Code 12 with engine not starting (1 Viewer)

[TexFJ]

Got up this morning and my engine wouldn't start. cranking beautifully, but just didn't want to start. After checking to make sure no fuel lines nor any of the distributor connections were lose, I got around to the ECU. Connecting the SST, er wire, I discovered the sole 12 code but no other.

Cleaned the connectors but no luck.

Is this a symptom of the problem? Would the engine not start if NE and G signals were missing from the ECU or would it just work poorly?

Any ideas before I take the distributor apart? I can make sure sparks are igniting... is there a remote start switch for the 3FE, which I can use from the engine bay?

thx

 

[red66toy]

I had this issue. I had to replace the pickup coil inside the dizzy. Mine was toasted and caked in some nasty fibery grease. Not sure what the heck happened. But after replacing just the coil, issue was solved. Its possible to replace the coil without removing the whole dizzy from the engine. Just some tiny screws and patience. You should test your pickup coil per the FSM.

 

[TexFJ]

I had this issue. I had to replace the pickup coil inside the dizzy. Mine was toasted and caked in some nasty fibery grease. Not sure what the heck happened. But after replacing just the coil, issue was solved. Its possible to replace the coil without removing the whole dizzy from the engine. Just some tiny screws and patience. You should test your pickup coil per the FSM.

Makes sense...I'll post my findings after doing some coil confirmation testing.

 

[TexFJ]

Just checked my resistances,

• G-G(-) = 164 Ohms
• NE - G(-) = 55 MOhms then settled at OL

Took off the cap and found some deliciousness underneath.

Now... is the pick up coil something I can buy from Denso? FSM doesn't seem to talk about this

 

[red66toy]

Just checked my resistances,

• G-G(-) = 164 Ohms
• NE - G(-) = 55 MOhms then settled at OL

View attachment 2477794

Took off the cap and found some deliciousness underneath.


View attachment 2477803

Now... is the pick up coil something I can buy from Denso? FSM doesn't seem to talk about this

Yuck! Mine was bad as well. I think a bad -o-ring or improper venting can lead to this. My cap wasn't vented correctly before. I had to get a used dizzy to harvest another pickup coil. I was unable to find this part new anywhere in a aftermarket capacity.

 

[TexFJ]

Well, heck. I'm confused as heck about these vacuum lines. PO put a non vented Bosch cap on and now I see some of them are vented, but from where?

Pulled out the sensing coils. Maybe if I clean them real well they'll come back to life. (pipe dream) if the coil got a spark and burnt then I see replacement.

 

[red66toy]

Well, heck. I'm confused as heck about these vacuum lines. PO put a non vented Bosch cap on and now I see some of them are vented, but from where?


View attachment 2477992
Pulled out the sensing coils. Maybe if I clean them real well they'll come back to life. (pipe dream) if the coil got a spark and burnt then I see replacement.
View attachment 2477997

Yeah get a Denso cap with the proper vents. One vent hole goes to the air cleaner, the other to the cabin air intake port. so air comes from the cabin, through the dizzy cap, then into the air cleaner. I can take a pic of the routing later. Also, now may be a good time to get a new o-ring for the cap. 19127-61240

 

[3_puppies]

X2 on the venting, there should be a nipple sticking out of the firewall below the wiper motor area, it has a small filter on the inside of the cabin. then the other end of the hose goes to the top of the air filter housing, IIRCC there are 3 hoses there, it is 1 of them.

good used unit will probably be sold at the cost of a complete good used distributor

 

[TexFJ]

what size of tube to get from the cap to the air intake port. I now see that the PO just went directly from filter to air intake after installing the vent less cap. The fatter one seems to go to the air filter in the cabin.

if I find a used dizzy I may just replace the sensing coils and the cap. But if I can't, which is the most popular after market dizzy on MUD? Spectra Premium has a good price.

 

[SteveH]

Rock Auto shows one for $149 and a (gag) Cardone unit for $508.

 

[TexFJ]

pulled the trigger on the Spectra Premium,

Unfortunately I couldn't find a pic of the inside like Cardone shows but can't be too different. I believe Spectra is what the cruiser specific online guys carry. Usually just around $400 at the brick and mortar stores, but online it ended up being $170. Looked a lot like the Cardone, not really sure why theirs is so expensive. One thing I don't want to do is do this twice.

Gonna hit the side cover gasket and the oil filter gasket while I'm down there... anything else worth doing?

Love working on the cruiser, but hate not driving it....

 

[TexFJ]

When replacing the distributor, any reason why I can't just mark where the old rotor is pointing and then just make sure I install the new distributor until the rotor points in the same direction? If I didn't know where the rotor was originally pointing then I definitely want to follow the TDC method. right?

 

[TexFJ]

Lining up the dizzy is pretty easy if you just follow the FSM. Just make sure the oil pump shaft slot.

It helped for me to see where the rotor ended up when I took the old dizzy out. Definitely set it to TCM before you take it out.
When putting it back in, the rotor was pointing to about 11:30, then it'll end up in the below position.

Hardest part of installation was actually sliding the dizzy body in. The O ring seemed to be really tight and it took my whole body weight to slide it in, rotating it back and forth. Even with Oil on the Oring.

Also, I replaced the rod cover gasket without taking off any stinkin PS brackets. Just judge what 35 in-lbs feels like and tighten the upper bolt. I said know to replacing the Oil filter bracket gasket, it wasn't leaking so hopefully it's all good still for a while.

timed it out at 650 rpms and I can tell the difference.