Engine Cranking but not Starting

Zaino14

Insta: @vr4lLegOfHam
Location
Perth
First Name
Zain
Drive
1998 FL Legnum VR4 Type S Manual
Update from mechanic. He has fixed some wires from sensors and checked all with oscilloscope. All appear fine now, except the MAF sensor. He said that monitoring the ECU values everything appear to be quite wrong/all over the place. Regardless the engine is now starting fine with all the wiring fixed up, but is putting out a large amount of black smoke. He suspects the MAF sensor is dead, so I dropped of this morning a spare from the manual donor car, plus two others I had lying around (possibly broken). I also took the ECU out of the manual and dropped that off too.

He mentioned that the wiring around the ECU is a mess and has most likely been modified, how or to do what we're not sure. I spoke to the previous owner and he mentioned that the ECU had been switched out 7202 and more then likely reflashed (approx 10 years ago). Never been an issue before but could be possible the manual conversion stuffed whatever delicate setup was going on there? Either that or simply the MAF sensor failure. I think it may be best to swap the manual's ECU in regardless as it's completely stock. Then maybe get it tuned sometime in the future.

Hopefully very close to the end of this!
 

Zaino14

Insta: @vr4lLegOfHam
Location
Perth
First Name
Zain
Drive
1998 FL Legnum VR4 Type S Manual
Keeping this updated as it may help someone in the future, although the problem has become very specific. Mechanic has gone through and checked all values and has narrowed it down to the Fuel Injector timing values being extremely out. All other values are within the correct ranges, car is also sparking well. For some reason the injectors are opening for 14ms instead of the max value of 2ms. No idea whats causing it, as other values appear fine. But either way, car starts but is running beyond super rich and its basically flooding. Removing the MAF sensor helps, as it causes the car to run leaner, but still nowhere near drivable.

Mechanic believe that it isn't the result of some sort of tune but rather an error. He is going to try swapping the throttle body + sensors from the manual donor, as well as the coolant sensor (just a test i think). Either way he can't get into the ECU to changes the values as it appears it has been locked from a tune done by the previous owner. Will let you all know how it turns out, also let me know your opinions on what may have cause this, at the moment we're at a bit of a loss, since car was running fine for year before.
 

Baba Galant

1 AYC Bar
Lifetime Member
Location
Melbourne
First Name
John
Drive
Galant VR4 twin turbo 1997
Don't know what to make of all these issues, if it's that undriveble it's staring to sound like a major leak on the charge side.
I've missed a clamp now and then after a long day, idles ok but the second you need to accelerate it goes nowhere.
I'd be looking from the throttle body back to the intercooler, check those little hoses too around the blow off valve.
Really can't envisage the throttle body change doing much unless the gasket is gone or ISC is loose and sucking in air.
Hope you resolve this soon as your mechanic may hit you with a bill that stings.
 

Zaino14

Insta: @vr4lLegOfHam
Location
Perth
First Name
Zain
Drive
1998 FL Legnum VR4 Type S Manual
Don't know what to make of all these issues, if it's that undriveble it's staring to sound like a major leak on the charge side.
I've missed a clamp now and then after a long day, idles ok but the second you need to accelerate it goes nowhere.
I'd be looking from the throttle body back to the intercooler, check those little hoses too around the blow off valve.
Really can't envisage the throttle body change doing much unless the gasket is gone or ISC is loose and sucking in air.
Hope you resolve this soon as your mechanic may hit you with a bill that stings.

Yeah not looking forward to the bill regardless as they've spent days on it, that being said they're good friends and have never steered me wrong with my other or my families cars so I have absolute trust in them. Checked all the hoses and lines and that seemed good so I not too sure there. I also mentioned that I doubt the throttle body would make any difference since the manual and the auto are identical. That said no harm in trying it out in case one of the sensor in there has died. From what I undertstand it idles snad accelerates fine, just huge amount of black smoke and way too much fuel going in.
 

BCX

Administrator
Moderator
Location
SA
First Name
Bill
Drive
2000 Galant Type-V
1997 MK Triton GLS [6G74 conversion]
2019 i30 N-Line
Either way he can't get into the ECU to changes the values as it appears it has been locked from a tune done by the previous owner
What makes him say that?

what hardware/software is he using?

What's the output he's getting?
 

Zaino14

Insta: @vr4lLegOfHam
Location
Perth
First Name
Zain
Drive
1998 FL Legnum VR4 Type S Manual
What makes him say that?

what hardware/software is he using?

What's the output he's getting?
Not too sure but I'll find out. He mentioned he is using a mates kit that normally tunes JDM cars.
 

jungle

3 AYC Bars
Lifetime Member
Location
QLD
First Name
Simon
Drive
1 PFL & 1 FL Legnum
If a 7202 has been fitted, then it's free and easily read with ECU Flash.
 
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