Background story - Car was running fine for a while. I went on vacation for about 11 days, when I got back, it wouldn’t start.
So I’ve replaced the distributor, checked my plugs, MFR is fairly new (about 6 or 8 months) from the dealer, I hear the fuel pump, the spark plug wires are correctly installed and in the right order. I definitely have spark. I also checked the timing belt, it rotates and looks good.
Question - If I’m trying to start the car, should the plugs be wet with fuel? (Is that a good way to ensure that I’m getting fuel?) If not, how can I tell that fuel is making it?
I’ve spent about 3 hours searching on spark and fuel with no decent way of narrowing down my search results. I’ve read the stickies and such and I’m just not sure what way to go now.
Any help with no negative comments would be greatly appreciated.
i had a car (teg) i was rebuilding so i worked on it here and there it ran but if didnt regularly start it it would just crank and crank what i would do is use starting fluid it worked everytime i wouldnt use it every day but if the car sat for a week or 2 i did that to get it running
i personally have never seen the plugs be wet, but thats not to say that method doesn’t work. smelling the plugs and/or each cylinder and/or the exhaust can be an indication of fuel.
i like to keep a fuel pressure gauge installed on the fuel filter. this is a reat way to cross a lot of possible problems off your list. they are cheap, easy to install, and i think every car should have one.
once you know you have fuel pressure to the rail you need to check the flow at the injectors. recently i had an issue w/ my injectors. to check them i unbolted the fuel rail and pulled the injectors out of the manifold but kept them attached to the rail. in that state you can crank the car and visually see the injector spray.
just be sure to use caution and common sense when using the above method (also, you obviously need 2 people).
Why didn’t I think of this earlier! Only it’s recomended you use TFE paste and not the teflon tape on fuel systems. Sometimes a small piece of tape can plug up an injector.
As far as the no-start issue. You need FUEL, SPARK and COMPRESSION to start. My friend’s DA would not start because the timing beld had skipped a tooth.:bang:
If you’re getting spark and it sounds to me like you’re getting fuel also so, check compression.
Make sure your ecu is actually getting power. when you turn the key to the power on position, the cel should blink once, also check your alternator fuse. the alternator has a wire comming off of it from the fuse panel, it gose from the fuse panel to the altrnator and grounds on the alternator, and if the fuse is popped the alternator won’t be grounded, no ground,no start. my car did it twice.
Not sure of the thread, you can probably look up B&M’s website and they may give the size of the thread on the back of the gauge. My guess is that it’s some form of pipe thread (NPT, BSPT…)
The line on the left side of the filter (in the picture above) has a standard banjo bolt as shown. The right side has a similar banjo bolt but the head of the bolt has a hole in it. That hole is threaded and a small “bolt” (plug) is threaded into that hole. This is a service bolt. Unscrew that small bolt, thread in the gauge. Simple as can be. If your setup does not look like that, then it’s not stock.
Picture is worth a thousand words:
Simply remove #28 and replace that bolt with the gauge. After looking at this diagram I’m not second guessing myself about the pipe thread and the teflon tape. I may be mistaken about those things. You’ll notice the presence of crush washers on these bolts (e.g. #31 & #32) which are there to “seal” the bolts and prevent leaks. Either way, it’s simple as can be.
Well, I think the proper question would have been: Where did you get the gauge? But you answered it already… B&M.
I’m all stock, I have the service bolt, just didn’t think they made gauge fitting that small. Originaly I thought it was a 1/8" NPT witch is standart. When I took the bolt out it looked way too small for a gauge mount.
There are tons of different gauges out there and I imagine they’re all basically the same, I’ve even seen usable ones from local autoparts stores like Autozone, Kragen…
My gauge came with at least one adapter which was a 90deg adapter, and maybe a straight adapter to another size thread. I forget now, but I did save all of those pieces. The adapters can be used so that the gauge can be installed in various areas. If you have an aftermarket fuel rail there is usually somewhere on there it can be installed as well. I put mine on the filter because it’s more inconspicuous
I looked at the B&M PDF diagram, and it all became clear. The gauge IS 1/8 NPT, but it comes with a banjo bolt with a threaded hole drilled through the top.
I thought you just replaced the small (#28 on the diagram) bolt. But the kit actualy replaces #28 and #27.
Just got a call from the dealer, it seems that while my car was sitting in my garage for 11 days cyl 1 lost compression and my transmission is seized and that’s why my car won’t start. (Sounds like complete horseshit if you ask me, but they quoted me $4k for a motor and trans…). I have to get the car towed back to my house now and that brilliant deduction cost me $99.
Soooooo…I have a DA shell for sale with black interior in pretty good condition…
[QUOTE=mr_djsonic;2065625]I looked at the B&M PDF diagram, and it all became clear. The gauge IS 1/8 NPT, but it comes with a banjo bolt with a threaded hole drilled through the top.
I thought you just replaced the small (#28 on the diagram) bolt. But the kit actualy replaces #28 and #27.
Crystal clear now.
:excite:[/QUOTE]
I guess I forgot how exactly that went on, lol. sorry.
