1G DSM doesn`t start?

1G DSM doesn’t start?
Some basic troubleshooting is in order but with a DSM there are always a few extra things to
remember.
Basic troubleshooting:
1.
2.
3.
The obvious
a. Does the car try turn over (i.e. spins the motor but doesn’t catch/run/sputter)? if not:
i. Check that there is fuel and that it’s good – if it smells like gas and not rotten eggs then
it’s probably fine
ii. Check that the battery is fully charged (have you tried jumping the car?)
iii. Check that the battery terminals are connected and secure
iv. Check the fuses (MPI fuse by the battery especially)
v. Check the grounds – are they bolted securely
vi. Take the starter out and have it tested @ local automotive store/shop
Suck
a. Make sure all the hoses and intake piping is routed correctly
b. Make sure the airfilter lets air through it
c. Check the throttle body and make sure the throttle can open/close
d. Check the intake manifold for
i. Fittings not secured
ii. Broken/missing intake manifold and throttle body gaskets
iii. Bolts missing/loose
Squeeze
a. Check compression (easier with one person in the car and another at the motor)
i. This is typically done with a warm motor but you can perform a “cold” test – You just
have to:
1. drop a teaspoon of oil in each cylinder(make sure it’s all equal amounts)
2. Wait about 5 minutes for the oil to trickle down
ii. Unplug the MPI fuse
iii. Take out all the plug wires and the plugs
iv. Screw in the compression testor
v. Hold the throttle open
vi. Crank until the dial stops moving
vii. Check all 4 cylinders:
1. If performing a cold test they should all read in the same range somewhere
above 100 (varies with amount of oil used)
2. If performing a warm test they should all be over 121 with a service limit of 14.
This means that if compression comes back at 150, 130, 150, 150 then cylinder
2 has worn rings and they should all be replaced.
3. If the battery isn’t fully charged the motor will have trouble spinning and your
resulting compression numbers will be lower
b. Perform a Leakdown test
i. Not everyone has access to equipment to do this – most reputable shops can do this
ii. Look at http://www.vfaq.com/mods/wayback/leakdown.htm for instructions if you
have a leakdown tester and a compressor
4.
Bang
a.
b.
c.
d.
Check the resistance of the plug wires. Should be:
i. Plug wire 1: 5.8 ohms
ii. Plug Wire 2: 8.4 ohms
iii. Plug Wire 3: 10.6 ohms
iv. Plug Wire 4: 9.7 ohms
Check the plug wire order
i. Wire order is 4-1-2-3
ii.
Check the Coil Pack
i. Pull each plug wire from the motor side (one at a time)
ii. Put a known-good spark plug in the boot
iii. Hold the other end of the boot while keeping the spark plug ¼” or less away from a
known ground (I use the strut tophat bolts)
iv. If each one sparks then the coil is good
v. If one of the four doesn’t spark check the plug, wire, and try it next to another ground
vi. If a pair of plugs spark (2/3 or 1/4) do not spark and the other 2 do then test the
Crank/Cam Angle sensor. If the CAS is good then the coil or voltage transfer unit are
bad. Test the voltage unit to find out.
Check the Voltage Transfer Unit (from Chilton Manual)
i. To test the No. 1 and 4 cylinders:
1.
Connect the negative terminal of a 1.5 volt dry cell battery to terminal 3 of the
power transistor;
2.
then check whether there is continuity between terminals 7 and 3 when
terminal 6 and the positive (+) terminal are connected and disconnected.
3.
Connect the negative probe of the tester to terminal 7 of the power transistor.
4.
With terminal 6 and the positive (+) lead connected, there should be
continuity between terminal 7 and terminal 3.
5.
With terminal 6 and the positive (+) lead disconnected, there should be no
continuity between terminal 7 and terminal 3.
6.
ii. To test the No. 2 and 3 cylinders:
e.
f.
1.
Connect the negative terminal of a 1.5 volts dry cell to terminal 3 of the power
transistor;
2.
then check whether there is continuity between terminals 1 and 3 when
terminal 2 and the positive (+) terminal are connected and disconnected.
3.
Connect the negative probe of the tester to terminal 1 of the power transistor.
4.
With terminal 2 and the positive (+) lead connected, there should be
continuity between terminal 1 and terminal 3.
5.
With terminal 2 and the positive (+) lead disconnected, there should be no
continuity between terminal 1 and terminal 3.
6.
If the results of the tests are not as indicated above, replace the power
transistor.
7.
Check the Plug condition and gap
i. Gap new plugs to .028” - .032”
ii. Refer to the following for a complete guide to spark plugs:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/frequently-answered-dsm-questions/233421spark-plug-faq.html
Check the CAS (cam/crank angle sensor)
i. The plunger needs to be properly lined up
ii. Rotate the crank until cylinder one is at TDC
iii. Unplug the CAS electrical conenction
iv. Pull the CAS off
v. Check that the plunger has the notch lined up with the timing mark on the backing. It
should be pointing down and left if looking at the plunger
vi. Check if it works properly
1. Unplug the fans so you don’t hear them
2. Plug the CAS electrical plug back in
3. Turn the car to the “on” position without going to the start position (do not
crank!)
4. Spin the cas, you should be able to hear all 4 injectors “click”
5. Turn the car off
6. Unplug the CAS electrical connection
7. Plug the fans back in
vii. Bolt the CAS back in
viii. Plug the electrical connection back in
5.
Blow
a.
b.
c.
d.
Make sure the exhaust manifold is bolted on properly
Make sure the turbo spins freely
Make sure the exhaust system isn’t clogged/plugged
A leakdown test should also indicate a problem here
Advanced Troubleshooting:
1.
2.
Timing Belt
a) Follow this procedure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VIubwSxytk to check if it’s right
b) Pay special attention to the portion about the balance shaft belt plate
c) Check, check, and re-check your timing marks.
d) Check your timing marks
e) Redo the timing if it’s off at all
Coolant Temperature Sensor
a) Sensor testing
i) Make sure the car is cool
ii) Drain enough coolant from the car so that the lower 2 sensors under the rad cap can be removed
iii) Unplug the sensor under the rad cap that has a plug and connections in the shape of a “T” with 2
wires. The single wire sensor is for the coolant temp gauge on your dash. The upper normal plug
sensor is for the AC coolant temp sensor
iv) Put the tip of the sensor in a pan/pot of water on a stove (I put it in vicegrips that sat on the edge of
the small pot
v) Connect a multimeter and check the resistance between the terminals as follows:
(1) Water temperature of 32°F (0°C): 5.1-6.5 kilo-ohms present
(2) Water temperature of 68°F (20°C): 2.1-2.7 kilo-ohms present
(3) Water temperature of 104°F (40°C): 0.9-1.3 kilo-ohms present
(4) Water temperature of 176°F (80°C): 0.26-0.36 kilo-ohms present
vi) If the sensor is outside the above range then replace it otherwise check the wiring in the next step
b) Wiring testing
i) Check signal - Test for continuity between pin 2 of the coolant temp sensor wiring harness and pin 20
of the ECU wiring harness.
(1) If no continuity is found check the connection between the wire and the sensor plug
(2) If continuity is present test the ground side of the sensor
Check ground
(1) Test for continuity between pin 1 of the CTS wiring harness and pin 24 of the ECU wiring harness
(2) If continuity is not present test for continuity between:
(a) CTS wiring harness pin 1 and throttle position sensor wiring harness pin 4
(i) If continuity is not present replace the section between these two points
(ii) If continuity is present continue to the next step
(b) Throttle position sensor wiring harness pin 4 and Airflow Sensor wiring harness pin 6
(i) If continuity is not present replace the section between these two points
(ii) If continuity is present continue to the next step
(iii) Airflow Sensor wiring harness pin 6 to ECU wiring harness pin 24
1. If continuity is not present replace the section between these two points
(iv) If continuity is present continue to the next step
(c) Check the grounds from the ECU to the body screw beside the ECU (passenger side)
Recheck for continuity as in 2.b.ii.1
ii)
c)
d) If continuity is present proceed continue testing other items
3.
4.
Check the ECU
a) Check for engine codes: http://vfaq.com/mods/wayback/BradBauer/electrical/code.html
b) Take the ECU out and look for any burn marks or leaking capacitors
Check fueling
a) Check the fuel pressure - using a fuel pressure tester:
i) Unplug the rubber hose from the fuel rail of the return (driver side)
ii) Connect the tester to the fuel rail side
iii) Get someone to crank the motor a couple times
iv) If pressure is 36-38psi the fueling system should be fine
v) If pressure is outside the above range replace the pressure regulator and the fuel filter
5.
vi) If no pressure is present continue testing the fuel pump
b) Check the fuel pump
i) Remove the fuel pump (follow: http://vfaq.com/mods/pump-ND-1GAWD-print.html)
ii) Hook up a lead from the batter positive to one pole
iii) Hook up a lead from the battery negative to the other pole
(1) If the pump whirrs and twists a little in your hand or the assembly then it’s good – continue to
test the fuel pump electrical system
(2) If the pump does nothing replace the pump following the directions above in 4.b.i
c) Check the fuel pump wiring and relay
i) Check the connections on top of the fuel pump assembly. Remove the connections and clean off any
rust and debris. Use plenty of dielectric grease around the connections
ii) Make sure the wiring harness plugs in the trunk have no frayed wires or corrosion
iii) Test the fuel pump relay
(1) Test continuity between fuel pump relay pin 6 and a known working ground location
(2) Test continuity between fuel pump assembly pin 4 and a known working ground location
(3) Test continuity between fuel pump assembly wiring harness pin 2 and fuel pump relay assembly
wiring harness pin 2
(4) If all the wires have continuity then replace the relay
(5) If the wires do not have continuity check the harnesses for breaks and the plugs for loose
connections to the wires
Check the stepper motor
a) Remove the electrical plug from the backside of the stepper motor
b) Check the resistance as follows:
i) Pin 1 to pin 2
ii) Pin 2 to pin 3
iii) Pin 4 to pin 5
iv) Pin 5 to pin 6
Pin 1
Pin 2
Pin 3
Pin 4
Pin 5
Pin 6
v) If resistance is outside of 32ohm +/- 3 ohms then it needs replacement
c) If it’s easier to test with the stepper motor out it takes an 8mm socket to remove both bolts.
d) For the visually inclined: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KibYz21IMA0
Sources:
BoostedAlberta.com:
780tuners.com – DSM section:
DSMTuners.com:
DSM FSM – electrical:
VFAQ.com:
Chilton Manual:
http://boostedalberta.com/BoostedAlbertaForums/forumdisplay.php?f=39
http://forums.780tuners.com/forumdisplay.php?f=138
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/maintenance-repairs/
http://www.scribd.com/doc/15602873/9091el
http://vfaq.com/index-main.html
N/A