To All,

Well….COULDN’t leave well enough alone!

Decided to clean engine bay since RESOLVING my last two (2) issues…..O2 sensor install/catalytic converter cleaning & installing TPS and newer throttle body.

AS stating in other post car was running fantastic. Took it on a 60 mile trip after completion and car ran fantastic.

This past Saturday I decided to clean engine bay……have done this probably half dozen times.

learned my lesson or so I thought…have been very careful over the last 8 yrs cleaning the engine compartment.

Well maybe not!!!!!!!!

UNDERSTAND I USED VERY LITTLE WATER…DON’T KNOW HOW WATER CAUSED THE ISSUE

Somehow I must of got a bit of water where it should not have gone. Did it before and simply got out the hair dryer and air hose and cured the problem.

THIS TIME IT DOESN’T WORK. I HAVE SPENT HOURS DRYING AND AIR BLOWING.

Pulled the large connector mounted below the ABS unit on the passenger side inside engine compartment and cleaned and dried thoroughly. Is the box that this connector bolts into the ECM? or something else. In the past cleaning and drying this connector has solved a no start condition.

Engine turns over….and if I introduce a bit starting fluid it fires up slightly but NO GO!

IT has now sat for a full day and still NO START!

Is it possible that a failure here caused another issue, ie; TPS, CPS, IGNITION COIL., FUEL PRESSURE.

WHEN CRANKING IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE NO SPARK BUT WHEN STARTING FLUID SPRAYED IT TRIES TO START.

I replaced the plugs thinking they may have been flooded…..sooty but not WET!

I have a set of spare coils I will also try.

1. Is the unit mounted below the ABS WITH THE LARGE MULTIPLE PIN CONNECTOR WHAT I SHOULD FOCUS ON AND HOW DIFFICULT TO PULL OUT. Complications associated with the ABS. Can it be separated from ABS for me to clean throughly.
2. Should I be looking for a spare ECM and if I find one or you have a spare and want to sell will it have to be reprogrammed?
3. part # and Will other vehicle units work?


SOMETIMES I JUST AMAZE MYSELF……..NOT IN A GOOD WAY!

TRYING TO KEEP A POSITIVE TONE!

Maybe it’s better that it happened here and not on a road trip far away from home!!!!!

Thanks for your help

Softball60/Paul

 

I read the service manual and the box below the ABS PUMP is the ABS CONTROL MODULE.

DOES THIS EVEN HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH MY ISSUE?

DOES THE CONNECTOR THAT PLUGS INTO THE ABS, ECM HAVE ANYTHING TO DO BY POSSIBLY GETTING WET.

Is my issue possibly with the ECM MOUNTED INSIDE THE PASSENGER FOOTWELL ON THE SIDE WALL?

OR

Are we talking something completely different?

Struggling to under this issue

Softball60/Paul

 

Paul,

Don't think about changing the ECU or even the coils yet!

AJ16s are very simple engines, at least compared to the V12s.

Water ingress problems nearly always relate to water in the coil and plug recesses but you've told us that you've stripped those areas so that's not the problem.

You've told us 2 key things:

- the engine tries to start on starter fluid so you have sparks (at least some sparks)
- you said the plugs aren't wet, so it's probably a fuel issue.

Now whilst a fuel issue is very unusual as the problem after washing the engine, you can approach this from a simple logical viewpoint.

Start by verifying that you have sparks on all6 cylinders when cranking. Remove one plug at a time and test it against the cylinder head whilst cranking.

Once you've verified you've got 6 sparkers, go on to the fuel.

Check the pump runs for 2 seconds when you turn the ignition to Pos 2.

If it does, see if you can then hear the pump running when the engine is being cranked.

IMO, one of the above tests will fail. Then we can start to examine why.

Cheers

Paul

 

ptjs1,

Thanks for the response. I will begin testing tomorrow.

Have already replaced plugs. No wet plugs….just all carboned up from previous issues w/O2 sensors& catalytic system.

Fuel system does not have that many hours on it including fuel pump, pressure regulator, filter.

Have about 10 spare coils that can be plugged in if I see some spark weakness.

You have kind of supported my thoughts on what is causing the current problem.

Will let you know tomorrow.

Thanks

Softball60/Paul

 

1. Checked coils….difficult when you are alone…..iffy at best so replaced with spare set……..still no start! Although was better with addition of starting fluid….tried to ignite. SPARK SEEMS WEAK?? I don’t know if this mean anything but I also checked continuity of the coils to make sure no internal shorts.

2. Checked fuel regulator connection at fuel rail. When disconnected and ignition turned on……NO FUEL !!

3. Checked fuel at connection before fuel pressure regulator with ignition turned on…..LOTS OF FUEL !!!!

4. Replaced fuel regulator with spare. When ignition turned on……FUEL PRESSURE BUT STILL NO START!!!

5. Pulled plugs to check……..DRY AS THOUGH NO FUEL GETTING TO THE PLUGS.


FUEL PUMP SEEMS TO WORK WHEN IGNITION TURNED ON AND FUEL PRESSURE AT FUEL RAIL CONNECTION SEEMS GOOD.

DOES THIS ONLY POINT TO THE INJECTORS. OR ARE THE INJECTORS NOT RECEIVING PROPER SIGNAL??

OR AM I STILL OFF BASE!!!!

Softball60/Paul

 

My money is on the injectors not receiving a proper signal. A noid light would show if the signal is coming or not, but the liklihood of all injectors failing at the same time is small.

 

Paul

As mentioned on the basoc tests, is the pump running when the engine is being cranked, nit just when you cycle the ignition?

Paul

 

Info. Issued for the X100/X308 but applies to most cars.

 

ptjs1,

Yes I believe so. When I cranked the engine…..fuel was coming out at the inlet to FPR. WHEN CHECKED AGAIN IT WAS PRESSURIZED AT THE FUEL RAIL INLET.

softball60/Paul

 

I am planning to pull off the passenger side kick plate to view the ECM

Softball60/Paul

 

Paul,

You need to verify that the pump is running and pulsing fuel, not just that the fuel rail has some residual pressure.

It's logical test process. If you have a fuel pump running on Ignition on, but don't definitely have the pump running when cranking, you have a signal input or output problem from the ecu. then we can start to dtermine where the problem lies.

Humour me! Confirm that the pump is definitely running and repeatedly pulsing fuel when the engine is cranking.

Paul

 

I will give it a shot tomorrow. If I can pump fuel into a container while cranking over the engine….Would this be a reasonable test?


Softball60/Paul

 

Yes, that would be fine, just don't get confused by pressure already in the pipe from Ignition On pump operation

Good luck

Paul

 

Hi Softball Paul

I recently had exactly 150% the very same problem that you have got now

Where I Spent for ever Sleuthing this out, just so you don't have to and when I found out what it was then Trust me when I tell you it's a very easy Fix!

So I'll cut to the Chase and tell you that it was the Fuel Pump Relay, which is inside the Boot/Trunk just underneath the Gas Strut Bracket Passenger Side on a (UK) although yours could be on the other side

Under there you will see 3 Relays and the Silver one in the Middle is the Fuel Pump Relay!

Don't start swapping them around with the other Two or you could easily wind up with an even Bigger Problem

I was also getting good pressure before the FPR but this is residual pressure so don't be Fooled by that

The only thing you want to See is Petrol, continually Pumping out while you Crank the Engine on the Starter and I have a Video that Shows you what that looks like

(1) Step one Clean all the Spark Plugs

(2) Step two get a Piece of Plastic Tube and then Connect this to the Fuel Pipe that would normally go to the Fuel Rail

(3) Once connected hang this Tube over the Fender/Wing of the Car with a Container that you will be able to see the Fuel pouring into when you Crank the Engine on the Starter, which will be Flowing out Full Bore and can fill a One Litre Container in just a Few Seconds

(4) Replace the Fuel Pump Relay or Borrow one to Start with in the Very Unlikely event that it isn't that

(5) Crank the Engine on the Starter and hopefully stand back in Amazement! as Fuel Flows out Full Bore into Your Container (see the Video)

(6) Clean all the Spark Plugs Shiny Bright and put them back in the Engine with their Coil Plugs

(7) Reconnect the Fuel Pipe to the Fuel Rail

(8) Make some Tea, Turn the Key, Hear the Engine Running and then Start to wonder what the Fuss was really all about

How I got mt AJ16 Engine Running with a New Fuel Pump Relay

It's all there a Step by Step Guide: Lots of Photos/Videos and everything else that you might need to know, what I did wrong and what I did right to eventually get my AJ16 Engine Running, that now Starts on the Button after a very long lay up

Good luck although I'm sure that you won't need it, as I went through all that Pain and Suffering just so you won't have to! (Lol!)

Alex

 

To All,

Thank you for your continued support.

HERE IS THE UPDATE.

1. Setup for fuel pump test

2. TRIED TO TEST THE FUEL PUMP…….BUT NEVER GOT THAT FAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As soon as I turned the ignition key for the fuel test THE ENGINE FIRED UP!!!!!!!

NEVER GOT ANY FUEL IN CONTAINER. AS SOON AS THE CAR STARTED I SHUT IT OFF IN AMAZEMENT!!!

Two (2) things had to have happened

1. Still enough fuel in the fuel rail because the line to the fuel rail was not connected due to my test setup
2. Whatever was causing signal to the injectors to close and not permit fuel to flow resolved itself…..(electrical issue possibly in ECM DRIED UP FINALLY)??????????

Not sure whether I should pull off the side cover to check or not

Your opinion is appreciated

Softball60Paul

 

Always hate these solutions because we end up learning nothing.

Thank you for coming back to update us.

I am happy for you that the car is back to life!

 

Paul,

Well done! Frustrating because you don't really know the reason. It's why I never change any parts "just in case" until I've tested and proved they have failed. So many owners just start changing components in an attempt to resolve an issue rather than diagnose properly and identify the failed component.

As another suggestion, don't ever turn an AJ16 off just after it's started! Always leave it running until its warmed up. AJ16s get confused if they are turned off cold. Don't try and start it again for 12 hours.

cheers

Paul

 

Thanks for all the support and guidance.


Softball60/Paul

 

"As another suggestion, don't ever turn an AJ16 off just after it's started! Always leave it running until its warmed up. AJ16s get confused if they are turned off cold. Don't try and start it again for 12 hours."

THANK YOU. That is good to know.

Rick