Spyder No Spark?! 97 GS-T

[edayrick]

Hello DSM community, my 1997 Spyder GS-T is not getting spark to all four cylinders.

I run a pretty much stock 2g setup with a separate Cam Angle Sensor and Crankshaft Positioning Sensor. Unfortunately my battery is pretty much dead and i'm waiting for a tender to come in. So far i've had enough battery life to:

• Find that the ground, 5v, and 12v wires of the crankshaft positioning sensor are in fact getting proper voltage (when the car is NOT cranking but simply "ON")
• Crank the engine with a spark plug wire out and not get any spark to the wire or plug itself

I still need to see if the tachometer needle bounces when cranking. I'll check that tomorrow. I heard that's a good sign that the ECU is getting signal.

My question being:

How does one diagnose the coil pack/power transistor unit, cam angle sensor, ecu, and crankshaft positioning sensor? Maybe which fuses i should check?

Maybe it'll also help to know that the check engine light comes on when i put the key to "ON" but i don't have any codes present.

Any help with diagnosing would be soso helpful. Thank you so much.

 

[steve]

Is this a continuation of the problems you were having back in April? https://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/random-fuel-cut-97-gst.548608/

 

[edayrick]

Is this a continuation of the problems you were having back in April? https://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/random-fuel-cut-97-gst.548608/

Yes it is, I looked into it further and realized I just randomly lost spark while driving.

 

[edayrick]

Hey guys, currently learning more about my 2G Spyder GS-T everyday.

My ECU is very likely to be fried. The car hasn't been sparking at all after new crank and cam sensors, checking fuses, relays, grounds, harnesses, wires, etc. and i'm beginning to believe my ECU is refusing the send spark signals.

I currently have the ECU out, and the previous owner switched out the flash-based stock ECU with an EPROM unit, but i'm not sure if it's socketed or not. My computer guy's assessing the damage on it. For now i'm looking around for a socketed EPROM unit from a 1995 model to install in order to support all of the mods i have under the hood (upgraded turbo, fresh head; other goodies like a front mount intercooler and upgraded fuel pump).

My brother had the crazy idea to just buy a stock ECU and run it on stock tune, claiming that the stock tune can handle the mods, and even that it'll run better than how it did with the EPROM unit that was previously in it before it blew? Not sure how to feel about his opinion since a tune really dials in the fuel, timing, and boost...

Any insight is helpful. Not really sure where to go from here.

 

[steve]

I didn't see a profile for this car. I saw some older posts but it sounds like there are a few mods beyond what you called FBO. To be much assistance we (you and the rest of us) need a better inventory of what your working with. Pictures would also be helpful.

Lets see the current EPROM ECU. '97s don't usually have black box flashable ECUs, those were 98-99, IIRC. The usual quick check to see if the ECU is powering up is to watch the CEL and the factory boost gauge. The CEL should turn on for about 5 seconds and then turn off and the boost gauge moves to 0 until you start cranking.

The question of if a stock ECU will works depends on things like if you still have the stock MAF, what injectors are in the car, if the motor has been significantly modified (like cams and stroker cranks).

 

[edayrick]

I didn't see a profile for this car. I saw some older posts but it sounds like there are a few mods beyond what you called FBO. To be much assistance we (you and the rest of us) need a better inventory of what your working with. Pictures would also be helpful.

Lets see the current EPROM ECU. '97s don't usually have black box flashable ECUs, those were 98-99, IIRC. The usual quick check to see if the ECU is powering up is to watch the CEL and the factory boost gauge. The CEL should turn on for about 5 seconds and then turn off and the boost gauge moves to 0 until you start cranking.

The question of if a stock ECU will works depends on things like if you still have the stock MAF, what injectors are in the car, if the motor has been significantly modified (like cams and stroker cranks).

Hey Steve, I think I remember you from my other threads.

I'm thinking I should've held off from posting this thread, because I just learned a lot about the car, and I already know for sure now that a stock tune will not run with this car.

It's heavily modified, and also unfortunately not running. It's a 4g64 block with a 4g63 head, aftermarket crankshaft, 4g64-specific rods and pistons, Evo 3 exhaust manifold and turbo, 550cc injectors, and an EPROM chipped ECU, not sure if there is ECMLink on it or not. (Part number is MD312464, looking to switch to a MD166262)

I know for sure that the car will not run with stock tune, but I do want some guidance on maybe what I can do next to get it running again. I would love to get a new EPROM ECU like the one in the 1995, get it towed to a tuner, and fully reset on a fresh slate because I didn't even know the car was so heavily modified.

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[pauleyman]

Hey Steve, I think I remember you from my other threads.

I'm thinking i should've held off from posting this thread, because i just learned a lot about the car, and I already know for sure now that a stock tune will not run with this car.

It's heavily modified, and also unfortunately not running. It's a 4g64 block with a 4g63 head, aftermarket crankshaft, 4g64-specific rods and pistons, evo 3 exhaust manifold and turbo, 550cc injectors, and an EPROM chipped ECU, not sure if there is ECMLink on it or not. (Part number is MD312464, looking to switch to a MD166262)

I know for sure that the car will not run with stock tune, but I do want some guidance on maybe what I can do next to get it running again. I would love to get a new EPROM ECU like the one in the 1995, get it towed to a tuner, and fully reset on a fresh slate because i didnt even know the car was so heavily modified.

An EPROM ECU is an EPROM ECU. Show us the board. Forget the case. Those are changed easily. You may not have what you think you have.
If you have an ECU it can be socketed if it isn't already.

 

[steve]

It's heavily modified, and also unfortunately not running. It's a 4g64 block with a 4g63 head, aftermarket crankshaft, 4g64-specific rods and pistons, Evo 3 exhaust manifold and turbo, 550cc injectors, and an EPROM chipped ECU, not sure if there is ECMLink on it or not. (Part number is MD312464, looking to switch to a MD166262)

Thanks for filling out a profile for this car. Like Paul requested we need to see the circuit board of the ECU so we can verify it's condition and modifications.

You don't want a 1G AWD ECU (the MD166262) you want the one you have and ECMLink.

 

[edayrick]

An EPROM ECU is an EPROM ECU. Show us the board. Forget the case. Those are changed easily. You may not have what you think you have.
If you have an ECU it can be socketed if it isn't already.

Hello,

I actually just got the ECU back from a guys that specializes in diagnosing and fixing ECUs and he said there were no issues with it. Kinda drawing at a loss because my Eclipse still isn't getting spark after:

New crank and cam sensors.
Checking ECU wiring and grounds and all harnesses.
Diagnosing the ECU.

Not really sure what I can do to get it running again, perhaps should I just make a new thread?

 

[steve]

Not really sure what I can do to get it running again, perhaps should I just make a new thread?

No, that's part of the problem. You want to have history not restart from scratch for the same issue over and over.

It seems like you are grasping for solutions rather than diagnosing the problem. Paul and I would like to see your ECU board. That will potentially tell us about what shaps it's in and if you have DSMLink or some other tuning. Then you should confirm that when it's installed your CEL turns on for 5 seconds when you turn the key on and then goes off. That will answer the question of is the ECU power up and running long enough to do anything useful. At that point there is more that can be done to diagnose the issue or maybe we'll have found something wrong already.

When we ask for you to do something, please do so and not go off on a tangent.

 

[pauleyman]

Yes it is, I looked into it further and realized I just randomly lost spark while driving.

Did you do a basic physical check and make sure the transistor pack, coils etc are fully plugged in? Ive seen connectors come loose particularly if they've been damaged or are missing the retaining clip if it has one.
Do you have a method to datalog? This does not require an eprom or ecmlink to do.
This would be a longshot but I would also check that when you replaced your crank sensor you didnt accidentally plug it into the ac connector. I say longshot as the car was running. That would require crank sensor to go bad AND then you fixed it but caused a different problem. Worth a quick look anyway.