Rangerdave

OK, heres the set up......
85 early, been sitting 8 yrs , done a lot of work , pump,timing clutch cyls.
nothing eletrical, but.. i put in a new DME relay due to no start, still nothing... i put in a newer DME same yr same numbers still no start but now when i hook up the batt cables there seems to be a major power draw, the only thing i changed was the DME before the power drain started.

i wish one of you guys lived around here cause i'm a realy good cook and willing to feed and liquify any help given...

What ele would cause no fuel pump and no spark? this week i'm going to try to power the fuel pump with a clean line form the batt to see if she powers up on her own.

What about the speed sensors by the clutch housing?

Thanks for hanging in there with me...

David

m73m95

One step at a time David....

How did you come to the conclusion of "major power draw"?

Rangerdave

Went to go put the jumpers on to try and work on the car the leads sparking like crazy, this never happened before i changed out the DME comp.

I am a heating and A/C guy not the brightest light in the lamp but the bulb aint out yet LOL, Love this car and willing to learn as much as possible

Thanks Mark

bearone

the only time they spark is when hooked up backwards or one is touching a ground or something electrical is hooked up wrong.

87951
95sl320 dd

KuHL 951

The only things I know of that can cause a major 'unfused' current draw is a bad alarm, shorted alternator, bad door switch, shorted radio hooked up for key off, or a direct short on a power supply cable someplace. Nearly every circuit is fuse protected and would blow first. Have you actually measured the parasitic load yet?

DarylJ

OK, so your an HVAC guy. You got one up on most people....
Take off a battery lead and put your ammeter between it and the battery. Start pulling fuses until you find your major parasitic load.

I know that's only one issue you have, and after sitting for 8 years, your idea of directly powering the fuel pump is a good one. The fuel pump is not going to cause no spark, however, as I'm sure you know.

Not sure if this was discussed in another thready, but the standard/easy test for DME speed/ref sensors working is "does the tach bounce when you crank it?" So...does it?

m73m95

Do you mean the cables spark when you hook them up... like 1 big spark

Or, they continue to spark after they are hooked up???


Finding a short circuit is pretty easy using the method said above..... but also check for hooking the battery up backwards.

With the car sitting for that long, a good portion of your wiring may be in a mouse nest... for some reason, they love chewing on the copper wire.

Yabo

The car cranks but does not start right?

Take it one step at a time. Hook a timing light if you have one to a plug wire and see if it flashes when you're cranking. That's the easiest way to check for spark.

Check if the tach is bouncing when the engine is turning. This will somewhat check the speed/reference sensors.

Turn the key to the on position but do not try to start it. You should hear the fuel pump fire up and run for a couple seconds. Check www.clarks-garage.com I believe they know how to test the DME relay but I think you said you already replaced it.

If you still think the fuel pump is not running, do as you said, jump the pump from the plug that goes into the pump itself. You will need to remove the plate that covers the pump to do this.

You said the car has been sitting 8 years. Have you drained the fuel tank and filled with fresh fuel? Who knows how much moisture is in there.

Sorry for a long list, but these are the steps I take for just about any car, and it's been pretty successful.

Also, just since a buddy of mine had this happen today, pull your distributor cap and make sure the rotor set screw is there! Furthermore, I assume you know that your timing belt is in tact, and you have already replaced spark plugs and the like.

Ensure your AFM is plugged in snugly and that the clamps on the J boot are tight.

Ensure that you dont have an alarm system. Follow clarks-garage's instructions (I think they were there, otherwise search rennlist) for permanently disabling the alarm with jumper wires. The alarm system will not let the car start, I believe.

Rangerdave

Car cranks no spark and no start up on the fuel pump, I will check for dead short, timing a ok, new dist, new wires and new plugs, new rotor. the tach barely moves when cranking like a 1/16th of a inch.
Before i did all the work i had the car started (barely ) it would hardly idel the die. then the alarm locked me out and i replaced the alarm module and no more horn going off :-)

Will Feather

Im about an hour and a half away..

bad_monkey

Chasing electrical gremlins can be a real pain - but if you suspect a draw on the battery, then disconnect the battery and test the resistance between the battery terminals. This avoids messing about blowing fuses measuring current. If you get a low resistance then that tells you that you have a problem.

Then pull fuses sequentially until you see the resistance change and you know you've found a circuit that's a problem. Remember to turn off the interior lights if you have the door open...

I've just gone through that process with my early car because the battery would be drained over the course of a week, but it should work equally in your circumstances - and you don't have to worry about having a dash wire campfire because the battery is disconnected.

bearone

you'll kill a dvm if you ck reistance across batt terminals.

you don't watch resistance change pulling fuses, you're watching ma draw.

87951
95sl320 dd

Rangerdave

Banana944
Come on over anytime i will be diving next saturday pm me .
Thanks....David

thanks for all the great tips , seems i got some things to check !