How to Solve an EFI No Start

[Guest]

[liljoe07]

The cycling is normal, when you rotate the dizzy, The Vane rotor inside passes by the Pick up coil, this sends a PIP signal to the ECM, which in turns gives a signal for a injector pulse, so the pump kicks on also, kinda like the Engine is running....Sorta.

[Duncan_McDougal]

  Thanks for the info, this site always has the best info.

[liljoe07]

Thanks for the info, this site always has the best info.

Are you having some sort of problem Duncan?

[Duncan_McDougal]

Thanks for the info, this site always has the best info.

Are you having some sort of problem Duncan?

I just completed a head and intake swap and I am having, cranking but no start issues.  The car just cranks and doesn't start.  It does not start with starting fluid/carb cleaner either.  This is why I started testing the ignition coil and TBI.  The distributor, rotor and cap are all a couple months old and they also tested fine using the checklist.  The only part of the checklist that a part failed was as follows:

" Place ignition key in on, with the 12-vdc test light connected to a good ground, probe the (-) terminal at the coil (Tan/Yellow wire), rotate distributor left-right-left and check test light...test light blinks  = replace coil....test light on = next step."

When I do this step using the green/yellow wire the voltage drop from 12 to 0 and then back to 12.  When the voltage goes from 0 to 12 the fuel pump cycles.

The red/blue wire reads 12v using the same process as above.

[liljoe07]

That's the collapsing pulse given from the TFI. If the voltage drops and comes back, and still no spark, looks like a bad coil. As everthing is there for spark from the coil, just the coil is not putting out spark

[Duncan_McDougal]

That's the collapsing pulse given from the TFI. If the voltage drops and comes back, and still no spark, looks like a bad coil. As everthing is there for spark from the coil, just the coil is not putting out spark

I don't know if I fully understand what the collapsing pulse is.  I guess I was incorrect to think it was the coil?  

Here is what the coil is doing.  It produces a  blue spark (I seem to be finding conflicting examples on how thick the spark is supposed to be).  The spark at the plugs is a yellowish arc and you have to place the plug wire within a few mm to even get this.  Is the spark at the plug supposed to be blue and therefore a yellow spark is a week signal?

[liljoe07]

So you have spark at the coil, just no spark at the plugs?

[Duncan_McDougal]

So you have spark at the coil, just no spark at the plugs?

Yeah, sorry for the confusion.  I misunderstood what joel 5.0's meant by no spark.  So, to clear things up I found my test light and when hooked up to the negative side of the coil the light will dim but not go out.  I also retested the TFI's pin #4 (ICM Power) and the test light came on (it read 12v with the meter before.

[liljoe07]

Try pulling the spout out and see if you get spark. Test for spark at the Plugs themselves.

[liljoe07]

Have you tried testing for spark with the dizzy at different locations. Kinds sounds like timing is off some.

[Duncan_McDougal]

Have you tried testing for spark with the dizzy at different locations. Kinds sounds like timing is off some.

I am going to re-stab the distributor to see if the timing was right.  Thanks for you help again.

[Duncan_McDougal]

I am an IDIOT.  At some point I stabbed the distributor in wrong.  Thanks for all the help and insight.  I love coming to this site because of the wealth of knowledge. 

[liljoe07]

Good deal Duncan

[nickb]

just want to say thank you JOEL. my baby died in the driveway on sunday,would'nt start up again,checked your no start list and she's up and runnin. thanks again, if i hit mega bucks your gettin a new stang for sure.