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Starter fluid not working

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Old 03-22-2012, 04:53 PM
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Starter fluid not working

Is there a reason the engine will not fire? i Checked all the spark plugs and they all work. I shoot Starter Fluid into the throttle body and engine still will not fire or cough?

Any ideas?
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Old 03-22-2012, 08:34 PM
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Shooting starter fluid into a EFI system isn't really the way to trouble shoot it. If you are getting spark then you need to find out why you aren't getting air and/or fuel. What is the AFR when you spray starter fluid into the plenum. Is there enough air or fuel for it to start properly? Lets say you get it to turn over and run for a few seconds. What have you figured out? Does it show you want isn't working? The only thing you will know is that you are getting spark - but you knew that already.....


Is the fuel pump running? Are you getting fuel pressure? Are your injectors working?
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Old 03-28-2012, 06:14 PM
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I'm starting to pull my hair out...........

After further inspection I now know:
The plugs fire when removed and attached to plug wires.
While the plugs were out, cylinders 1-5 very little to virtually no fuel whereas cylinder 6 is pouring (spraying) fuel all over the battery as I crank the motor over. Ask me what happens when you leave the plug and wire next to the cylinder when you crank it!!!

I did the test described in the FSM with the light bulb and attaching to injector connector. No bulb flash at all. I did this on #6 (my gusher) and #5 before the sun went down. Neither one created a flash.

This is a real challenge for me with this being my first car.

What should I look at next? Should I be looking toward the ECU? Is the green light real visible during the day or should I be looking after dark? Does the ECU either work 100% right or not at all?
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Old 03-28-2012, 10:50 PM
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The injectors fire in banks. Disconnect all the injectors and hook the bulb up to #6. If it's not flashing then it's hooked up wrong - you already know it fires.
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Old 03-31-2012, 06:20 AM
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Hmmm......well, I have no flash from my noid light. I tried #6 after disconnecting all injector connectors. I pulled the plug again on #6 and found excess fuel pooled up on the dome of the piston and my oil is really diluted with gas. I have to think it's bleeding down passed the rings. So can an injector "freeze" open and dump fuel as long as the pump keeps pushing it? Previously, I had all the plugs out and cranked it and saw nothing coming out of the 1-5 cylinders. Is the ECU the cause..maybe?
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Old 03-31-2012, 12:32 PM
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Either your ECU, or you might have a wiring problem. Considering you are not getting a signal with the noid light. Also check your relays and fuses too. You never know.
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Old 03-31-2012, 12:37 PM
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I just realized something. If you are getting fuel dumped into the #6 cylinder. It could also be a spark problem. But what puzzles me, is that you are not getting a signal with the noid light. But it has fuel in that one cylinder.
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Old 03-31-2012, 05:00 PM
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The car DID run until about a week ago. It's a new car to me and someone previously had a "jumper" wired from the CSV to the starter crank lead on the starter. I know,...pretty ghetto, but it's 85 degrees out and can't see why the cold start system could cause the problem I'm having.(maybe it's not even related) The ECU...I've read here and on the EFI bible that the green light is supposed to flash when on. I get one flash and the light goes out. That's it. Any thoughts here?
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Old 04-01-2012, 08:58 AM
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well the cold start system adds addition fuel to the whole system, maybe its malfunctioning because of that little jumper you speak of and flooding the engine
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Old 04-01-2012, 07:42 PM
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Now here's a shocker........I knew my #6 appeared to be the flooding culprit and today I discovered not only was my oil diluted but I have gas pouring out of my dipstick tube!!! WTF...so now I need to change my oil but I have to stop this flooding problem. I pulled the line off the fuel filter to stop the flow and fortunately there wasn't anymore to flood the engine. I just can't believe the ECU could account for 5 injectors functioning normally and one to stick open. Maybe it's a combination of 1 bad injector and bad ECU? Whatever it is, I think my next move is to pull #6 and see if there is an obvious problem. I don't have a spare ECU yet.
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Old 04-03-2012, 10:35 AM
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It's batch fire so power goes to three of the injectors from the ECU - must be a bad injector not the ECU....
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