1G Car died

[blaze12]

So yesterday i finally got done with a new wheel bearing and control arm and tie rod replacement on my laser and i started it up and took it for a spin to see if my wheel bearing noise went away and it did i was so happy because it was the last thing keeping me from getting my car inspected. So anyway i took it home parked it in my garage and then asked my sister if she wanted to take a ride so i could show her what ive done with car and then the car wouldn't start . Im so confused for all the months ive had it , it never hasn't started up . All i did before i started was put a little oil in it . Because it was low . So today i tried starting it again and it did start but than died super fast like if my maf was bad. When i crank the car i smell fuel so i thought there was no spark but then i bought new plugs and wires and still nothing . My question is how can the run perfectly fine one moment and then try to start it literary 4 minutes later and nothing?

 

[blaze12]

Ok i put my battery in my moms car and it worked fine . also while doing that i had some sparks flying in my moms car when disconnecting the batt it melted a huge mark in to one of my half inch wrenches . but anyway has anybody had this problem ? the car has its lights on and has perfect voltage but as soon as you turn the key to the on position it all dies even though the car still has 12 volts and hi here a click noise when it dies .

If i could get some input because i feel like im so close to getting the car to stay running ang stay running . I checked all the fuses unless theres more i dont know where are.

 

[STLskater92]

Bad starter? You may have fried the starter when you swapped out all the parts

 

[blaze12]

would that turn off all the lights when i turn the key? Wouldnt that starter just not work not kill the cars voltage?

 

[STLskater92]

You never know. My stang's starter shorted out the starter switch and drained the battery from a full charge to dead in 10 minutes.

 

[blaze12]

I'm very working good working on my car if there mechanical problems i just hate electricity . Does any body else have any ideas why the car is not cranking.

 

[red92tsi]

I had the same problem trying to crank my car and everything would just die. Got out of the car, turned the battery terminals a bit, and the lights came back on and car started right up.

 

[blaze12]

ok checked the posts and terminals there fine. Is it possable one of the wires is grounding the power somwhere but if it is how are the lights even on?

 

[gprix1]

That is exactly how a car acts with a bad connection, check your ground connections. I am 90% you have a loose connection somewhere.

 

[blaze12]

i have put in new ecu would that cause these problems

i have checked the connections . How many grounds are on the car and how many would have to be undone to cause this problem?

steve ?

 

[92EclipseGS]

Have you replaced the coolant temp sensor(s) yet? The symptoms you describe are almost identical to a faulty one (forget which one it is). A lot of times a bad one of these will after some time let you kick over the car for a second before it stalls back out. Would love to know if this solves the problem since it was suggested a bit back and appears to have been disregarded...

 

[blaze12]

how would a coolant temp not let the car crank. no dissrespect i just dont understand

 

[boostdawd]

Make sure the ecu you got is for a 90 because other ones wont work

 

[blaze12]

Oh i didnt know that, but would that cause the car not start and turn of all the lights and radio . And also the car started before with the new ecu but only a couple times. Let me call the guy and ask what year of dsm he pulled from.

 

[92EclipseGS]

how would a coolant temp not let the car crank. no dissrespect i just dont understand

It wouldn't. You caused the no-crank issue when you started ripping things apart. Remember how this problem started? Before you were changing everything it DID crank at least correct?

yes but after it does die i try to crank it while checking fuel and spark and i get none unless i let the car sit 5 minutes or so but then it starts but still dies and then im back were i started i dont get how fuel and spark can just stop working and start working.?

So, as STLskater92 said, "Whatever you did last caused it to stop cranking over. Back track through everything putting the old parts on untill you can start the car again."

It does sound like you created a new problem for it to not crank now. Probably a loose ground or short somewhere. I'd also double check voltage on the battery too. When it was cranking and not staying running that was likely the coolant sensor unless the fuel pump is done. Also you have two coolant temp sensors, one of which is strictly for the ECU and WILL cause the initial symptoms you described if faulty.

 

[thomcasey]

There is a single wire that plugs into a single plug on the starter. If the connection isn't good, or if it is off, you will get no crank, regardless of the main power to the starter being good. Speaking from experience.

 

[blaze12]

Ok guys i figured it out , today i was planing taking of everything i had put on the car but before i checked batt voltage again and i was just putting in odd places on the pos cable and you know that metal plate that attaches those fuses to the batt it was only showing 10 volts so i tightened the bolt and boom car started so happy thanks for everything . I still have a horrible idle but i think i can handle that .

buying a coolant temp sensor today.

 

[steve]

Now that you know that it was. Take it all apart, replace the side terminal battery with the correct top post battery. Clean all the terminals so there is no corrosion and reassemble, then spray with the battery corrosion inhibitor.

 

[blaze12]

will do and how do I make this resolved, is there a button?