Car will not start

[90turboMC]

I'm fairly new to posting on this site, but have been a member for quite some time. I have been fairly lucky with the health of my DSM up until now. After the car had been down for about 7 months due to a transmission failure and gettin tied up with other projects, I finally got the problem fixed about two weeks ago. The problem I have now didn't start till I tried to start the car after installing the new transmission. After discovering the battery was completely dead, we decided to jump start it with my buddy's tow truck that can provide a 24 volt jump. The car started right up, but after I removed the positive jumper cable the car died. We tried to start it again, and nothing, it just cranks. Compression is good across all cylinders, just installed a new alternator, battery, plugs wires, and rebuilt my ECU, hoping this would solve my problem, but all I can get the car to do is crank. I did notice that my A/F gauge goes all the way to rich and stays there when I put the key in the on position, as this had never occured before (this is before and after rebuilding the ECU). Any help is appreciated, and I'm very sorry for the long post.

Thanks,
Matt

mods:
Maf-t
16g turbo
fmic
2.5" exhaust

 

[theSicKness]

Check simple things first make sure all your grounds are grounded then check to make sure your getting fire and gas.

you need three things to start, fuel, properly timed spark, compression. This is what I would do.

1. Check and make sure the CAS isn't 180* out of position.

2. Make sure the plug wires are in correct firing order.

3. Double check your timing belt, line up marks, then do a compression test.


Hope it helps

Jesse

 

[toybreaker]

I think it might be a good idea to check some easy electrical things before you go too much further. 24 volts has a way of waking the electrical system up rather suddenly, and it may become displeased...

I would venture a guess that everything mechanical and everything in the initial set-up is probably ok, because it ran, albeit briefly. ( Although, I would definately check the timing belt marks real quick like just to be sure. It'd be better to catch a skipped belt sooner than later.)

Please check the fuses carefully, both at the battery, and again inside the car.

The alternator fuse actually bolts into the fuse box, and is a likely candidate for failure during any three stooges WTF battery episodes.

Been there, done that.

From there, it's just a process of elimination, like theSickness said. I'd check spark first.

Can you hear the fuel pump running when you crank the car?

Do you hear the mfi relay turning on and off? You may not hear it turn on, because you have to crank the car to energise it, but you'll usually hear it turn off ~5seconds after you crank it. If you've got the console side covers off, you can check it for power and etc. The quick test is to just feel it with your hand, and if it clicks, there's power.

Again, please check the fuses and eliminate the most likely cause first.

 

[hooptylaser]

24volt on a 12 volt system is a no no. You can have any number of things wrong now. Blown ecu, fuses, alternator. From the sound of it, the battery is gone and the alternator. Cars usually wont run without a battery. I would take the battery to have it tested and charged and then check the alternator output.

 

[90turboMC]

Thanks for all of the help guys, it has been a busy week, but i'm going to give some of the suggestions a try this evening. I just put a brand new battery in the car, however, I am still questioning the alternator I put in as it was used. Will the alternator prevent the car from starting even with a fresh battery, and how can I tell if the fuse for it is blown (the bridge on the fuse is still in tact so i'm assuming this means that it is o.k.)? As I said earlier, I just put new caps in the ecu, so I don't think that's my problem. This is really racking my brain, but I will be sure to provide updates on my progress.

Thanks again,
Matt

 

[theSicKness]

Yes your car will run without the alternator. For the fuse its the fues labled alternator you should be able to tell if its blown or not. but could have a small crack in it always try a new fues there cheap.