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Hard to believe 2 coils failed in the same way at the same time
you need a quality meter to measure sub 1 ohm
it maybe that anything less than 1ohm reads as zero
(edit) did you do Lorens simple test in post 8?
just throwing parts at the problem is a waste of time and cash
After adjusting the settings on my multimeter, I retested the primary and secondary circuits and seem to have found them within specs. Can someone confirm these values:
- Primary circuit within 0.4 and 2 ohms; - Secondary circuit within 6k and 10k ohms.
Next on the agenda is the spark plug test (as soon as my tester arrives). With them being brand new, as well as the caps and rotors, I'm hoping there is spark. If not, I'll investigate the distributor.
With the car being 23-ish years old, I don't mind spending a little money replacing some parts that are known to be problematic.
After adjusting the settings on my multimeter, I retested the primary and secondary circuits and seem to have found them within specs. Can someone confirm these values:
- Primary circuit within 0.4 and 2 ohms; - Secondary circuit within 6k and 10k ohms.
After months and months of troubleshooting, trial and error, I can finally bring closure to this thread.
About 1.5 weeks ago I bit the bullet and took my car to a local shop who specialize solely in European brands, mainly Germans (Rennen Imports). I told the owner the symptoms and what had already been done and replaced on the car; within a few days I receive a call with the diagnoses: the fuel system. Specifically, the main line coming out of the fuel tank was fully blocked with crud, likely from ethanol. Although I had suspected an issue within the fuel system, I couldn't pinpoint it. So, after replacing the fuel tank, fuel pump, and fuel filter, the car now purrs.
Lesson learned: if you dont drive your car frequently, use non-ethanol fuel. Hope this helps anyone who may be having similar issues.
After months and months of troubleshooting, trial and error, I can finally bring closure to this thread.
About 1.5 weeks ago I bit the bullet and took my car to a local shop who specialize solely in European brands, mainly Germans (Rennen Imports). I told the owner the symptoms and what had already been done and replaced on the car; within a few days I receive a call with the diagnoses: the fuel system. Specifically, the main line coming out of the fuel tank was fully blocked with crud, likely from ethanol. Although I had suspected an issue within the fuel system, I couldn't pinpoint it. So, after replacing the fuel tank, fuel pump, and fuel filter, the car now purrs.
Lesson learned: if you dont drive your car frequently, use non-ethanol fuel. Hope this helps anyone who may be having similar issues.
Case closed.
You could have found the problem a lot faster if You had carried out the simple check mentioned above to see if You had a spark, which You had all the time...
I can finally bring closure to this thread............
Case closed.
Glad you finally got it fixed. And, thanks for the closure. It is frustrating when I find a thread with an issue I have and the thread starter never came back with the fix.
You could have found the problem a lot faster if You had carried out the simple check mentioned above to see if You had a spark, which You had all the time...
I'm not a professional mechanic but... How does one check for fuel flow via the ignition system?!?
I'm not a professional mechanic but... How does one check for fuel flow via the ignition system?!?
He did a lot of useless work in order to fix the problem that he could have avoided if he had checked for a spark! Most of his fault finding work was spark related but he never checked to se if he had a spark!
How long did you have the car sit to develop that level of crud?
Great question! I'm the second owner and I've had the car since 2012, purchased with 95k; it is now approaching 104k. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on perspective, due to 3 kids under 8, 3 military moves, and multiple domestic and foreign deplayments, I don't drive it as often as I would like.
Originally Posted by Lorenfb
How about carb cleaner into the intake air filter? If it starts, it's a fuel problem & not ignition. It's that simple!
Regarding the carb cleaner... done with negative results. Actually used carb cleaner and starter fluid on separate occasions with negative results. Engine would turnover, give signs of wanting to start, but would never start. Apparently not that simple.
Originally Posted by Railmaster.
He did a lot of useless work in order to fix the problem that he could have avoided if he had checked for a spark! Most of his fault finding work was spark related but he never checked to se if he had a spark!
Does what I write makes sense?
What some may call useless work, I call overdue maintenance and preventative maintenance. In the military they call it PMS - preventative maintenance schedule. With a 23 year old car with nearly 104k on the odometer, spending a little bit to replace wear or problematic items is a safe bet in my book. As previously written and recommended, and with the air flow unrestricted, I focused on the remaining areas: fuel and ignition. As recommended above, I tested the full ignition system, including testing for spark with success. Then, I tested the fuel system components that I could - DME relay, fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator, fuse - also with success. However, I failed to look inside the fuel tank for accumulated gunk.
There's a good thread that discusses the issue I experienced as well as an article by Popular Mechanics.
Regarding the carb cleaner... done with negative results. Actually used carb cleaner and starter fluid on separate occasions with negative results. Engine would turnover, give signs of wanting to start, but would never start. Apparently not that simple.
You obvious don't understand a simple troubleshooting process! The carb cleaner is JUST used to localize the problem, whether it's ignition, fuel, or both,
and not RUN the engine continuously which is different from starting. You have indicated (bolden text) that the engine attempted to start, but not continue to run,
which indicates that spark was NOT your problem, but a continuous fuel source was. As others have indicated, it's unfortunate that you weren't able to identify your
problem sooner using the previously mentioned troubleshooting procedures.
Great question! I'm the second owner and I've had the car since 2012, purchased with 95k; it is now approaching 104k. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on perspective, due to 3 kids under 8, 3 military moves, and multiple domestic and foreign deplayments, I don't drive it as often as I would like.
Regarding the carb cleaner... done with negative results. Actually used carb cleaner and starter fluid on separate occasions with negative results. Engine would turnover, give signs of wanting to start, but would never start. Apparently not that simple.
What some may call useless work, I call overdue maintenance and preventative maintenance. In the military they call it PMS - preventative maintenance schedule. With a 23 year old car with nearly 104k on the odometer, spending a little bit to replace wear or problematic items is a safe bet in my book. As previously written and recommended, and with the air flow unrestricted, I focused on the remaining areas: fuel and ignition. As recommended above, I tested the full ignition system, including testing for spark with success. Then, I tested the fuel system components that I could - DME relay, fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator, fuse - also with success. However, I failed to look inside the fuel tank for accumulated gunk.
There's a good thread that discusses the issue I experienced as well as an article by Popular Mechanics.
To all the non-experts, I hope my "adventure" helps you in some way.
True what you say! But bear in mind that many new component have crappy quality and fails after just a few years! Don't expect a new Bosch alternator to last 20+ years like the one that sat in the car.
05-22-2019, 08:42 PM
