a/c for any reason? I say this because the a/c condenser plugs is the same as the coil plug, there is also one more triangle plug (cant remember what too) that could have been mistaken for thr coil plug. check and re check that the 1) transistor is plugged in 2) correct coil plug 3) and that the cas is getting signal.

 

[littlewhitedsm]

could the vacuum line bracket that bolts on to the intake manifold have anything to do with ground? because i dont have the bolted on yet but i dont think that could be it!

 

[91 Turbo Mitsu]

I mentioned the ecm because some people dont remember to diconnect the battery any time you tear into your engine and as tempermental as these cars are you could damage the ecm. You did unhook the battery?

 

[littlewhitedsm]

yeah I did. I just got done checking everything i could think of and still came up with nothing.

 

[littlewhitedsm]

I have no idea if this means anything. but when i first turn my key to the on position my batt and coolent light dont come on until after i try and start the car. i thought that before they would always come on when the key was in the on position. and also do things just go bad? because before i took the car apart everything worked fine besides the coolent laeking into the motor.

 

[Dsmx17]

I have no idea if this means anything. but when i first turn my key to the on position my batt and coolent light dont come on until after i try and start the car. i thought that before they would always come on when the key was in the on position. and also do things just go bad? because before i took the car apart everything worked fine besides the coolent laeking into the motor.

the vaccum bracket dosent have to do with the grounds.

does you check engine light, and stock boost gauge turn on when you put the key to the acc. point? as for things going bad, stuff happens, cant say nothing went bad, because that could be a lie. but if everything is hooked up correctly as you said,then it has to be a faulty part (s) check the power transistor, check the spark related fuses, check the coil pack. and I dont remember how you said you checked the spark? best (and most painful) way in my opinion goes something like, pull plug wire, insert long screwdriver, bridge screwdriver with valvecover, have someone crank the car, and look for a spark transfer. (wont hurt I swear ) good luck.

 

[1990talon]

check the cas as well

 

[littlewhitedsm]

how do i check the cas?

 

[littlewhitedsm]

i still have found nothing unpluged and it seems like all the plugs are tight. but I still have no idea how the check the cas. so could someone help me with that?

 

[1990talon]

Well do you have a chiltons or other shop manual I think it tells you in there but not sure I will check tonight and let you know tommarow. You will need a DVOM to do the test though.

 

[littlewhitedsm]

might be a stupid question but DVOM? And no chiltons book!

 

[littlewhitedsm]

I just got done checking to see if everything had power going to it and they all do. even the wires on the back of the coil. I checked the cas to see if it has power and it does. I dont know where the transister is. and the boost gauge will come on but the check engine light dose not. could be a bad bulb or it could be pulled i have not checked. once again everything is plugged in.

 

[fwdeclipse]

Come one someone has to have an idea.We have checked every plug for being plugged in and they all have power at the plug.Someone has to have a clue.

 

[smokey8667]

the transistor could have corrosion on the prongs down in it. I had that happen once and it done the same thing. The transistor is the small skinny part bolted to the the head under the fuel pressure regulator. Deppending on the year I think it is either a 5 wire for a 90 or 7 wire for a 91-94 check that and see if it helps. maybe try to pull the cas and reinstall it with the marks lined up and the engine on tdc for #1 cyl. compression stroke. that could give you problems. The check engine light should come on when you cut the switch on or atleast come on after cranking it for a few seconds. you have a good 12 volt source on the back of the coils and a good ground back there as well?

 

[littlewhitedsm]

I did take the cas out to see if it was the problem and reinstaled it how it should be a got nothing. I check the prongs for corrosion and did not see any. this is unreal it seems like i have checked everything. so what elso could go bad that would cause a no spark?

 

[smokey8667]

I dont know unless it is a bad ground or the ecu. is the ecu stock? I have a dsm link in my car and the socket went bad in the board, when it did that I had no check engine light and no spark.

 

[littlewhitedsm]

how likely is it that a ecu goes bad just sitting not being used? the car ran fine the day i took it apart.

 

[smokey8667]

I wouldnt think that it would be bad but you cant rule it out, it is a dsm ecu! I have seen them do some really wierd things. If you know someone else that has a 90-94 turbo car you could at least try their ecu and see. It only takes a few min. to rule that out, it wont matter about the year, i'm pretty sure that it will still try to start and idle even with the wrong year ecu in it without switching the pins around on the ecu. Not to say that it will run well, but I have tried that before and it worked for me, but it did miss and try to die. Atleast it will help to rule out the ecu.

 

[littlewhitedsm]

yeah i guess thats the only thing left to try thanks.

 

[1990talon]

did you check the cas to check if it was working properly it may not just be an instalation problem it might be the cas its self is bad. eithier find the test procedure and test it or replace it with one off a running car I would bet that to be the problem if you checked everything else.


Good Luck,
Brandon