what could be wrong now

TinManSC92

Registered User
did the BHJ install with underdrives and now the car hardly runs. any ideas as to what could be going on. when it does finally start, it runs very rough with plenty of black smoke, then stalls out. taking the the broken bal. out was, i far as i can see, the most difficult part of the job. putting the new parts on seemed easy. unless i'm missing something huge. any ideas?
 
i wouldn't know how to measure that or check for it. didn't even know you had to. where would i find the info. on setting up a crank sensor?
 
Did you re-install the crank sensor? Did you check to be sure the trigger wheel passes thru the air gap without contacting the sensor itself? Is the sensor still in place and not damaged, now that you've run the engine?

The amount of air gap isn't critical...just that it is split in half by the trigger and the trigger doesn't contact the sensor when it passes. That is for the early type. What year are you working on?
 
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> it's a 1992

Early style.

Again, the amount of air gap isn't critical, just that the trigger/vane passes thru the sensor without hitting it. __[] | []

Did you move the sensor trigger wheel off the old balancer/pulley and install it onto the new one?
(the round silver plate with the three high/low sections on the back of the pulley in this photo...)
damperpins.jpg
 
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The clearance can be checked with a matchbook cover. I suggest get yourself a new one and install it. It doesn't take much to damage those sensors. If it turns out to not be the problem, you can always return the sensor and say its the wrong part ;).

Meanwhile, double check all your wiring connections.

If your around Thursday evening, I could run out and give you a hand.

Fraser
 
Sensor is usually damaged when the OEM balancer fails. As was mentioned earlier you most likely need to replace the sensor. Would have been a lot easier with the balancer off, but it can be replaced without removing the balancer.

David
 
>now the car hardly runs. any ideas as to what could be going on. when it does finally start, it runs very rough with plenty of black smoke, then stalls out.

Car won't start/run with a damaged crank sensor. Based on the above, I'd say this is a maybe. Run the codes...
 
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Did I miss something? Never said there was a Check Engine Light involved. No light...most likely no relevant codes.
 
Did I miss something? Never said there was a Check Engine Light involved. No light...most likely no relevant codes.

'No light' doesn't mean 'no codes'. No telling until a check is run. Otherwise, it's seat 'o the pants all the way :) Pretty easy approach when you're not the one footing the bill.
 
Except the cost of gas to get to store that actually sells a $40 code reader to only find out you don't have any codes.

Every little problem does not automatically generate a code. For a failure to be picked up the sensor has to be completly failed and out of the range it operates in as set within the code. In the case of a crank sensor, if your lucky to get a code, it has to be a complete failure of the sensor which is not the case here, obviously since the car is starting, so the EEC thinks everything is doing great. When he is cranking the motor, the upshift light goes out which indicates the DIS is seeing a signal and informing the EEC of it.

Fraser
 
There are hard codes that will generally set the CE light and there are memory codes that may or may not set the CE light. Point I was making was if the car is running that crappy, not likely a minor memory code is going to be the reason. A hard code is one that is present when the test is run. A memory code is one that happened in the past and "cleared" itself.
 
thanks very much for all that help. gonna see if i can buy a new sensor from around here and just see if thats the problem. sounds sensible enough to me. but i'm going out right now to see if it's just out of adjustment. now it's under the car game. my favorite!
 
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