My car wont start And Ive tried almost everything

[turbodsm18]

Alright, So I havent driven my car in about two weeks becasue i blew the turbo. Yesterday i got the new 16g on the car and went to prime the car. Everything went good until i plug the ignition plug back in. The car started for probably two seconds then died. So I kept trying and nothing. So i let it sit over night and went back out today and unplugged the injectors so I could burn all the fuel out, and it started again then died. Now, once again it wont start.

I replace all the plugs with new ones and they are gapped correctly. What else could cause this?

-Kevin-

 

[anubis]

first, make sure your mafs is plugged in. then check your fuses and relays. if you forgot the mafs or blew an ignition fuse, that would be your problem. if you didn't blow anything and you all ready had the mafs plugged in, you can start the trouble shooting. every time your car doesn't start you need to go over the basics: you need fuel, air (compression), and spark. if you're car's not starting you're missing one of those. you probably all ready know this, but it's always a good place to start.

i would first check for spark: disconnect the fuel injectors and pull your spark plugs. see if the plugs smell like fuel (that'll be important later). get a buddy to turn the ignition while you check the spark. now, this may or may not be the best way to do it, but it's what i've always done and it's really easy. put a spark plug back into the #1 plug wire, grab the rubber boot and hold the end of the plug near a motor mount or something. have your buddy turn the car over a few times. if you see it arcing, you're good. check the other three wires the same way. if everything checks out, move on to trouble shoot something else. if one or more doesn't arc, you know you're problem lies in your ignition system and it's time to check those parts out. make sure all your spark plugs are working by checking plugs that didn't arc in a wire that you know for sure works. make your way up the system starting with the plugs, then wires, then coil pack, then transistor, etc.

not having air is not usually a problem, but look over your intake system to make sure you don't have any huge leaks or blockages. it'd probably be a good idea to do a compression test too.

last, check that you're getting fuel. now, this might seem painfully obvious, but make sure you have fuel in your tank. when you pulled your plugs did it smell like gas? you may need to check your fuel pressure - i think you can rent the equipment for that at autozone.

if everything checks out - take a look at your ecu. when all else fails, i just blame the ecu. check for leaky caps.

hope that helps. keep us posted.

 

[turbodsm18]

Alright, so heres what I have tried so far:

I have spark on all four cylinders
The timing marks line up perfectly
Battery is charged
Starter is working properly
I have the proper fuel( I may have to double check this)
All sensors are plugged in and no fuses are blown

The only thing i have not done is a compression test, but the motor has 20,xxx miles on it and it ran 100 % perfect before the turbo swap. So my question is what could go bad after two weeks of sitting outside without a turbo

The car sounds as if its wants to turn but just cant get quite there.

Please someone help, I have to have this car running by this coming monday.

Edit: Forgot to metion, when I turn the key to on, there is a slight noise almost sounding like something is trying to open and then when i turn the key to off, it sounds like it closes.

-Kevin-

 

[anubis]

i believe the noise you're hearing is the mpi relay.

i'd suggest at this point that you pull your ecu and give it a look over. you're going to want to open it up and look for corrosion or leaky capacitors. if it doesn't look like a brand spanking new circuit board, you have a problem. like i said, when all else fails, blame the ecu. that's one thing that can fail spontaneously without warning and for no apparent reason at all. also, since it's friday, you might want to hit up the junkyard and snatch an mpi relay. most salvage yards aren't open on weekends. it might be in your best interest to haggle for an ecu as well. if you end up not needing one or the other, you can always try to take it back or sell it to someone else.

anyways, it sounds like your ecu took a poo on you. it is 12 years old, afterall, and mitsu ecu's aren't known for their longevity.

here's a vfaq that might prove useful.
http://www.tmo.com/howto/ecu1g/caps.htm

 

[turbodsm18]

Where is the mpi relay located at, and how hard is it to get the ecu out of the car?

 

[anubis]

i've never worked on a 2g, so i'm not certain. the mpi relay could be under the hood in one of the relay boxes or it could be in the center console near the ecu.

as far as pulling the ecu, it shouldn't be too difficult. again, i've never worked on a 2g, so i'm not really sure. you'll probably just have to remove a couple side panels, disconnect it and pull it out though.

 

[talonTSIDriver]

how about the very basics, did you forget to put an I/C pipe back on. Sounds stupid but I've seen it happen.

 

[turbodsm18]

, yea everything has been double checked and i still cant get it to start. I am going to check the ecu today and if that doesnt work then I am about to give up on this stupid thing.

If anybody can help, that would be awesome.

 

[turbodsm18]

Alright, I pulled the ECU out today and everything looked perfect. I tried to push start the car and that didnt even work. Some one please help, trust me I will try any suggestions. My thoughts right now are: The injectors are sticking open causing the car to flood on the first start, because it seems like the longer I try to start it, the less the car sounds like its going to fire. Could my front o2 sensor cause any of this or maybe even my coolant temp sensor.

Somebody please help, This car has to be done by this coming Tuesday.

-Kevin-

 

[Rice Over Wheat]

Even if your O2 sensor was bad, the car should still start. It just would run really rich. Should still start with bad coolant temp sensor as well, but would throw a code. So I don't think those are your problem. Does it turn over, click, or just start and die?

 

[turbodsm18]

It acts like it wants to start but it wont completely fire. After a while of trying to start it, it just sounds like the starter just wines, but it wont roll start.

 

[turbodsm18]

Alright, I noticed when I push started my car yesterday, I still had the injectors unplugged. Went back today and push started it again and if fired up. I let it idle for about 20 minutes then shut it off. Tried to start it again regularly and it started perfect. The car sat in extremely cold weather for about 3 weeks, maybe moisture in the gas tank.

Im really am clueless on this one.

-Kevin-