Surprising Solution to TTA starting problem...

[Rogue Leader]

so I decided to go nuts on this thing today... got on the phone with Steve (TTA850) and went through stuff diagnosing stuff... I ended up getting a Fuel Pressure Gauge and a set of Noid Lights to do a bit of testing. Plus I crafted a harness to run the injectors manually to test them.

Heres what I found: firstly my fuel pressure is fine, pulled a spark plug, my plugs are fine and firing fine, hooked up the Noid light to an injector, the injector harness IS pulsing! But the car STILL wont turn over.. I have my friend Mike crank the motor and i feel the injectors and they feel like they arent clicking... but I have pulsing at the harness?? I then take my manual injector harness and pop the injectors off the battery... sure enough they click, so the injectors do work, just for some reason the pulsing is not firing them... THEN we check the voltage... I have 11.4 volts at the injector harness... hmm a little low it seems. I have 12 volts at the battery... HMM... THEN Steve suggested I try running a battery charger in Jump mode which will give 13.5 volts. GUESS WHAT it starts fine.!!!!

Turns out now testing the batery when cranking its only putting out 10 volts... It seems the battery is BAD... Hmm thats what I thought in the first place, should have went with my intuition...

Just FYI how much this all cost me (and should have cost had I went with my first suspicion):

VATS Key - $25
ECM - $69
Coilpack & Module - $75
Noid Lights - $29
Fuel Pressure Gauge - $29
Optima Battery - $90
-------------------------
Total - $317

:doh:

Should have been:

Optima Battery - $90
VATS Key - $25 (needed it anyway)
--------------------------
Total - $115

Hey at least I have a spare ECM and coilpack now... never know when that stuff can crap out, everyone says its good to keep a spare...

 

[xtremexnyc]

At least on the bright side you got the car up and running. Thats the most important part. Also you now you have a better understanding and some spare parts to have. Just in case something does go wrong. I too have been in the same situation. Glad you figured out the problem.

 

[Rogue Leader]

Originally posted by xtremexnyc
At least on the bright side you got the car up and running. Thats the most important part. Also you now you have a better understanding and some spare parts to have. Just in case something does go wrong. I too have been in the same situation. Glad you figured out the problem.

thanx... BTW hows Jenni doing? I havent talked to her in almost a year.....

 

[Rogue Leader]

Oh BTW you can gte optima batteries for cheape than any parts store and fee shipping at www.optimabatterystore.com

 

[TTA89]

Are you running a Thrasher Chip with Ant-Theft?

 

[Rogue Leader]

Originally posted by TTA89
Are you running a Thrasher Chip with Ant-Theft?

Yes... Thrasher stock injector 92 with antitheft, that wasnt the problem though cause I tried a non thrasher and had the same problems....

 

[xtremexnyc]

Originally posted by Rogue Leader
thanx... BTW hows Jenni doing? I havent talked to her in almost a year.....

Shes doing fine. I'll let her know you were asking.

 

[Red Regal T]

Glad you have it running! Again, on the bright side the $69 and $75 you spent on an ECM, Coilpak/ignition module, is money well spent. Cheap insurance if any of these parts go bad. Because you have them, you can always use them for troubleshooting and carry them for spares in case of part failures.

 

[Rogue Leader]

Originally posted by Red Regal T
Glad you have it running! Again, on the bright side the $69 and $75 you spent on an ECM, Coilpak/ignition module, is money well spent. Cheap insurance if any of these parts go bad. Because you have them, you can always use them for troubleshooting and carry them for spares in case of part failures.

Ya Im just gonna leave yours in the car and use my old ones as spares...

 

[TT/Ameasap]

Scan master show's 9.8v while cranking!!!

I am going to jump it here soon. See if that works for me

This post made me think twice about assuming certain parts are bad.

So far, I'm only a coil pack in the hole on this escapade.


John, thanks for the coil pack.

 

[TT/Ameasap]

Ok, bought new battery as the old one showed it was bad.

Did not solve problem


I have done the following:

1.changed chip
2.checked fuel at rail
3.changed battery
4.checked MAF tapping it while running

The car sometimes runs when cold. It has been sitting for 2 hrs now and not starting at all, just turning over.

I need help with suggestions

Thanks,
Bo

 

[Rogue Leader]

Originally posted by TT/Ameasap
Ok, bought new battery as the old one showed it was bad.

Did not solve problem


I have done the following:

1.changed chip
2.checked fuel at rail
3.changed battery
4.checked MAF tapping it while running

The car sometimes runs when cold. It has been sitting for 2 hrs now and not starting at all, just turning over.

I need help with suggestions

Thanks,
Bo

I wish you were closer Id let you borrow my noid lights to see if the injectors are pulsing. try what i did to test the injectors... crank the motor and see if you feel them firing or not... if they arent Then try making the harness i made... connect a wire to each post on the injector and then to the battery negative... then tap the positive to see if it clicks... also test the injector harness with the key on to see if u get 12 volts... Are u sure u have spark?? how are your plugs???

let us know...

 

[TT/Ameasap]

My plug wire's and plugs are new gapped at .032 and I stuck a screwdriver in one of the socket's of the plug wire's and got spark. Pulled plug after cranking several times and it was dry as a bone.

Weird how it let me start it a few times then just refuses to start now.


Bo

 

[Rogue Leader]

how about the injector tests???

 

[TT/Ameasap]

fixed!!!

Ok, I kick myself in the A$$.

I did not know that too high of fuel pressure could do this.

It was at 60psi line on.The reason for that was adjusting it without a gauge. I thought I memorized turning it but, apparently I didn't.

Thank you for all the help

Bo

 

[Rogue Leader]

no problem.... hope to get my battery soon!

 

[Big Mike]

The same thing happened to mine three weeks ago getting out of storage! Drove me nuts!I put a new battery and all is well!

 

[TurBo BiRd]

What's the cause of the problem w/ the Thrasher chip? I found this out on my own the hard way driving across the country and dying 10 times along the way (Tennesee, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona- multiple times in each...). It seems to be haet related b/c my ar would start after cooling down for a little while.

 

[Rogue Leader]

No problem with the thrasher at all... in fact this is the second thrasher ive owned and never hard a problem with either one...

Just my battery crapping out!

 

[1quick6]

Yes, there IS a problem with a Thrasher chip if it has anti-theft. If your battery is weak it will not start. Scott Simpson could shed more light on this, but I just went through this myself. It started fine on a stock chip but not with the Thrasher. A new battery fixed my problem.