Car Won't Start (yet another)
 

Bare in mind I'm a definite newbee & not a mechanic. I changed the fuel filter this weekend. Turn the key to put some pressure in the lines to check for leaks. Didn't see any. Started the car the next mourning. Let it run for about 10 minutes & concluded the procedure to be a success. This morning, it wouldn't start. Just could not, would not turn over. Tried it until the battery was short of dying. Got it on the charger while I'm at work.

I've read a bit on tracking down the problem. First seems to be check a relay & see if the fuel pump is running.

1. Where is the relay, I noticed a black one near the engine?
2. How can I tell if the fuel pump is running?
3. What other leads can I chance down if the relay's OK?

As I said I'm not a mechanic but here are a few things I found in done in the last couple years based on the receipts that concern the fuel system & starting:
- new starter motor
- new fuel accumulator
- rebuilt cd box
- new distributor
- o2 sensor
- Frequency Valve
- Thermo-Time Switch
- injectors, boots, seals . . .
- plugs & filter when tuned

Three things you need for combustion: air, fuel and spark.

Since you had the car running, I'll assume the air part is OK (no induction leaks)

Spark: with the ign on, the CDI box near the fuel filter should make a high pitch whine. You can also ground a spark plug with one of the plug wires to see if you have spark. Use a spare plug, pull a wire, install the plug into the wire, hold the plug to a good ground on the chassis (insulate your hand), have a helper crank the engine. You should see a nice spark. A rebuilt CDI box...you can't rule out spark as a cause of your problem. The trigger wire from the distributor is also suspect. So test the spark.

Fuel: you should have a red round relay. Do you? You can also test the fuel by lifting the airplate a few millimeters with the ignition on. The injectors will scream and you will feel some pressure on the airplate. That is assuming your fuel pump is not already running (sometimes PO's will bypass the switch on the air meter which is suppose to shut the pump off when the car is not cranking or running). If your injectors scream when lifting the airplate, you have fuel. Do not lift the plate too long (just a couple of seconds or until the fuel lines are primed in the case where you have little to no residual pressure in the lines).

The list of repairs or replacements leads me to think someone was trying to fix a repeated start/running problem. But I do not see a cold start injector in that list. You may have a bad cold start injector. In that case, you can prime the engine by lifting the airplate as described above.

I would do the airplate lift to prime the engine before you test spark. Prime the engine, then try to crank it. If it fires and dies, you might have a bad cold start injector or ill-tuned cold start sequence. If it idles roughly, you can have the same.

Do the above and report back.

First thing I did was to change the relay, both the orginal & replacement seemed to turn on the fuel pump. Second I listened for the whine of the CDI box, heard it. Next I lifted the airplate, heard the injectors & felt the pressure. At this point I assumed the the engine was primed so I gave it a crank. Guess what, it started like a champ & stayed that way until I shut it off after 10 minutes. Let it rest of 30 & gave it another shot. Started like a champ. So I gave it a 10 minute drive. Let it rest for 30 & started it again with no problems.

After doing what you sugested with success I broke out the workshop manual to try to figure out what was going on. Turn out it says that you should always lift the airplate after openning the fuel system. I gues to bleed the line?? I hope that is all that is needed. I am going to go through my old receipts to see if a cold start injector was installed. Is that somthing that is easy to do? Should I go ahead & replace it "just in case". Souk, Thanks a ton from a newbee!!

Tom H

for a newbie..good work, tom. :)
ryan

Good job Tom! Now you should never get stuck ;)

Edit: Don't worry about it. From your post it appears you do not have a problem with the CSV. It's a little painful to get to for a CIS newbie.