RTH: Crank no start after repairs. (1 Viewer)

[n54zach]

A little stumped here. Completed a bunch of maintenance on my 97, got it all buttoned up last night, and won't start. Cranks fine just doesn't fire. I imagine it has something to do with the work I just did, most are unrelated to the ignition but here's the list in case something might be relevant:

Compression test (unplugged distributor/spark plug wire from power to crank, started with the pedal to floor to put it in flood mode)
Valve cover/spark plug gaskets
New spark plugs
New wires
Removed air tube and throttle body (Sprayed throttle body cleaner into intake tube and throttle body, new TB gasket)
Replaced most vacuum lines that I could easily get to (Could a wrongly routed or slightly too short line cause no start?)
Tie rod ends (Front steering went back and forth multiple times without key in and locked the anti theft steering more than once during the job, is there some kind of antitheft immobilizer?)
U joints ( Could turning driveshafts trigger some kind of neutral lock-out safety thing?)
Rear brakes


The battery was fine as it cranks strong I jumped it to be sure.
Left battery unplugged to clear ECU
CEL is on when cranking. My HF scanner indicates no codes though?
Confirmed that there is spark. Pulled out plug, connected to wire and grounded plug to neg. and cranked.
Plug smelled like fuel so looks like it is getting fuel and spark?
Has VIP alarm system

I will add anything else I can think of.

 

[voodu3]

Check your fusible link. That’s the first place to look for a crank not start.

 

[n54zach]

Check your fusible link. That’s the first place to look for a crank n

Wires were a little frayed, but overall looked fine and much better than the 94 I have. Tested resistance and they appeared fine. Put it back on the battery and now I just get a click and no start. I'm afraid I just ruined them with simply pulling them off the positive terminal. Jumped again to make sure I didn't kill the battery, just clicks.

 

[QuackAxel]

I'm going to go with ths fusible link as well... otherwise I would double check firing sequence and timing.

 

[n54zach]

Would a bad link cause the starter to click after it was cranking before? Worried I grenaded the starter after cranking so many times... anyways I ordered a new link from McGeorge I guess we will see next week.

 

[n54zach]

Fuse link came in today. Threw it in and found out I didn't reconnect one of the positive terminals after I was messing with the old one. So I am back to cranking, but still no start. I pulled the throttle body off again and checked to make sure I had everything plugged in. Would the timing be off after swapping from denso to OEM plug wires? I confirmed I have fuel and spark. When I pulled the plug to test spark it was wet with fuel. I could smell fuel when cranking but no leaks anywhere that I could find.

 

[BILT4ME]

Fuse link came in today. Threw it in and found out I didn't reconnect one of the positive terminals after I was messing with the old one. So I am back to cranking, but still no start. I pulled the throttle body off again and checked to make sure I had everything plugged in. Would the timing be off after swapping from denso to OEM plug wires? I confirmed I have fuel and spark. When I pulled the plug to test spark it was wet with fuel. I could smell fuel when cranking but no leaks anywhere that I could find.

Did you install the new rotor in the distributor cap?
Is the center coil wire on the distributor cap properly installed and connected to the coil on the fender?
Plug and unplug the connection above the distributor.
Double check your battery connections as well as your ground connections under the hood. 2 on front fenders, one near distributor to lift hook (left side of engine) and one at the right rear of the engine to the firewall.

You have an alarm. Does the alarm need to be cycled / cleared because there is an ignition interrupt on it? This sounds to me like the alarm may be holding it because the battery was disconnected and now it thinks it's being stolen.

Place your key in the driver's door lock and cycle it open twice in rapid succession. There are some alarms that this is how they are reset.

 

[n54zach]

Did you install the new rotor in the distributor cap?
Is the center coil wire on the distributor cap properly installed and connected to the coil on the fender?
Plug and unplug the connection above the distributor.
Double check your battery connections as well as your ground connections under the hood. 2 on front fenders, one near distributor to lift hook (left side of engine) and one at the right rear of the engine to the firewall.

You have an alarm. Does the alarm need to be cycled / cleared because there is an ignition interrupt on it? This sounds to me like the alarm may be holding it because the battery was disconnected and now it thinks it's being stolen.

Place your key in the driver's door lock and cycle it open twice in rapid succession. There are some alarms that this is how they are reset.

Checked battery connections. Checked resistance to crankshaft position sensor. Reset alarm. It sputtered like it wanted to start. Saw some smoke/mist around engine bay and smelled something burnt. I smelled it last week once as well. When I crank again it cranks fine doesnt start and doesn't burn or sputter. I'll double-check my grounds. I did not install a new rotor

 

[jpoole]

Did you mess up the ignition wire order? Did you replace one at a time or have them all off at once?

 

[n54zach]

Did you mess up the ignition wire order? Did you replace one at a time or have them all off at once?

I replaced the whole assembly at once. The labels are wired for each cylinder and they are in the correct position

 

[jpoole]

I replaced the whole assembly at once

What does assembly refer to here? It sounded like the distributor or cap wasn't removed/adjusted at all but I was reading between the lines.

The point to my question about ignition wiring order is that it could be firing out of sequence with the engine's timing.

It sputtered like it wanted to start

Along with your other observations indicates that you have both spark and fuel so given the work you listed and the symptoms you've described ignition mistiming should be considered among the possible problems. Of course, how much you changed and how you changed the wires/etc. may safely minimize this risk, it's just hard to know that from where we are sitting.

 

[n54zach]

What does assembly refer to here? It sounded like the distributor or cap wasn't removed/adjusted at all but I was reading between the lines.

The point to my question about ignition wiring order is that it could be firing out of sequence with the engine's timing.



Along with your other observations indicates that you have both spark and fuel so, given the work you listed and the symptoms you've described ignition mistiming should be considered among the possible problems. Of course, how much you changed and how you changed the wires/etc. may safely minimize this risk, it's just hard to know that from where we are sitting.

Had the damn wires 6 and 3 switched at the distributor... I guess I took the 3 for a 6 on the dusty dist. cap....

Still won't start after switching them back. I guess that fried something? Going to disconnect battery for a while

 

[n54zach]

Car still just cranks. Could I have damaged the rotor in the distributor from the misaligned wires? I have un and replugged the distributor, wires, battery both terminals, still nothing... I guess next is to check each individual plug for spark again?

 

[ajax1]

Did you pull the efi fuse in main fuse box under engine when doing compression test, or did you foul up the maf sensor spraying carb cleaner on it? Did you backwards the cap somehow? Don’t think that is possible but maybe

 

[n54zach]

Did you pull the efi fuse in main fuse box under engine when doing compression test, or did you foul up the maf sensor spraying carb cleaner on it? Did you backwards the cap somehow? Don’t think that is possible but maybe

No I just unplugged the "main" center wire to the distributor and started the car with my pedal on the floor for the compression test. I sprayed my Crank sensor with intake cleaner as it was coated with oil from my filter change, ran out of my electronic cleaner but that was today and the issue was there prior. Never touched the cap itself

 

[n54zach]

Figured it out on Friday, the final issue was the air intake tube being misaligned and not clamped down all the way. The moral of the story is to use adequate light in the shop to avoid simple mistakes and triple check the stupid stuff

 

[Kernal]

So it was sucking in unmetered air, that's all??

 

[n54zach]

So it was sucking in unmetered air, that's all??

Yep, cranked right up after I properly reinstalled the tube