GTR R32 no start

[Tardo]

So car in storage for about two months, battery flat. Charged it up and used another jump start battery to boost. No start. Not even a hint of firing. RACQ guy says he can't detect any spark anywhere. Fuel seems ok, pump runs and you can smell fuel in the exhaust after much cranking. Ran perfectly before. The only thing I can think of that is common to all cylinders, which may have been affected by the flat battery, is the immobiliser. I don't know what brand it is or whether it would allow cranking without spark, but I think it's worth a try. Would I be right in assuming that if I removed all the stuff attached to the positive battery terminal I would effectively isolate the immobiliser? Are there any tricks to this? The immobiliser operates through the lock/unlock button on the remote. Any ideas appreciated.

Tardo

[iruvyouskyrine]

Are you semi competent with wiring/using a multimeter? If either of those is no then just take it to an auto elec. Working with poorly installed immobilizers (and they are all always poorly installed) only ends in swearing and wishing you had paid someone to do it. 

[niZmO_Man]

Check that all the connections at the positive terminals are good. Change the terminal if you have to.

[Tardo]

Thanks, guys, still working through it, keep you posted!

[Tardo]

So, fuel seems good. Replaced the plugs, tested the ignition module, all good, but still no spark. What is the next item upstream of the ignition module? I am running a haltech pro plugin ecu. Is there anything between that and the ignition module that could stop the spark? I am assuming the immobiliser is not the problem because the engine is cranking.

Does any one know of a competent mobile auto sparky in the Brisbane area? Anything to save a tow!

Tardo

[wildeagle44]

Is the ecu seeing the car crank? As in the rpm?

Could be a cas issue, have you pulled the plugs while cranking the engine to check for spark?

Whiteys wiring would be my pick up north. 

[Tardo]

Well, finally got online with Haltech, and it appears there may be an issue with the ECU, so off to Sydney it went. I just hope they find a problem, otherwise there will be a cheap GTR32 available!!!

[Tardo]

BTW, thanks to wildeagle44, Sam at Whiteys was very helpful and generous with his phone time!

[Tardo]

Just gets worse! Haltech checked out ok.Thinks, must be Mongoose alarm/immobiliser. Contact them, very helpfull. Steps provided to isolate the system. No joy, still no spark/fire!

So, battery, ok, could make 30ks on the starter motor! Alarm/immobiliser bypassed, ECU checked ok, TCM tested ok, Spitfire coils etc ok. Still no spark impulse at input side of TCM. WTF!!!

C'mon guys and girls, put on your thinking caps please! This is getting a bit surreal!

[Americanzilla]

I was having loads of issues when I had a haltech installed intermittent spark issues like crazy sent haltech out checked out fine. Replaced pretty much everything possible minus one thing I wouldnt have thought of the engine harness. I replaced that and now my car is like brand new. My harness was just so old and brittle that my haltech wasnt getting the proper power causing all my issues. So food for thought check ur volts at ur haltech. 

[GTSBoy]

10 hours ago, Tardo said:

C'mon guys and girls, put on your thinking caps please! This is getting a bit surreal!

This is the wrong approach.  Take it to an auto electrician.  We can't magically see what is wrong from here.

[iruvyouskyrine]

On 2/19/2019 at 7:22 AM, iruvyouskyrine said:

Are you semi competent with wiring/using a multimeter? If either of those is no then just take it to an auto elec. Working with poorly installed immobilizers (and they are all always poorly installed) only ends in swearing and wishing you had paid someone to do it. 

 

[Tardo]

I've had three auto elecs look at this. Sadly, it doesn't involve changing a battery! Two others looked at the TCM as though it was from an alien spacecraft. The car isn't a daily so we will continue to plod along till we get to the bottom of this.

[GTSBoy]

Oh come on!  It is dead simple to troubleshoot this stuff if you are physically present with the car.

1. Is the ignition signal present at the output terminal on the ECU?
   1. (And as a sub point.....do you know the difference between ECU outputs that output 12V and ECU outputs that supply an earth?  And as a further subpoint, do the auto-eleccies that have looked at it know the difference?)
   2. (And, as a further subpoint, is the Haltech configurable to be either or both on the ignition outputs and is it set to be the wrong sort?)
2. Is the main power feed present at the igniter?
3. If you manually provide a trigger into the input side of the igniter, can you get an output signal on the igniter, and then, by extension, at the coil?

If all those things check out....then you start to panic.

[joshuaho96]

On 3/13/2019 at 1:25 AM, GTSBoy said:

Oh come on!  It is dead simple to troubleshoot this stuff if you are physically present with the car.

1. Is the ignition signal present at the output terminal on the ECU?
   1. (And as a sub point.....do you know the difference between ECU outputs that output 12V and ECU outputs that supply an earth?  And as a further subpoint, do the auto-eleccies that have looked at it know the difference?)
   2. (And, as a further subpoint, is the Haltech configurable to be either or both on the ignition outputs and is it set to be the wrong sort?)
2. Is the main power feed present at the igniter?
3. If you manually provide a trigger into the input side of the igniter, can you get an output signal on the igniter, and then, by extension, at the coil?

If all those things check out....then you start to panic.

This is pretty much it.

I would also make sure that your grounds are properly set up, if you used stock harness and PnP adapter for the ECU you should not have problems but any noise on the coil trigger will cause spark to go off continuously which will manifest as a no-start condition.

You should also verify power to all components like ECU, ignitor, etc are sufficient during cranking. Some ECUs are exceptionally finicky about power supply and will lose ignition sync, etc when when cranking pulls the battery voltage too low.

[Dylannn]

Probably a stupid idea, but if everything is checking (are you sure the spark plugs arent firing?) out okay could it be possible that the ECU has lost its map? Maybe a tuner will be able to assist

[Tardo]

OK guys, just to close this thread, problem fixed. Special thanks to joshuaho96 for your input. I cannot understand the lack of knowledge of our  "auto electricians". Had to go back to basics myself to discover that the TCM had an earth leakage, where three "tradesmen" had assured me that it was functioning as it should. The beast is now purring again. Again, thanks to all who offered advice.

Tardo

PS. Special day today with the delivery of our R34 Mspec Nur. I am very happy to be the custodian of this magnificent vehicle!!!!!

[niZmO_Man]

Dodgy "professionals" unless proven otherwise. Tyre shops, mechanics, people who build houses, etc. applies to all.