Hi guys!
While in Brasilian Amazon my motor started to have problems with starting. It only happens when humidity is high - it doesn't have to rain, but raining makes it worse. If it is not very bad it is possible to start the motor after 3 - 4 attempts lasting up to 15 seconds. The starter would crank the motor, but the combustion would not happen. At times white smoke would come out of the exhaustion pipe, but at times only unburnt fuel could be scent, but no smoke could be seen.
If it is bad - as it was a few weeks ago - it took three days to have it started (luckily I was at a camping at that time, not somewhere deep in the jungle). During that time I have checked almost all of the systems involved in motor starting and have found everything to work. At the end I cannot say whether it was the sun, which dried the car and air or a faulty sensor connector that finally fixed the issue (engine started after I have disconnected, checked and reconnected the IAC valve, throttle position sensor and crankshaft position sensor).
I am now far away from the Amazon, so the problem is not urgent anymore, but am curious whether any of you had a similar difficulty and if so what was the reason?
While toying with the FSM I have checked the following:
- ECM power source circuit --> OK
- Fuel pump control circuit --> OK (checked everything apart from fuel pump and the harness between fuel pump, pump relay and resistor -- but I can tell that the pump was working and pumping fuel when I hardwired the ECU; I have also disconnected the fuel hose leading to the injectors to see if the fuel comes out when cranking the engine)
- IAC valve --> OK
- Throttle position sensor --> OK
- Igniotion coil --> OK
- Signal generator resistance in distributor --> OK
- Crankshaft position sensor --> OK
- Spark occurance --> OK
- MAF sensor --> OK
If you ask me there isn't anything else left, which could make the engine fail to start. For a while I thought it might be water in the fuel and the humidity thing is only a coincidence (had something like that happen on a motorbike), but when the engine works it works perfectly and smoothly.
Any ideas? I have assumed that the problem was caused by a short/open somewhere in the harness, but if so, then where exactly?
While in Brasilian Amazon my motor started to have problems with starting. It only happens when humidity is high - it doesn't have to rain, but raining makes it worse. If it is not very bad it is possible to start the motor after 3 - 4 attempts lasting up to 15 seconds. The starter would crank the motor, but the combustion would not happen. At times white smoke would come out of the exhaustion pipe, but at times only unburnt fuel could be scent, but no smoke could be seen.
If it is bad - as it was a few weeks ago - it took three days to have it started (luckily I was at a camping at that time, not somewhere deep in the jungle). During that time I have checked almost all of the systems involved in motor starting and have found everything to work. At the end I cannot say whether it was the sun, which dried the car and air or a faulty sensor connector that finally fixed the issue (engine started after I have disconnected, checked and reconnected the IAC valve, throttle position sensor and crankshaft position sensor).
I am now far away from the Amazon, so the problem is not urgent anymore, but am curious whether any of you had a similar difficulty and if so what was the reason?
While toying with the FSM I have checked the following:
- ECM power source circuit --> OK
- Fuel pump control circuit --> OK (checked everything apart from fuel pump and the harness between fuel pump, pump relay and resistor -- but I can tell that the pump was working and pumping fuel when I hardwired the ECU; I have also disconnected the fuel hose leading to the injectors to see if the fuel comes out when cranking the engine)
- IAC valve --> OK
- Throttle position sensor --> OK
- Igniotion coil --> OK
- Signal generator resistance in distributor --> OK
- Crankshaft position sensor --> OK
- Spark occurance --> OK
- MAF sensor --> OK
If you ask me there isn't anything else left, which could make the engine fail to start. For a while I thought it might be water in the fuel and the humidity thing is only a coincidence (had something like that happen on a motorbike), but when the engine works it works perfectly and smoothly.
Any ideas? I have assumed that the problem was caused by a short/open somewhere in the harness, but if so, then where exactly?
In fact it seems that the only function of the one I have is the red blinking light on the dashboard: once in Ecuador I have had my keys locked inside, we called a big dude with a big screwdriver and he opened the door without the alarm going off.
