95 Eclipse won't start

[flashburn02]

UPDATED UPDATED UPDATED: DOWN BELOW....

Well I have been troubleshooting my 95 TSI for a long time now. The car won't start anymore. The problem occurred when my lower intercooler pipe blew off while driving it. The car stalled, I started it again and it stalled after driving it again. So I pulled over, saw the pipe hanging off. Reattached it and started and drove no problem. I got home and parked the car for several days. I went out to start it again and it wouldn't turn over. I did a bunch of research.

I checked my capacitors on my computer, checked the fuel pump, both are fine. I bought a new MPI relay from our local favorite vendor and I put it in today. Tried to start, still nothing. I can hear the compression, nothing is blown. It just won't turn over? I checked spark and it appears okay. I even changed plugs.

Any ideas?

 

[StR8sPo0Ln]

Have you checked your cam angle sensor to see if it has gone bad.

 

[jeremy19984g63]

i'm not 100% on this but the cam sensor controls ignition coil spark, while the crank sensor controls injector cycle

 

[StR8sPo0Ln]

Does your car seem like its out of fuel just wont turbo over right. I had the same problem and it was my cam angle sensor.

 

[gotlag]

Really there are only a few things to check for with a no start issue. You say you checked spark and you had it. Now you need to check for fuel and compression. Also go over the rest of you I/C pipes, and all vacuum lines and make sure no other lines blew off or are leaking. An easy check for that is to unplug your MAS and try to start the car. By doing this the ECU will "assume" values and run, albeit a bit rough (Also a way to drive a car home when a charge pipe blows off and you don't have tools with you to put it back on). You will set a CEL for the missing airflow reading, but at least it will help you in diagnosing the issue.

Let us know how this goes so we can further help.

 

[dsmspike]

Have you checked your fuel pressure? There is a chance that you're getting fuel up to the rail but the pump is not delivering enough fuel for it to start (weak pump). You need 3 things for a car to start. Fuel, spark, and compression. Do a fuel pressure test and check spark and do a compression test just to be sure. It could sound like it has compression but still be off. Even if the belt isn't broken it could have slipped a couple teeth. Post the results of the tests and we can go from there. Also make sure that you're getting injector pulse. You'll need a noid light for that and it's just like checking for spark. Just unplug an injector and plug in the niod light to the harness and have someone turn it over and watch for the blinking light. You said that you checked spark and it "appeared ok? How did you check for spark? They make a spark tester that looks just like a spark plug but it has a clip on it so you can clip it to a ground to test. That's the best spark tester you can use.

 

[flashburn02]

Tests I did:

For fuel: Disconnected the fuel rail, fuel spit out, largely.

For spark: removed a spark plug, grounded it on the motor, it arced. I could see the arc in day light.

For compression: No test done, but you can hear the compression in the motor. Also, the car was running fine before I parked it. So I would have to assume that we have compression.

For leaks: Looked over the whole motor and charge pipes. All piping is secure.

Question: If I have spark can the crank angle sensor be bad? If so I was mostly certain that it was a repairable part. I have read some threads on it. Would you recomend repairing or replacing.

EDIT: No error light showing ever.

 

[luvmygst]

I would try changing spark plugs. You may have fouled one out when driving w/o the i/c pipe hooked up. Then all the cranking could have made it worse. You have spark at the coil but you don't know if you have it in the cylinder. Start with thte simple stuff first, it's worth a shot and might fix it. The same thing happened in my 1g. Good luck.

 

[jeremy19984g63]

your injectors are not pulsing. i do not know off hand which sensor controls the injector cycle on these engines, because i have never ran into this problem. i do know on chevys it is the crank sensor

 

[luvmygst]

your injectors are not pulsing. i do not know off hand which sensor controls the injector cycle on these engines, because i have never ran into this problem. i do know on chevys it is the crank sensor

Just curious, how do you know his injectors are not pulsing? I would start simple stuff first. I had the same prob and plugs fixed it. Start simple.

 

[jeremy19984g63]

Just curious, how do you know his injectors are not pulsing? I would start simple stuff first. I had the same prob and plugs fixed it. Start simple.

because he said he changed the plugs and has spark and fuel pressure at the rail?

 

[MarsaGSX]

Wanna know if fuell is going threw injectors into cylinders..simply go to rear of your car and smell to muffler (let someone to start car..) if you smell fuell.. tada..have to find another reason why motor won´t run..If not smell fuell..something between fuell pump and injectors fails

Venca

 

[luvmygst]

because he said he changed the plugs and has spark and fuel pressure at the rail?

He said he "checked the plugs" a fouled plug will sometimes arc like that but not enough to fire the motor. The best thing is to check for injector pulses as stated above.
Try cranking the car for a little bit and then pull a plug and see if its wet.

 

[jeremy19984g63]

he needs to get a injector pulse tester. i purchased one but you might be able to rent one form an autoparts store

 

[jeremy19984g63]

He said he "checked the plugs" a fouled plug will sometimes arc like that but not enough to fire the motor. The best thing is to check for injector pulses as stated above.
Try cranking the car for a little bit and then pull a plug and see if its wet.

read the end of his very first entry. he said that he even changed the plugs!

 

[jeremy19984g63]

i have ran into this many times on chevys 5.3L

 

[flashburn02]

If the CAS is bad, wouldn't I have no spark at all?

Checked into some more things: The old plugs are SUPER carbon built up. And wet. So I know fuel is coming in. (I changed plugs) and they too are wet, and slightly cabon built up. They have too much carbon build up for the car to never have run with the new plugs in it.

 

[dsmspike]

Ok I went through this with a friend not too long ago that had the exact same thing happen to his 91 with a freshly rebuilt motor. He was driving and his i/c pipe blew off so he nursed it home and it died right at the end of his driveway. I spent alot of time on the phone with him trying to figure out what could have happened. He had spark, and injector pulse and it "sounded like it had compression" just like you're saying. It turned out that his timing belt tensioner failed and the belt slipped. Sounded like it had compression but didn't have enough. It's worth a shot to do a compression test. It's only going to take you about 5 minuiotes and could end up saving you a ton of time and aggrivation.

 

[dsmspike]

Have you checked for any DTC's? Do you have any way to log? If you have compression make sure that your ECT sensor is readoing somewhat close to the actual temperature outside. If the sensor or the circut for it goes open then it will read -30* at the ECU and will dupm tons and tons of fuel into the cylinder because it thinks that it's extremely cold. That could foul out a spark plug in no time and make it not start.

 

[flashburn02]

Have you checked for any DTC's? Do you have any way to log? If you have compression make sure that your ECT sensor is readoing somewhat close to the actual temperature outside. If the sensor or the circut for it goes open then it will read -30* at the ECU and will dupm tons and tons of fuel into the cylinder because it thinks that it's extremely cold. That could foul out a spark plug in no time and make it not start.

I don't have a way to log. I don't know what a ECT sensor is either, sorry. So if I do a compression test it would read falsly if the timing is off?

 

[dsmspike]

ECT is the Engine Coolant Temp sensor. And yes if the timing is off your timing will not be right. Should have 150 for compression. And it shouldn't have any more difference between cylinders than + or - 5. That is acceptable but really you're looking to have exactly the same thing all the way accross the board.

 

[1LE]

Checked into some more things: The old plugs are SUPER carbon built up. And wet. So I know fuel is coming in. (I changed plugs) and they too are wet, and slightly cabon built up.

That's what my plugs were like when I had a FPR failure. The car was dumping so much fuel while cranking that it wouldn't catch...

 

[flashburn02]

Okay, so if the pressure is good in all cylinders, we can rule out the CAS. If that is the case I should test the FPR or can I only replace it?

 

[dsmspike]

So I take it you did the compression thes. What were your results? And did you actually test fuel pressure? What was the pressure # at key up? Just disconnecting the rail and checking for fuel coming out is only going to tell you that there's fuel getting in there. Hook up a fuel pressure gauge to it and have someone crank the car and watch the gauge.

 

[flashburn02]

We have been getting pumled by snow here so I don't have any break in the weather to work on the car. I will update the thread whenever I know something.