Car is not starting Options

[badbu68]

90 Turbo FWD

I've got fuel and spark. Just replaced battery, terminals, and ecu. Motor turns over, was told it had good compression, sometimes car wants to start and doesn't. Only mods was the air can has been hacked up. Don't know how long car has been sitting, but it has the older style plates so maybe since 01-02.

Plugs foul with fuel but they turn black. Oil looks clean from the dipstick, plugs don't smell like oil either. I'm thinking maybe bad gas, fuel filter looks new, need to replace that but the bracket to hold it was removed so it's free standing and I can't get any torque to unbolt it. Maybe I'll just use the air gun, but I'll need the bracket for the bottom fuel line.

What I'm thinking is bad fuel, then spark. So I'll A: replace fuel filter B: replace coil packs. Anything else I should check, do, look for?

TIA,
-Joe

[awd4kicks]

I thought you said that you had fuel and spark. So the fuel filter and coils should be ok to at least start the engine. I would wonder about the Cam angle sensor giving the right timing for spark. Then there is always the resistor pack that seems to do nothing until your car wont start. Though I would think you would see problems with spark delivery if either of those two items failed completely.

Track it down man!

[The Iron Goat]

Don't rule out the ECU. I had a 90 do the same thing to me, and that ended up being the problem. Might want to take it out, crack it open and give those caps a good looking at.

[TURBOWHT]

i know a couple cars in town, that just quit starting. they thought it was wiring problems. came to find out it was just the coolant tempature sensor. i would check that. It sounds like the same thing as your car is doing, plus if your car has been sitting could be the same problem.

[badbu68]

I just replaced the ecu with a good ecu, I also pulled it open and checked the caps, but maybe if someone around here has a 90 that I can verify with that would be great.

I do have fuel and spark, but with the amount of time this car has been sitting I think the fuel that was sitting inside the tank is bad. It was hovering above empty, but that could just be the gauge, I put 2+ gallons of 93 in. I'm wondering why the spark isn't strong enough or mistimed to start.

Anybody have a cood CAS and how much? Kou?

[KOU In3]

We have a few CAS's in stock for $50. Might want to hook her up to a logger if you have access to one before you throw parts at the car you might not need.

Couldn't hurt to check compression just to rule that out too.

[badbu68]

I'm going to first check timing with my trusty craftsmen timing light, then I'll probably buy a compression tester, then hopefully I can borrow somebody's data logger (jim where are you?) before I throw more parts at it.

Is this the wonderful world of dsms?

[The Iron Goat]

Is this the wonderful world of dsms?

Absolutely! They make you a better troubleshooter/mechanic. It's very much like nicotine: you want to quit, but you love it so much.