Another question, again.

First of all I want to thank all the members who have helped me in the past and the ones that are going to help me now.

a week ago, I realized my original opti wasn't at fault for my starting problem when it was indeed the injectors. I had the new optispark on the car and the car fired up right away. Well, I removed the new opti and wanted to try the old opti just to use it so that I can have a brand new one just in case something happened in the future. Well, when I took the new opti off and put the old one on, the car wouldn't start. I then re-installed the new opti and tried to start the car, and it wouldn't start again. While testing it, I had a friend pull a plug wire and test it for spark ( to see if I was getting spark). Well, it sparked and the car seemed like it wanted to start more so than before (1 plug wire pulled, 7 still on the car). I don't know if it has any relevance to my problem, but I just thought I'd say what happened.

Now I'm led to believe my timing is 180 degrees off, or off significantly enough to where there is no spark. I keyed the optispark correctly ('92) and it keys the same way every time I've tried (at least 10 attempts). I've never force fuilly crammed it in there so I don't believe i messed up the keyway. I was wondering if there is any Top Dead center / Reset procedure I need to do with the optispark to get it to fire right or if there is something else I'm missing.

I just sometimes think that it's almost not worth the hassle to work on cars, but then I surprise myself and fix something. OH well, go figure.

If anyone can help, I greatly appreciate it.

Thanks in advance

 

Just a thought, maybe the cylinders got flooded after it didn't start with the old opti. That might make make starting a lot more difficult until the excess fuel is gone...

 

If the opti driveshaft is installed correctly, the opti is on correctly. Check the plug wires. Maybe several are not on the right place on the cap. I have heard that the opti driveshaft will go on in the wrong position. Make sure the key is going into the correct place.

 

yes, if the key is in the proper position, which on my '94 there was NO other way to get it on right, then your opti isn't the problem. Like said above, double check your wires again.. sometimes they don't get on there all the way. Also check that you didn't knock any wires lose when messing around in there... like check for the sensor that attaches to the opti.. make sure it's plugged in.

 

and make sure you didnt somehow knock the wire off of the coil. sounds like you may have crossed wires though.

 

wait nevermind you said you checked for spark. the only other thing i can think of is the wires on the opti may be in the wrong location. you may also want to prime the motor. squirt a little carb cleaner or a tad bit of starting fluid in the intake tract before the throttle body to get it to "catch". once it starts running it clears out the combustion chambers and all is back to normal.


[Modified by 88L98, 1:34 AM 10/25/2001]

 

I'm going to go ahead and try everything that was suggested. They all seem like a good idea. I'll let everyone know what happens.

Thanks again for all the replies and thanks in advance for any future ones.

 

Even though there is a wide spline on the drive, it is not near big enough. It is very easy to miss match the splines, mine would slide on in any position. I removed the cap so I could mark the rotor position in relation to the wide spline on the drive. To double check, start the car without the water pump and dampner installed. If it starts and runs correctly you have it, if it runs like crap or fails to start you missed! It's easily corrected without having to remove everything else again. I also tagged the plug wires with the numbered tape that electricians use to get them back where they belong.

 

If that spline will fit in there ALL THE WAY... in the wrong position.. GET A NEW ONE!! I could slip the spline in part way incorrectly, but not all the way. Big difference in the depth. With it on only partially, the opti won't fit on there all the way.

 

Thanks for the info glock'94

I've tried re- installing the opti several times. I even used a mirror and my light to see if I messed up the spline on the cam or if I'm putting the driveshaft on wrong. Everything checks out perfect. I'm matching it up right, but it just doesn't want to start. I am getting spark from the coil and from the plug wires I've tried.

I'm getting fuel (fuel rail is pressuring right and both pumps work).

I also double checked the wire (wire for wire) to see if they were leading to the right cylinders. It checked out ok as well.

I did however pull some engine codes and I'm pretty sure these are fresh. I let the car sit about 10 minutes without the battery negative post on so I'm assuming the computer reset. I did get a code 15 and a code 43.

15 is for the ECT (Coolant temperature sensor)
43 is for ESC or knock module.

I've done an archived search and have found 1 or 2 people that had a problem with their car starting because of the same engine code. Anyone know where I can go from here?

Knock sensors were new Autozone sensors, purchase ~ 1k ago for the rebuild(Yes, I know..... Autozone... :( ) but would a malfunction in these cause my car not to start at all???? Also, I know most people say the ESC never fails but could it be a possibility? If so, how can I test and where the heck is it?

P.S.
How vague can a code 43 be and could this code be substantial enough to prevent a car from starting (by vague, I mean how many possibilities could there be to result in this code).

Thanks


[Modified by Janaelen, 10:45 PM 10/25/2001]

 

Yeah, i used a mirror and everything too to make sure i was putting it in right. Spark sounds like it's there correctly.. I really don't know man. I'm not sure about the knock code. If you're getting an ECT code, you don't have your coolant sensor hooked up right or something... or the wiring is not working right (which I had a BIG problem with - connector on the ECT went out and my car would die CONSTANTLY .. made it VERY hard to start - only way to fix it was to replace the connector, not the sensor - which i replaced 3 times anyway)

I would start looking at that ECT connector.. check the continutity of it to the ECM, make sure it is less than .5 ohms (think)

 

currently everything is still out (water pump, ect.. ). I had it start before and it sounded great but after I removed it and re-installed it ( I was trying the old Opti again), it just doesn't seem to work.

 

Ok, well you're getting the ECT code because you don' thave it plugged in then. You should try hooking it up just so the computer can see a signal there.