Forum:
Here's a tricky one.
Filled up with fuel, Drove a total of 100KM (at highway speeds) parked in my driveway, turned the car off. Next day it won't start.
Fuel Pump working. (Fuel to the injector rail at pressure)
Computer Working (Swapped for another Computer out of a working Applause)
Battery Charged (Starter Engages and Turns over)
Spark Confirmed (All leads have spark, and engine starts with help, (See next point))
Car Fires (IF using Areostart sprayed directly into the intake, stops once aerostart is stopped being put in)
Guess is the Injectors not putting fuel in.
gets better....
All fuses are perfect (pulled ALL and checked, None blown)
There's power to all fuses (Checked with a Multimeter)
Checked all Relays (Replaced with ones from the Working Applause)
Either way, it's as if there is either no power to the computer, or the injectors.
Any ideas for troubleshooting?
A shot in the dark here; You
A shot in the dark here; You havent filled up with the wrong fuel? In other words you havent used Diesel instead of petrol?
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'12' Plate Mazda MX-5 2.0 litre NC 3.5 Venture Roadster 160BHP
'15' Plate SEAT LEON 184 FR TDI. 240BHP/500nm Torque.
Past: '53' Plate Yellow YRV Turbo Approx. 150BHP
"I've started so I'll stop"
DazzaJay,
I am with jpor on his query as to your last refuel. It does sound a bit suspicious but at the same time I also have doubts that it is the cause.
I say that because I have refueled a vehicle once with diesel (not my fault I might add - the garage storage tank was filled incorrectly. There were dead cars all over town that day) and the vehicle did drive but it was very ugly and there was smoke for Africa. The amount I put in was 10 liters as it was just a top off. So if a lot was put in I actually think it would kill the car and would not run at all, which is my nagging doubt about the refuel thing.
So my question is how much did you refuel, and did the car run as normal for the 100 miles you did prior to the problem?
The other thing I have in mind is what I call the "I've started so I'll stop" syndrome. That is starting the car from cold then shutting down almost immediately - maybe to move the car 12 inches. I have had this and many others have too. The next start again is a nightmare and it seems the car has suffered a major problem, but is in fact just fuel flooding from the previous short start. It cranks but just will not fire.
Did you do a short start and then the problem began? If so I think you may have flooded the engine and are suffering from the "I've started so I'll stop" syndrome.
Apart from those thoughts I am as mystified as you. Come back with a reply to my queries, and I will keep thinking.
Regards
Was the correct fuel (Only
Was the correct fuel (Only way to get diesel form the servo here is to push a special release panel with "WARNING DIESEL" on it to release the filler, so i know it wasn't diesel. Also the Diesel nossle is much larger than the applause's fuel filling hole.)
Ran fine for the hour long drive. after it was fueled.
after a few days of testing we have somewhat located the problem. looks like the injectors are not being told to fire. theres fuel to the rail. but it seems they are either putting too much fuel in (Flat outright open) or they just are not putting any in.
Either way, after swapping computers, and other such, best guess so far is it's a Crank Angle Sensor? (friend suggested that if the computer wasn't being told where the crank is, it wouldn't know when to open the injectors, and such could be opening them at the wrong time.) (Like during the exhaust stroke) - or there could be a broken sensor wire which does the same thing.
Only thing i don't have is a test light, so i can't confirm that the injectors are getting the signal or not.
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Cold start injector trigger
Cold start injector trigger sensor.
Stumped
DazzaJay,
I am stumped. You seem to be on the ball though and chasing through the symptoms and I am sure you will figure it out. It is very odd that it was OK one day and then overnight it broke. That is very odd but significant. What is also significant is that the engine fires with a shot of Aerostart. Fuel supply certainly appears related to the problem.
As for the “cold start injector trigger” comment I am not sure. I have an idea what it is but not really sure. Maybe “Pocketrocket” would like to expand and share with us.
Anyway, I for one would like to know what the problem eventually comes out as. Please come back to us. Good luck.
Regards
There is a sensor on the
There is a sensor on the cylinder head which tells the cold start injector wether or not to fire, Typically if coolant temperature is below 22 degrees the cold start valve is turned on during cranking and start up.
Cold Start Sensor
Pocketrocket,
You have confirmed what I thought the cold start sensor was. However I am not so sure the vehicle in question has one. And let me say I am not being picky but just trying to fill in some blanks for anyone who is interested. You did bring the subject up.
These devices were used on early carburettor systems and early EFI systems. Later EFI systems did away with it and used the ECU and engine sensors to increase the pulse width of the injectors for fuel enrichment to cold start, thus negating the need for the separate cold start system.
I don't know for certainty if this car has done away with the cold start system, but I think it has. I say that because the cold start system went out of fashion around 1990 as far as I tell.
Can you expand on whether this 1993 Applause has this system. The original poster needs to be sure.
Regards