need help guys... no spark and car won't start!

[blcknspo0ln]

Okay, after all this time with getting my head semi-rebuilt, new timing belt and components, ARP's and a new HG, I put everything back together and now the car won't start. She turns over but won't ignite... Here's what I've done to diagnose the problem, maybe someone out there can suggest something else?

1. plugs/wires OK
2. timing is right on, double checked 100000 times
3. ignition coil pack OK
4. resistor plug OK
5. definitely getting fuel (all over plugs after cranking)
6. Compression is 165-165-165-160
7. NO SPARK to any cylinder via checking with plug wires
8. new cam position sensor (may be 180* out, but I keep switching it back and forth every step I go)
9. Crankshaft position sensor was broken, but replaced with one from Mitsugraveyard (will replace with new OEM soon).
10. all connectors on harness plugged in

anyone? I can't figure out why this sumbitch won't start..

 

[98GSX209]

IT SEEMS LIKE YOU COVERED PRETTY MUCH EVRYTHING. NOW LET ME ASK YOU IF YOUR LOSING SPARK DID YOU TRY TO REPLACE YOUR COIL PACK JUST TO MAKE SURE THATS NOT THE PROBLEM. YOU MIGHT EVEN WANT TO GO THROUGHT AND CHECK OUT YOUR FUSES AND MAKE SURE YOU DIDN'T BLOW ONE OUT/ RELATING TO YOU IGNITION AND STARTING SET UP. IF THAT ISN'T THE PROBLEM THAN YOU NEED TO STRAT TRACING YOUR WIRES TO THE COIL AND MAKE SURE YOU GOT POWER GOING TO THEM( BRAKE OUT THE TEST LIGHT) ALSO HAVE YOUR STARTER CHECKED OUT MAKE SURE ITS IN GOOD SHAPE. I KNOW IT CAN BEEN A PAIN IN THE @$$, BUT TAKE YOUR TIME AND WORK THROUGHT IT. I'M IN THE WORKS OF PUTTING MY NEW MOTOR IN , SO IF I RUN ACROSS THE SAME PROBLEM BEFORE YOU FIX YOURS I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHAT I DID TO FIX IT. GOOD LUCK

 

[geddytrams]

Alright, so here's the problem, everyone says that they've checked the ignition coil and spark, but through all the searching i've done, i can't seem to find anyone who has said how to check the ignition coil. I have a multimeter, but i don't know how to check the ignition coil, or what setting to put it on (AC/DC, voltage, resistance, etc..) and i don't know what to touch the red and black leads to. i've done the whole procedure of hooking the sparkplug up to one of the wires, and trying to start it, and i'm not getting any spark, so i'm trying to figure out where my ignition is getting lost at. I would highly appreciate it if someone could give me some instruction as to how i caqn diagnose this.

Some backround info:
96 eagle talon tsi with an ignition system from Extreme motorsports, but the previous owner reversed the battery cables, and now the car will crank a little, but doesn't turn over.

many thanks for anyone who can help.

 

[ECLIPSE4x4]

This may sond stupid but are you sure the CAS is plugged in?

The reason I ask is when I did my 6 bolt swap and I removed my AC. I ended up plugging the CAS into the old AC plug because they look alike.

 

[h3o]

by anychance have you checked the ecu? i had this problem awhile ago when i had my 2g and it turned out that the ecu somehow got water in it and shorted causing no spark at all.

 

[luvmygst]

Have you thought that mabey you just fouled the plugs? How are you testing for spark? with the plugs or with somthing metal stuck into the plug wire? Just grab the end if the wire and have someone crank it, then you will know for sure!!

 

[h3o]

Have you thought that mabey you just fouled the plugs? How are you testing for spark? with the plugs or with somthing metal stuck into the plug wire? Just grab the end if the wire and have someone crank it, then you will know for sure!!

haha that reminds of when my friend was checking my compression and we forgot to disconnect the coil hehehe it made his knees buckle.

 

[blcknspo0ln]

haha, thanks for the help.. but I solved the problem a while back. My plugs are always less than 5k miles (i'm anal) so I'm always positive they're not the problem. It turns out my problem was that the Crankshaft Angle Sensor was out of whack. I got a new OEM one and she fired right up

Too bad I took her down 300 miles later for "major maintenance and upgrades"

 

[geddytrams]

i checked the plugs, and they're fine. i was using another plug when i was testing to see if it had spark, but i wasn't getting anything. i'm sure it's not the CAS, because though the car has had an engine swap, it did run before, and so i'm sure it's hooked up properly. i did think that it might have been the ecu, but i got it checked out and i found out that the ecu is fine, and to my joy, an eprom too . but as for all that, i still don't know how to check to see if the coil is getting power, and whether or not the ower is getting to the output end of the coil. if anyone has any idea how to do this, i would apprecitate some advice.

 

[talondsp1]

[

QUOTE=geddytrams]i checked the plugs, and they're fine. i was using another plug when i was testing to see if it had spark, but i wasn't getting anything. i'm sure it's not the CAS, because though the car has had an engine swap, it did run before, and so i'm sure it's hooked up properly. i did think that it might have been the ecu, but i got it checked out and i found out that the ecu is fine, and to my joy, an eprom too . but as for all that, i still don't know how to check to see if the coil is getting power, and whether or not the ower is getting to the output end of the coil. if anyone has any idea how to do this, i would apprecitate some advice.

You can see if the coil is getting power with a test light. Unplug the connector that plugs into the coil. Get your test light, and put the clip to the negative battery terminal. With the key in the on position, with a good battery of course, Take the probe side of the test light and stick it in each of the 3 wires of the connector that plugs into the coil. one of them should light up the test light. If none of them make the test light come on, then you are not getting a positive signal to your coil and should check all fuses and for wires that may have got cut or burnt. If the test light does come on with one of the wires, then remember that wire and don't use it in the next test.

Now put the clip of the test light on the positive battery terminal, then put the test light probe in to one of the other two wires that did not make the test light come on in the last test. Now while holding the probe in one of the wires, have someone crank the car over. you should get dimm flash from the test light every other revolution of the motor. IF you do not get a flash, then you might have a bad igniter, crank sensor, or a short in the wires leading to any of these things.

Now if you do get a flash from the wire, try the last wire left, that you have not tested yet, it shoud flash too, if it does, then you have a bad coil pack.
If you have any other questions, let me know.:talon

 

[geddytrams]

thanks man. and i forgot to mention that i have a 4 coil pack aftermarket ignition setup where the 4 ignition wires come from individual coils, but i think i may be able to figure out generally what i need to do from what you said. gracias.

 

[talondsp1]

thanks man. and i forgot to mention that i have a 4 coil pack aftermarket ignition setup where the 4 ignition wires come from individual coils, but i think i may be able to figure out generally what i need to do from what you said. gracias.

It should be the same, the coils will still all get the same posative, and coils 1 and 4 will get the negative pulse at the same time, and coils 2 and 3 will get there negative pulse at the same time also. That is unless you have a msd DIS or something similar. Do you just have a coil on plug setup? if so, and you have not had it that long, it could be thr problem. I put my coil on plug setup on, and it made my igniter go out within a month. So if this sound like what happened to you, it could be the igniter.
Let me know how it goes

 

[geddytrams]

well it's not the coil on plug setup, which i know is strange. it's similar, but rather be directly on the plug, it's mounted in the back of the engine, and has ignition wires going from each individual coil to the plugs the same way a stock coil does. so i don't know..i guess there's a chance it just went bad, or it was because the battery terminals were reveresed, but whatever the case may be, i suspect it is the reason the engine isn't starting. i'll let you know what happens

 

[talondsp1]

well it's not the coil on plug setup, which i know is strange. it's similar, but rather be directly on the plug, it's mounted in the back of the engine, and has ignition wires going from each individual coil to the plugs the same way a stock coil does. so i don't know..i guess there's a chance it just went bad, or it was because the battery terminals were reveresed, but whatever the case may be, i suspect it is the reason the engine isn't starting. i'll let you know what happens

But it hooks to the stock igniter right? If so, then the testing will be the same. And having 4 coils is harder on the stock igniter because it has to fire 2 coils every time, unlike the stck coil pack that only has 2 coils, so it will cause the igniter to go out quicker. And if the igniter is already weak, then even faster.

 

[jessesgsx]

doublecheck to make sure you didnt plug in the ac instead of the sam angle sensor.. did this once changed the head and everything to find out thats all it was..

 

[ECLIPSE4x4]

doublecheck to make sure you didnt plug in the ac instead of the sam angle sensor.. did this once changed the head and everything to find out thats all it was..

HAHAHAHA read post 4, you and me both.