Died in drivethru

phesterzBird

Registered User
Hey guys, I was in the drive thru waiting for a burger when my car just died. Would not restart although it cranked real hard it doesn't start. I had turned the A/C on for the first time in several months and everything was operating normally when it suddenly quit running. Put it in neutral and pushed it to parking lot (stopped and got sammich of course) and had it towed to work 2 miles away. She sits out there now waiting for proper diagnoses. Could the IRCM have taken a dump? I've got fuel at the rails with key on but when trying to start the pressure drops (at Shrader valve). Any educated guesses from seasoned vets? Thanks for any input ... Phes Dano
 
Definetley possible since the relays for both the fuel pump and a/c clutch are in there.
Check and see if you have fuel and power to the fuel pump.
Easiest way to tell if you have good pressure is pull off the fuel line at the filter and have someone watch(out of the way)and see if you get a good shot of fuel(should fire out not just dribble).
 
I read this on another thread...Poor Guy.....Got your Burger though....

Anyways sitting at idle....

AC on...Stereo on....Brake lights on.....Low idle...maybe head lights on........Battery is shot....Or alternator..Or belt or tensioner.....Too much drain and idling just isnt putting out enough volts to keep the battery charged....

Throw a volt meter on it and Im guessin battery sits at 12.30...Turn it over and you get 10.90...

F1
 
checking ircm

Got your Burger though....

Anyways sitting at idle....

AC on...Stereo on....Brake lights on.....Low idle...maybe head lights on........Battery is shot....Or alternator..Or belt or tensioner.....Too much drain and idling just isnt putting out enough volts to keep the battery charged....

F1

Thanks for the response. I would agree with you in a second if I hadn't just replaced the battery with a nice interstate and the alt is under 6 months old, good juice to go around. I get pump to cycle when key goes on initially for a couple seconds and have pressure to the rail when key is on but lose pressure when cranking. Good cranking power, no catch and no start still. I'm gonna find the problem eventually...just want to get advise on where to focus (cheapest) first. How does one check the IRCM for proper function? Something about grounding the fuel pump relay :eek: where, why? Dang...didn't enjoy the burger like I had hoped to.
 
When you crank the car over you will see a fluctuation in pressure because the injectors are dumping fuel in the cylinders.

My guess is this is not a fuel issue. check spark. The upshift light does not stay on while you crank it, does it? You will know if you are getting fuel if you pull a plug and its soaked. To actually test for a computer or IRCM failure you will need to follow wiring schematics. First, I would check for codes after checking the obvious.

Chris
 
...like white 89 said..is the upshift light remaining lit while you crank the engine?Check your balancer and crank bolt to see if the balancer has moved slightly forward and if the bolt is still there......
z
 
Thanks guys. I'll check those things tomorrow and report back. If no spark is present what would be the next logical thing to check? The coil pack or maybe the DIS module? Thanks again gents. Dano
 
...like white 89 said..is the upshift light remaining lit while you crank the engine?Check your balancer and crank bolt to see if the balancer has moved slightly forward and if the bolt is still there......
z

Balancer and bolt are still intact and in proper position but the upshift light is on while cranking. In fact it pulses a bit. I never payed attention to that light when starting the car before...does it indicate a problem that relates to the knock sensor or something? Got to figure it out today or have it towed to my mechanic buddy for him to diagnose. Which hand held tester (not too spendy) would you reccomend for our use? Thanks for any and all input on this. Dano
 
bad eec relay caused mine to shut down abruptly, 89-93 its location in the ircm, 94-95 its in the fuse box under the hood, this was also just discussed recently, this is just what my situation was, although a number of things could have gone wrong........try it....cheap fix.
 
Balancer and bolt are still intact and in proper position but the upshift light is on while cranking. In fact it pulses a bit. I never payed attention to that light when starting the car before...does it indicate a problem that relates to the knock sensor or something? Got to figure it out today or have it towed to my mechanic buddy for him to diagnose. Which hand held tester (not too spendy) would you reccomend for our use? Thanks for any and all input on this. Dano

It indicates a problem with the crank sensor which is mounted behind the balancer. Take a look at the wiring that runs down the front of the motor to the crank sensor to make sure the supercharger belt hasn't rubbed a hole thru the harness.

David
 
Thanks RZ and DN for the insight and advise. The wire loom on the motor is still primo, no belt rub on anything. Autozone wasn't sure what the IRCM is, I gave them part# F6SZ-12B577-AB for them to cross reference and he comes back with " I think we can get one of those in a few days but it'll be around 160-200 bucks. Must be a core charge tacked on but it doesn't matter because I'm biting the bullet and having it towed to my guy for proper diagnosis and subsequent proper (and reasonable) fixing of the issue(s). Buddy here at work is letting me use his spare LX, it's a '96 w/ a 4.6 and starts everytime. Thanks fellas, I'll post here what becomes of this no start thing...Dano
 
Just went through the same issue. I bought a non running car from a guy that was in line at a burger joint. here is my post.
http://www.sccoa.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97308
comfirn 12v at coil plug one closest to passenger side, i used sewing needles and a meter leaves smaller holes in harness. check with key on. if you have 12vdc then crank and see if it drops. if it is floating have some one crank and move the harness around to see if it returns.
if you have 12v there then check the 3 other wires to see if they fire they fire a square wave every 120 degrees of the crank rotation. if you have voltage there then you should have fire to the plugs. I had a bad pin in the main harness that feeds the vbat 12vdc. I would start there a meter and sewing needles about 20 bucke, the reward of getting a good car dirt cheap and fixing what a couple of other pros gave up on. the skill you learn from reading boards and troubshooting PRICLESS.
 
Thanks RZ and DN for the insight and advise. The wire loom on the motor is still primo, no belt rub on anything. Autozone wasn't sure what the IRCM is, I gave them part# F6SZ-12B577-AB for them to cross reference and he comes back with " I think we can get one of those in a few days but it'll be around 160-200 bucks. Must be a core charge tacked on but it doesn't matter because I'm biting the bullet and having it towed to my guy for proper diagnosis and subsequent proper (and reasonable) fixing of the issue(s). Buddy here at work is letting me use his spare LX, it's a '96 w/ a 4.6 and starts everytime. Thanks fellas, I'll post here what becomes of this no start thing...Dano

Whoa, $200? youre better off trying a used one beforepaying that kind of dough.
I wouldnt be surprised if it's a simple wiring problem.
My wiring harness on the SC appeared to be in perfect condition, but even with pretty low miles there were tons of crappy connections, worn through wires, etc.
 
fuel pump will run constantly when one of the pins on the eec test plug is grounded out if the pump and wiring are good. i cant remember which one. key has to be on.
 
Thanks boss,XR7 and TC for the input. Looks like it's the knock sensor. Got one coming Monday morn and will slap it on and report back with update. Thanks again .. Dano
 
Thanks boss,XR7 and TC for the input. Looks like it's the knock sensor. Got one coming Monday morn and will slap it on and report back with update. Thanks again .. Dano

How did you come to that conclusion ? I'm asking because the car should run without the knock sensor plugged in.

David
 
fixed

How did you come to that conclusion ? I'm asking because the car should run without the knock sensor plugged in.

David

You are absolutely correct as usual sir. It was in fact a bad DIS that was the culprit. So after replacing the knock sensor we also replaced the DIS and she fires right up every time now.Thanks to all for your comments and time on this one. On to the next set of issues... new front brakes coming. Dano
 
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