Dead 93

Post all your engine questions and issues here and get help from the members

Moderators: kamzcab86, CalAltaDubber

User avatar
Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
Location: Duluth, Ga
Contact:

Re: Dead 93

Post by Briano1234 »

You can attach the fuel pressure gauge to the plastic port and secure with a small hose clamp.
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
boschbabe
Posts: 112
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:35 am
What year is your cabby?: 1993
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Dead 93

Post by boschbabe »

Can't find a pressure gauge for sale or loan. How about if I do a volume check?
boschbabe
Posts: 112
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:35 am
What year is your cabby?: 1993
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Dead 93

Post by boschbabe »

Finally had a day to work on the cabby after a month of relentless cold, polar vortexes, 18 inches if snow, an ice storm that left my yard looking like a war zone and a new job. Thought it might be the loose ground wires on the neg cable that I had loose but same result: Nothing. Checked compression. Had between 150-180 all cylinders. Rechecked cam and ign timing. Checked spark. Tried ether. Uncapped fuel rail. Plenty of gas when pump primes. Next time I will jump fuel pump relay and check for volume. If that is good I will throw in the towel.
boschbabe
Posts: 112
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:35 am
What year is your cabby?: 1993
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Dead 93

Post by boschbabe »

Also I rotated dist and listened for injectors opening.
boschbabe
Posts: 112
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:35 am
What year is your cabby?: 1993
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Dead 93

Post by boschbabe »

Today I jumped a switch between terminals 30 and 87 on the fusebox where the fuel pump relay was but the pump did not run. It runs momentarily with the relay and pumps plenty of gas out the rail port. I have a hose going to a container. It dumped about a pint of gas after a handful of key cycles. I don't understand why it won't pump with the bypass. I want to get that gas out of there to use in a car that runs. I have the wheels off of it on my other daughter's Hyundai. This car has been down since Thanksgiving. In 40-something years tinkering with cars I've never dealt with such a difficult piece of garbage.
boschbabe
Posts: 112
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:35 am
What year is your cabby?: 1993
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Dead 93

Post by boschbabe »

Got it running today! Didn't replace anything but I think there is an issue with the distributor. Something that alters the timing. I had spark all along but was unable to check timing because it didn't run. I used an old-school way to static time it where you line up the marks and rotate the body of the distributor to the point where it sparks then tighten it. Except it would only spark when the dist was rotated in the opposite direction. The correct direction is counter-clockwise to simulate the rotor turning clockwise. I put #1 spark plug in the hole on the alt bracket and slowly rotated the motor to check for spark at the right time using the cam marks as a ball-park figure. At first I couldn't get a spark then for some reason I did. I buttoned everything thing back up and it sputtered when I turned the key, first in 5 months. I moved the dist around and got it to run and idle healthy. I hooked a timing light to it with the CTS unplugged and 2250 RPM but couldn't get it exactly on the white dot I made 5 months ago. I'll mess with it some more tomorrow. What should I replace in the distributor?
User avatar
Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
Location: Duluth, Ga
Contact:

Re: Dead 93

Post by Briano1234 »

That is one possibility, but I would think that you may have a carbon track on the inside of the cap, that could of been shorting the signal to the ECU to ground..
The usual suspect is the Hall Generator.
Glad to see it is alive.............
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
boschbabe
Posts: 112
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:35 am
What year is your cabby?: 1993
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Dead 93

Post by boschbabe »

Maybe I'll treat it to a new cap and rotor. Meanwhile the battery's in the BMW and the wheels are on the Hyundai. Despite the whole saga being the most disgraceful episode in my tinkering history, I learned my way around the engine bay a little and also fully realized that I am not set up to do repairs during a brutal Winter like this last one. I plan on remedying that one.
User avatar
Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
Location: Duluth, Ga
Contact:

Re: Dead 93

Post by Briano1234 »

boschbabe wrote:Maybe I'll treat it to a new cap and rotor. Meanwhile the battery's in the BMW and the wheels are on the Hyundai. Despite the whole saga being the most disgraceful episode in my tinkering history, I learned my way around the engine bay a little and also fully realized that I am not set up to do repairs during a brutal Winter like this last one. I plan on remedying that one.
Moving south? lololololol
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
boschbabe
Posts: 112
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:35 am
What year is your cabby?: 1993
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Dead 93

Post by boschbabe »

I'm ready to move but I don't like the hot either. My garage is cluttered but I leave enough space to nose a car in for repairs during any weather. I have a couple kero heaters to make it tolerable. But if the car doesn't run at all it is a problem unless I tow it in and out. I thought I would get a break in the weather but it was relentless. I need to unload some clutter before next winter to get a whole car in.
User avatar
Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
Location: Duluth, Ga
Contact:

Re: Dead 93

Post by Briano1234 »

boschbabe wrote:I'm ready to move but I don't like the hot either. My garage is cluttered but I leave enough space to nose a car in for repairs during any weather. I have a couple kero heaters to make it tolerable. But if the car doesn't run at all it is a problem unless I tow it in and out. I thought I would get a break in the weather but it was relentless. I need to unload some clutter before next winter to get a whole car in.
Well when it is cold down here, I have 2000 Watts of Quartz Halogens, that get the garage up to temp....so much so that I start sweating my arse off.
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
boschbabe
Posts: 112
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:35 am
What year is your cabby?: 1993
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Dead 93

Post by boschbabe »

I've been driving it around my neighborhood with no problems except for a clatter from the water pump or alt that goes away after a while. But today I cleaned the rotor with some 2000 grit sandpaper and it acted like it did last Thanksgiving before it quit. Would not rev. I put a timing light on it and it was retarded about 15 degrees at the cam (couldn't see flywheel marks) so it would be about 30 degrees at crankshaft. I'm thinking that the clattering is causing the knock sensor to do it's job. I tried to unhook it near the dist but failed. Where is the knock sensor control unit? It has stored codes.
User avatar
Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
Location: Duluth, Ga
Contact:

Re: Dead 93

Post by Briano1234 »

boschbabe wrote:I've been driving it around my neighborhood with no problems except for a clatter from the water pump or alt that goes away after a while. But today I cleaned the rotor with some 2000 grit sandpaper and it acted like it did last Thanksgiving before it quit. Would not rev. I put a timing light on it and it was retarded about 15 degrees at the cam (couldn't see flywheel marks) so it would be about 30 degrees at crankshaft. I'm thinking that the clattering is causing the knock sensor to do it's job. I tried to unhook it near the dist but failed. Where is the knock sensor control unit? It has stored codes.
The knock sensor hears engine noises and reports that back to the digifant controller who in turns advances or retards the ignition timing accordingly.
The codes aren't stored per say. To clear the ECU, you have to remove the negative battery cable, then touch the negative cable to the Positive for about 30 seconds.

Now to time your engine, you have to have it up to temp and the fan cycling once.
Loosen the Dizzy clamp (do not move it). Then with a timing light look for the 0 and or 6tdc mark on the fly wheel. On Automatics there is a Timing
Plate that is well marked, albeit rusty..

Engine at a faster idle unplug the CTS (blue) sensor and rev the engine above 3000rpm 3 times, then hold it at 2250rpm
With your timing light you set it for 4-8 (6) degrees BTDC.

Plug the CTS sensor back in and reduce the idle, the reconnection of the CTS will speed the engine up. If you used any other method of timing it your off.
and can get clanks, knocks, and pings.

Second way (cold engine) key on but not running.
see: http://reflectionsandshadows.com/cabby/static-digi.html
It works only needs a DOVM and putting the car in time statically. It works every time.

Clattering from Water pump? They usually whine... If you have a mechanics stethoscope you can use it to try to determine what specifically is making the noise. I have a long (very long) flat blade that I use the blade against the metal of the car and place my ear on the handle... works for me.
(Be Very careful around moving parts.)... usually the clattering is fro the alternator or a/c compressor, so to eliminate that you need to make sure the a/c sliders are off the blue or defrost area.
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
boschbabe
Posts: 112
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:35 am
What year is your cabby?: 1993
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Dead 93

Post by boschbabe »

I had it timed correctly and it ran fine till today. When it wouldn't rev I put a timing light on it and it was way retarded. It is getting a signal from the knock sensor I believe but it stays retarded and won't start anymore. It doesn't return to the base timing. I will try that reset thing tomorrow.
boschbabe
Posts: 112
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:35 am
What year is your cabby?: 1993
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Dead 93

Post by boschbabe »

Does the key have to be on to connect the ECM in the reset procedure? I tried it without it and it didn't start. I need to do the static timing thing again. Also how do you get the knock sensor connector off of the bracket near the distributor?
Post Reply