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Hi!
I laid up my car for the winter for a few months. About 3 weeks ago I started her up drove it a bit to warm up the engine and then changed the oil.
Two days ago I wanted to drive the car but it won't start just cranks. Here is the problem I have. I have absolutely no sense of smell (from as far back as I can remember) and can't smell gasoline. I do hear the pump turning on when I turn my keys but do not know if fuel is getting to the engine. Is there a way to tell?
So my real questions. How do I tell if my battery is charged enough (I do have it on a charger) and (again) how can I tell if fuel is getting to the injectors?
Pull one of the front injectors. They’re easy. Crank and see if it sprays.
Two confirmations in one.
I initially thought of that. I took off the rail cover and after a quick inspection I could not figure out how to remove the injectors. I will look more carefully today.
No need to remove the Rail, either one of the two Injectors at the Front of the Fuel Rail will have enough play in the rubber tubes for you to take them out
Have a look 1/3rd of the way down Page:11 of my 'Cherry Blossom' restoration thread
I looked more carefully today at the injectors but have no idea how to get any off.
I did pull the plugs and all of then were fairly wet with oil (especially #6 and #2). I cleaned/wiped them off the best I could and put them back. I let my daughter smell the rag I used to wipe the plugs with (I have no sense of smell) and she said that she did smell gasoline on the rag. So fuel is reaching the engine but I don't know how much.
Please recall that the engine started the last time just three weeks ago so I wonder if the soaked plugs really are the problem (?)
The car does crank, I do hear the fuel pump turn on when I turn the key and the tachometer does reach over 2k while trying to start. The battery voltage is 12.9 volts and does not go below (I think it was) 10 volts when cranking.
What should I look at/do next?
Thanks!
Does it have an alarm and key fob ? If so the fob might need to be synced.
I actually lost the fob last year in my house (can't believe I did not find it yet!). The car was working fine last year and started three weeks ago without an fob problem. How can go around not having an fob if that is the problem?
No need to remove the Rail, either one of the two Injectors at the Front of the Fuel Rail will have enough play in the rubber tubes for you to take them out
Have a look 1/3rd of the way down Page:11 of my 'Cherry Blossom' restoration thread
WARNING! Pull the King Lead out of the Dizzy so the Engine Cannot Start of you could easily burn your Car to the Ground
Sensible precautions with a Fire Extinguisher Standing By
The thread you sent me to is for a V12. I took off the rail cover and I see six small boots each with two wires coming out. Is this what I take off? if yes, how please? I suspect that I have to take off the part (injector?) that this boot/plug is attached to. There doesn't seem to be any room for this.
Can I please get better instructions to take off one injector to see if I am getting fuel to the rail?
Thanks
Apologies also, looking at your profile I now see that you have a Six and not a V12 which involves a somewhat different process, as I had exactly the same type of 'No Start' problem as you and to make matters worse if they could get worse
I knew nothing about the AJ6/AJ16 engine and had never ever worked on one before, so with help from other Members of this Forum, who knew a lot more than I did
Starting from scratch I had to try every trick in the book to get her to Start, which was a massive learning curve as only the last one worked!
In order to try and help others, I have done a write up on every single thing I had to do including photo's as I was tearing my hair out over this one
So what I will do is to start with the most likely cause of a 'No Start Problem'
And if that doesn't work the best I can do is to leave you to read through that thread and then you should hopefully get her up and running
Step number One: Sit in the Car which should have a Fully Charged Battery and then look at the Tacho while you Turn the Key and turn the Engine over
If the Needle on the 'Tacho' moves then the 'Crank Position Sensor' should be OK
If the Needle on the 'Tacho' doesn't move, then 'maybe' you need a 'New Crank Position Sensor' one of the most likely causes of 'No Start' on an AJ6/AJ16 Engine
Get back if the 'Tacho' Needle doesn't move but in the event that it does, move on to step number Two
Step number Two: Underneath the Passenger knee Pad is a Concealed Fuse Box with a removable Flap that opens with a Turnbuckle using a Coin
Remove that Flap and you will see lots of Fuses together with a 'legend' on the back of the Flap, which tells you what they all do but don't touch those for the moment!
As if you look upwards just above those Fuses, you will see Two Blue Relays sitting side by side in their Holders
These were the 'Last Trick In The Book' these are what got my Car Started right at the point where I was right out of ideas
Remove those Relays one at a time, starting with the one on the Left
Remove it Clean the 'Tangs' replace it and then unbelievably, your Car might then Start!
Though if not do exactly the same with the other one or even try swapping them over
If that doesn't work then try and get hold of a couple of the Silver type of Relays with the same Values as I remember reading somewhere that these Blue Relays 'May' have slightly thinner 'Tangs' than the Silver ones do
Which can cause 'No Start Problems' if they are not a Tight Fit, so even jiggle them about in their holders if you have to
If your Car was running and its not running now, then it is Highly Likely, that these Blue Relays could be the cause of your 'No Start Problem' other than that, then please have a read through my thread
I'm thinking that maybe the immobilizer has kicked in. Key fobs come up on Ebay sometimes, you will need to get the correct frequency for the US. The alarm is in the trunk behind the panel on the passenger side near the antenna. There is a big white multi connector and if you unplug that it should disconnect the alarm.
Did you at any point move the turn on and turn of the car without driving it? Like have it on for two minutes to shuffle cars around in the garage? AJ16 engines don’t like that, they flood and won’t start again unless you really hit that accelerator. While starting. Happened to me twice at separate times shuffling cars around until I learned my lesson.
other than that it’s your CPS or a flat battery.
For all the speculation about alarm systems immobilizing cars, I have never really seem conclusive proof of that happening...... And if you think that’s what’s happening then simply leave it in valet mode.
Apologies also, looking at your profile I now see that you have a Six and not a V12 which involves a somewhat different process, as I had exactly the same type of 'No Start' problem as you and to make matters worse if they could get worse
I knew nothing about the AJ6/AJ16 engine and had never ever worked on one before, so with help from other Members of this Forum, who knew a lot more than I did
Starting from scratch I had to try every trick in the book to get her to Start, which was a massive learning curve as only the last one worked!
In order to try and help others, I have done a write up on every single thing I had to do including photo's as I was tearing my hair out over this one
So what I will do is to start with the most likely cause of a 'No Start Problem'
And if that doesn't work the best I can do is to leave you to read through that thread and then you should hopefully get her up and running
Step number One: Sit in the Car which should have a Fully Charged Battery and then look at the Tacho while you Turn the Key and turn the Engine over
If the Needle on the 'Tacho' moves then the 'Crank Position Sensor' should be OK
If the Needle on the 'Tacho' doesn't move, then 'maybe' you need a 'New Crank Position Sensor' one of the most likely causes of 'No Start' on an AJ6/AJ16 Engine
Get back if the 'Tacho' Needle doesn't move but in the event that it does, move on to step number Two
Step number Two: Underneath the Passenger knee Pad is a Concealed Fuse Box with a removable Flap that opens with a Turnbuckle using a Coin
Remove that Flap and you will see lots of Fuses together with a 'legend' on the back of the Flap, which tells you what they all do but don't touch those for the moment!
As if you look upwards just above those Fuses, you will see Two Blue Relays sitting side by side in their Holders
These were the 'Last Trick In The Book' these are what got my Car Started right at the point where I was right out of ideas
Remove those Relays one at a time, starting with the one on the Left
Remove it Clean the 'Tangs' replace it and then unbelievably, your Car might then Start!
Though if not do exactly the same with the other one or even try swapping them over
If that doesn't work then try and get hold of a couple of the Silver type of Relays with the same Values as I remember reading somewhere that these Blue Relays 'May' have slightly thinner 'Tangs' than the Silver ones do
Which can cause 'No Start Problems' if they are not a Tight Fit, so even jiggle them about in their holders if you have to
If your Car was running and its not running now, then it is Highly Likely, that these Blue Relays could be the cause of your 'No Start Problem' other than that, then please have a read through my thread
As I noted above the tach does move. I will look at the relays later after I disconnect the immobilizer. BTW, I already check those fuses by the relays.
The Blue Relay on the left is very highly likely the cause of your 'No Start Problem' because unlike the Silver Relays the 'Tangs' on these Blue Relays could be that much thinner and therefore not make such good contact
Apologies also, looking at your profile I now see that you have a Six and not a V12 which involves a somewhat different process, as I had exactly the same type of 'No Start' problem as you and to make matters worse if they could get worse
I knew nothing about the AJ6/AJ16 engine and had never ever worked on one before, so with help from other Members of this Forum, who knew a lot more than I did
Starting from scratch I had to try every trick in the book to get her to Start, which was a massive learning curve as only the last one worked!
In order to try and help others, I have done a write up on every single thing I had to do including photo's as I was tearing my hair out over this one
So what I will do is to start with the most likely cause of a 'No Start Problem'
And if that doesn't work the best I can do is to leave you to read through that thread and then you should hopefully get her up and running
Step number One: Sit in the Car which should have a Fully Charged Battery and then look at the Tacho while you Turn the Key and turn the Engine over
If the Needle on the 'Tacho' moves then the 'Crank Position Sensor' should be OK
If the Needle on the 'Tacho' doesn't move, then 'maybe' you need a 'New Crank Position Sensor' one of the most likely causes of 'No Start' on an AJ6/AJ16 Engine
Get back if the 'Tacho' Needle doesn't move but in the event that it does, move on to step number Two
Step number Two: Underneath the Passenger knee Pad is a Concealed Fuse Box with a removable Flap that opens with a Turnbuckle using a Coin
Remove that Flap and you will see lots of Fuses together with a 'legend' on the back of the Flap, which tells you what they all do but don't touch those for the moment!
As if you look upwards just above those Fuses, you will see Two Blue Relays sitting side by side in their Holders
These were the 'Last Trick In The Book' these are what got my Car Started right at the point where I was right out of ideas
Remove those Relays one at a time, starting with the one on the Left
Remove it Clean the 'Tangs' replace it and then unbelievably, your Car might then Start!
Though if not do exactly the same with the other one or even try swapping them over
If that doesn't work then try and get hold of a couple of the Silver type of Relays with the same Values as I remember reading somewhere that these Blue Relays 'May' have slightly thinner 'Tangs' than the Silver ones do
Which can cause 'No Start Problems' if they are not a Tight Fit, so even jiggle them about in their holders if you have to
If your Car was running and its not running now, then it is Highly Likely, that these Blue Relays could be the cause of your 'No Start Problem' other than that, then please have a read through my thread
My setup seems to be a little different. I lowered the panel under the air bag. There I saw the fuse box. To the right of the fuse box, not directly above, I I saw two blue relays side by side and I cleaned them. No luck with the car starting.
I'm thinking that maybe the immobilizer has kicked in. Key fobs come up on Ebay sometimes, you will need to get the correct frequency for the US. The alarm is in the trunk behind the panel on the passenger side near the antenna. There is a big white multi connector and if you unplug that it should disconnect the alarm.
I used my keys to open and unlock the doors but the car did not start. I unplugged the white wire harness connector but mine was different than your. One end of the plug had many wires connected to it. The other end, which I pulled off had one wire looped between two terminals on the plug. Does this mean that my immobilizer has been bypassed?? In any case the car did not start with the plug disconnected so I re-connected it,
Here is an update. I made sure that the fuel pump trip (I forget its name but it shuts off the fuel pump in case of an accident) was not triggered.
Most importantly I discovered that I do not have sparks going to my plugs.
I'm awaiting what you think I should do next.
Thanks,
Jomo
No start condition
