no start

[turbomacncheese]

OK, last weekend I turned the key. Turns over fine, doesn't make any weird noise, starts to catch and dies. Longest it's run is ABOUT half a second, maybe less. Sounds great for that half-second.

I panicked after my compression test because I got numbers between 0 and 85. BUT...looks like the valve stem is trashed. Tested with my air compressor. Pulled the valve stem out so I can't get 100% accurate numbers but I can say that every cylinder bounces up to 120 cold with a closed throttle plate. That's enough that compression isn't the reason.

Fuel pressure hits 50psi while priming, maintains about 45 while cranking.

Pulled the spark plugs and they spark while turning the engine.

The only codes are 4 for the TGV and 1 for the EGT. I'm under the impression that TGV codes MAY trip a limp-mode that limits RPM to 4500, but that none of those will cause a no-start.

I haven't hacked up the harness yet, but I did pull remove most of the airbag stuff, rear hatch cord, and rear radio cord so I could stretch the harness out far enough. I did bolt down every ground I could find (maybe 7 from the main harness and all of the grounds on the engine harness). Installed the ground strap from a starter bolt to the frame. Big fat negative cable bolted to the frame, but the 3 inch negative cable is loose.

Wifey has a video because I was hoping for a first start. As soon as she sends it to me, I'll link it.

I'm going to go dig through the manual, but if anybody has ideas, I'm glad to hear them.

[turbomacncheese]

Here is where I left the timing...
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?26400-Timing-Belts

video....
https://youtu.be/GFseyh-_evE

About the only thing I can't test here is the injectors. All I know about the donor is that it smashed the front end pretty hard...which means it was probably running.

[NevaLift2Shift]

OK, last weekend I turned the key. Turns over fine, doesn't make any weird noise, starts to catch and dies. Longest it's run is ABOUT half a second, maybe less. Sounds great for that half-second.

I panicked after my compression test because I got numbers between 0 and 85. BUT...looks like the valve stem is trashed. Tested with my air compressor. Pulled the valve stem out so I can't get 100% accurate numbers but I can say that every cylinder bounces up to 120 cold with a closed throttle plate. That's enough that compression isn't the reason.

Fuel pressure hits 50psi while priming, maintains about 45 while cranking.

Pulled the spark plugs and they spark while turning the engine.

The only codes are 4 for the TGV and 1 for the EGT. I'm under the impression that TGV codes MAY trip a limp-mode that limits RPM to 4500, but that none of those will cause a no-start.

I haven't hacked up the harness yet, but I did pull remove most of the airbag stuff, rear hatch cord, and rear radio cord so I could stretch the harness out far enough. I did bolt down every ground I could find (maybe 7 from the main harness and all of the grounds on the engine harness). Installed the ground strap from a starter bolt to the frame. Big fat negative cable bolted to the frame, but the 3 inch negative cable is loose.

Wifey has a video because I was hoping for a first start. As soon as she sends it to me, I'll link it.

I'm going to go dig through the manual, but if anybody has ideas, I'm glad to hear them.


Do you know if the injectors are firing? Probably so if the fuel pressure is dropping while cranking, but still would check. Also, have you verified the valve timing is still good? I agree it should start with TGV codes, EGT should let it start too.

When's the last time the engine has run? Double check the grounds too, make sure the paint\coating is all scrapped off.

[turbomacncheese]

got it. Even though it wouldn't start, I could smell fuel in the exhaust, plus the slight running made me think the injectors weren't SO bad that it wouldn't run. Cam and Crank sensors I would expect to not let it run for even the half second. Oh yeah, what about the air flow sensor? I've heard of people putting it in backwards, (I did take it out to paint the intake tube) but it looked to me like the cutout only lets it go one way (aftermarket tube, maybe that's an improvement?). But, whatever. I've only had 2 other cars with air flow sensors (well, that required me to work on the engine) and they both had contingency plans for failed sensors, so....I unplugged it. Started right up. Thanks for the help!

[Railroad]

I put an air flow sensor in backwards and it acted the same. Totally different engine, but same effect.
If the sensor is in the right direction, the reading may be corrupted, also check for trash in the sensor.

[turbomacncheese]

Thanks. I'll probably just sit in the house and feel good about myself for the rest of the weekend, but maybe next Saturday I'll get around to figuring out what/whether I screwed up, and I'll be sure to check for junk in it.