Still no luck starting my car. I have done the following:

 

CAS

1) Checked the CAS, turned ignition on and rotated the CAS, each injector is firing. Removed CAS and put it on Cerina's, works fine. Cleaned up the connector (both sides) as it was a little green.

 

PTU

2) Removed my Series 2 PTU and fitted it to Cerina's car, works fine. Cleaned up the connectors and checked the earth wire and got 0 ohms resistance.

 

Plugs

3) Changed all spark plugs, re checked for spark but it's so small it's not worth talking about. Checked resistance of the coil packs less than 0.7ohms (well was 0 to be precise). Tried getting a spark with Cerina's coil pack, no luck. Tired testing the spark from another cylinder, no luck. Fitted new Coil pack connector on that cylinder, still no change.

 

ECU

4) Checked all the wiring to the ECU for loose connections, everything looked fine. rewired a couple that could have been suspect, but still no luck.

 

Relay

5) Checked the Ignition Coil Relay, looks fine.

 

Complete Plum

6) To top it all off I then dropped a fooking 8mm socket head down the boost pipe into the driver side intercooler :mad: What a fooking plank. How the hell am I going to get that out ?

 

Need your Help

I'm really getting fooked off with this now as it's got to be something really small and easy but I just can't find it.

Any ideas ?

sorry, can't help with the starting probs-- still getting my head around the zx only had mine a few weeks. but to rescue you're socket then fasten a magnet to a piece of string( tape it on) then drop it down it pipe - just like fishing really

 

 

:D

lost socket, magnet on a string.

 

EDIT. bo11ox, someone rang mid post, missed the boat there didn't i LOL.

I would recommend a toasted ham sandwich

Originally posted by MikeGroves

I would recommend a toasted ham sandwich

Down the boost pipe? How are you going to get that out, even if it eats the socket? I once knew an old woman who swallowed a fly.

smw1, maybe worth checking the earth strap on your engine. It will be located near the n/s O2 sensor, bolted onto a bracket (heat shield type of thing) that goes over the EGR pipe.

 

OR (and this is easier), to test if its a bad earth, get a single jump lead, attach the neg terminal on the battery, and clamp it somewhere on the intake plenum, and see if your spark improves.

 

Hope this helps m8

Right your problem's really stumped me..

 

Are you saying you don't get a spark at all?

 

Have you checked the ecu is ok? If u need another i have a jwt one i can send right away.

 

How about your immobiliser? It's not being a silly bugger is it?

 

Im guessing the next ting to try, which would be a right pain in the ass is to get the wiring diagrams and check the resistance of each wire that goes to the ptu or anything else you feel would be important.

 

What mass reading you getting, you could try disconnecting it and starting on the default value.

 

Oh and make sure it's not something stupid like covering up the intake with a piece of wood like someone did :rolleyes: .

 

Good luck

Originally posted by WillyEd

smw1, maybe worth checking the earth strap on your engine. It will be located near the n/s O2 sensor, bolted onto a bracket (heat shield type of thing) that goes over the EGR pipe.

 

OR (and this is easier), to test if its a bad earth, get a single jump lead, attach the neg terminal on the battery, and clamp it somewhere on the intake plenum, and see if your spark improves.

 

Hope this helps m8

Wow a sensible answer :D. Thanks mate. Will try the Jump lead to the plenum first, but will also check the jump strap.

 

If it help the car has only started producing weak spark since it went to PPS. The battery died and it was jumped and started fine. While the car was there the ECU was socketed and the chip was changed, but I now have a stock ECU back in it's palce with no change in the problem.

Originally posted by Robtor

Right your problem's really stumped me..

 

Are you saying you don't get a spark at all?

 

Have you checked the ecu is ok? If u need another i have a jwt one i can send right away.

 

How about your immobiliser? It's not being a silly bugger is it?

 

Im guessing the next ting to try, which would be a right pain in the ass is to get the wiring diagrams and check the resistance of each wire that goes to the ptu or anything else you feel would be important.

 

What mass reading you getting, you could try disconnecting it and starting on the default value.

 

Oh and make sure it's not something stupid like covering up the intake with a piece of wood like someone did :rolleyes: .

 

Good luck

 

ECU is good, I have two here one with an aftermarket chip and a stock one, both give the same results with regards to poor spark.

 

Not really sure how I would check the immobiliser :confused: Usually when the immobiliser kicks in, you can't even turn her over, but I can turn her over but she doesn't fire.

 

I am getting a spark but it's more like a static electric shock kinda spark I mean it's really piss poor. you could hold the tip of the plug and only just feel it. I'll be happpier when the spark makes a crack sound and give you a bit of a jump.

 

I think I will check each wire to the PTU, but I'm just thinking that if I get a small spark on any plug from any coil pack from any coil pack connector, it's got to be a commonly shared problem like the live or earth :confused: would this make sense ?

 

When you say what mass reading am I getting what do you mean by this ? or are you talking about the MAS/AFM ?, if so conzult tells me it's about 1.24v IIRC but this was the same in a few other Z's that I have tested.

If it's the same on all cylinders i would have thought it was something common like the ground as well.

 

I don't know exactly what each wire is entering the ptu, but im guessing there isnt a common wire controlling each spark (ie 1 ground for all).

 

Unlikely to be the mass but i've heard of them not letting a z start before though.

 

Battery's not nackered is it?

 

Have you checked to see what the sparks are like in Cerina's?

 

The immobiliser will be cut into a few circuits, from the sound of it one is the starter (u say normally wouldnt turn at all with immobiliser on) but if malfunctioning it may be keeping a circuit open that should be closed. I don't think thats the case here tho as you do get a spark.

There's no way that you should be able to stand

the proper spark power!!

 

Are your leads recent?

 

There surely must be some high resistence in the circuit

sapping the current.

 

If you have a rotten spark out, then it'll be worse in the cylinder.

Originally posted by Robtor

If it's the same on all cylinders i would have thought it was something common like the ground as well.

 

I don't know exactly what each wire is entering the ptu, but im guessing there isnt a common wire controlling each spark (ie 1 ground for all).

 

Unlikely to be the mass but i've heard of them not letting a z start before though.

 

Battery's not nackered is it?

 

Have you checked to see what the sparks are like in Cerina's?

 

The immobiliser will be cut into a few circuits, from the sound of it one is the starter (u say normally wouldnt turn at all with immobiliser on) but if malfunctioning it may be keeping a circuit open that should be closed. I don't think thats the case here tho as you do get a spark.

 

Well I've checked the Wiring diagram and it shows the common earth goes to both the engine and the body.

The other common wire seems to go over into the ignition relay, but I'm not sure what the White F23 and F18 are on it's journey.

 

If the plugs work the same as the injectors then there may be a constant live, earth and each injector will have a seperate pulse.

 

I will check cerina's spark to see what I should be getting. I'll put a picture of the two comparrisions up as well so you can see what I mean by piss poor spark.

 

Battery is fine, replaced it about a month ago.

Originally posted by Simmo303

There's no way that you should be able to stand

the proper spark power!!

 

Are your leads recent?

 

There surely must be some high resistence in the circuit

sapping the current.

 

If you have a rotten spark out, then it'll be worse in the cylinder.

 

The leads i.e coil pack connectors are the stock ones, but as mentioned above I wired a new connector in with no change.

Oh my god!! Mine's doing exactly the same as of last night, I tried pretty much everything including swapping ECU...

 

The diagnistic's saying CAS, but does this stop the spark?? Also, the immobiliser is suspect as it's beeping like fook all the time!! (Although it shouldn;t even let the starter turn as you say!)

 

These cars...

Have you tried a new coil?

I would take a good look at the ignition starter relay again..

This is what provides the main power to the PTU and the coils.

Have you swapped it with a known good one?

 

-Eric

I haven't tried a new coil but I have tried a workng coil from Cerina's 300zx.

And when ever I try something from Cerina's car I put my part on her car to double check that it works both ways.

Every part of my car i.e. CAS, PTU, Coil Pack work ok on Cerina's car :confused:

 

It's gotta be an earth problem... anything else would surely stop the plug completely.

I will try Willyed's methods tonight and see what happens.

 

Rich, I'll update you if I find the problem.

What have you tried so far ? and what are your symptoms ?

I parked up to watch a timing belt being done, and everything was fine, then came to start it last night and it just wouldn't fire!

 

Put in a series II PTU since that seemed like the most likely culprit, bt still no joy!

 

Tried new ECU- same.

 

Next checked the fuel pump, which was fine and fuel pressure ok.

 

Then checked for spark - nothing!

 

Suspected TPS (but thought this would just make it run rough), cleaned up, still no spark.

 

Diagnostic gave code for CAS (on new ECU), but it seems to be 'jammed in' - it will adjust each way, but wouldn't come free!?!

 

At the moment I'm suspecting: loom to PTU, Immobiliser (but it was already installed, so don't know how to reset - and shouldn't let the starter turn), and now the relay as mentioned above!! Although Ben did try a relay, just not sure if it's the same one!!

 

Rich

Sounds like you could have a different problem to me, as I have a small spark, whereas you have none.

 

Still, It may be worthing running though the same checks as we are doing, that way if one of us gets it sorted the other is sure to follow.

Originally posted by lymon

I would take a good look at the ignition starter relay again..

This is what provides the main power to the PTU and the coils.

Have you swapped it with a known good one?

 

-Eric

 

I missed this post erlier.

Will try that tonight.

 

Tried to get the socket out of the Intercooler pipe by dropping a magnet down it. 1 slight flaw in that plan. The pipes are metal :rolleyes:

 

Any other ideas ?

Do I need to take the front bumper and intercooler off ?

Don't know the diameter of that pipe

but could you put the magnet inside

a plastic pipe and then poke that down?

 

Can you see the socket?

 

Other possibility is one of those thin flexible

widgets with little claws that spring out

when you press a plunger.

tried the long gripper thing, it goes down too far,

Good idea about the pipe and magnet will try that after dinner.

Thanks

Ok now I'm really confused :confused:

 

Here is a short Video. Mine spark compared to Cerina's spark.

 

WTF !!!!!. It's the same !!!

 

 

http://www.300zx-mods.co.uk/Spark.wmv

Does that mean the spark is or isn't the problem now?

 

Make sure you've got fuel pressure.

That looks a good spark to me, i had a missfire on mine a long time ago and done the spark test like you and had a spark like that, not as good as other cars but still worked!

O shit stu. Have you trid to unplug the alarm ?

 

:(