[s-cars] Troubleshoot a no start issue

Tue Jun 10 07:02:20 PDT 2008

Bob,

I offer you a thousand apologies for being annoying and clogging up the list
with my trivial drivel... ...I'm sure as you read my woes, you're thinking
to yourself: "Sheesh, this guy is a sun staring, lead paint chip eating,
window licking retard."  You would correct on all four counts...

Compression is a high of 135 and a low of 125... ...I'll perform a P-test,
swap out the MAF, don a hockey helmet and clip into my yard tether. 

Thanks and have a great day!

Brooke 

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Myers [mailto:bob at chips-ur-s.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2008 8:25 AM
To: Brooke Fairbanks
Subject: Re: [s-cars] Troubleshoot a no start issue

Brooke,

Your problem is starting (uh... not starting?  ;-)) to become a bit 
annoying.  (To you much more so than to the rest of us.)

At the risk of beating a dead horse...

You have fuel.  Wet plugs and good flow from filter.

You have spark.  Fire at the plugs.  Therefore ECU and rest of 
ignition system is good.  At least good enough for the engine to start.

The timing sounds like it should be OK.  There isn't a whole lot else 
required to fire an engine.

Let's see...

Compression?  Have you checked that?

Air leaks in the induction system?  This is a VERY common source of 
non-start problems.  Most likely place is at the MM (Michelin Man) 
hose joining the cross-over pipe and the intercooler.

Do you have a pressure test setup?  Make one with a short piece of 3" 
PVC pipe with a cap into which a tire valve has been 
inserted.  Disconnect the hose at the MAF and apply some shop air to 
the valve and see if the system will hold some pressure.  Small leaks 
will show up as a "Hisssss".  Find and fix.  If the system will not 
hold pressure at least briefly then you have a major leak somewhere - 
Find it and fix it.

Dead MAF?

Good luck.

Bob

At 08:52 AM 6/10/2008, you wrote:
>Thanks again Calvin,
>
>I'm a wee bit frustrated... ...I checked for the eleventieth time the
timing
>marks on the cam & crank pulleys; all is well.  I swapped out the ECU (both
>are unmolested) and still a no go.  I pulled the plugs, dripping wet with
>fuel and cleaned them... ...I pulled the injector connections and laid the
>#1 plug connected to the #1 1.8T coil pack on the cowl, turned off the
>lights in the garage and cranked the motor... ...and witnessed a nice
bright
>spark... ...I then curled-up in the driver's seat, flipped on the radio and
>listened to a Stephen Bishop CD while sobbing.
>
>Brooke
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: calvinlc at earthlink.net [mailto:calvinlc at earthlink.net]
>Sent: Monday, June 09, 2008 10:54 PM
>To: Brooke Fairbanks; s-car-list at audifans.com
>Subject: RE: [s-cars] Troubleshoot a no start issue
>
>Man, I feel for you Brooke.  We have all been there at one time or another.
>I agree with the others that it is time to start looking into the spark in
a
>more in depth way.  You could start by looking at the input to the POS
>stages and see if you have pulses coming in.  Preferable to use an O-scope,
>but if you put a DVM on there you should at least see some periodic
>fluctuations in the readings when you are cranking the car.  You could also
>take the coil packs out and connect the spark plugs, remembering you will
>have to somehow ground the outer part of the plug that normally bolts into
>the cylinder head.  You should be able to see and hear the sparking
>occurring.  If that's not there then track down where the signal first
falls
>apart from the ECU forward.  Also check that the electrical injector signal
>is actually getting there as well.  You might even be able to use a "test
>light" for those.
>--Calvin
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com
>[mailto:s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com]On Behalf Of Brooke Fairbanks
>Sent: Monday, June 09, 2008 7:05 AM
>To: s-car-list at audifans.com
>Subject: [s-cars] Troubleshoot a no start issue
>
>
>This is the synopsis of my no start struggles:
>
>
>
>*        With a half tank of fuel and driving the 95 S6 w/ 129K miles, the
>engine hesitates/stumbles then dies.  It refires, but runs poorly then
dies.
>
>*        With the car towed back home, I swap the crank speed sensors from
>my other S6 and still a no start condition.
>
>*         Compression is high of 135 and a low of 125 across the cylinders.
>
>*         I verified that the speed sensor pin is still on the flywheel.
>
>*        I swap out the old POS units with known to be working POS units
and
>still a no start condition.
>
>*        I swap out the old coils with a 034 ignition loom with 5 new 1.8t
>coils and still a no start condition.
>
>*        I by-passed the fuel pump relay to check the fuel pump function
and
>it appears to pump fine from the filter line (I did not measure the exact
>volume or measure from the fuel pressure regulator or the injectors)  I
>checked to make certain it was fuel, not fuel/water coming from the tank.
>
>*        I spliced in a CPS and still a no start condition.
>
>*        I replace the fuel filter, spark plugs, crank seal, cam seal, TB,
>serp belt, serp tensioner bearing, H2O pump, T-stat, triple checked the
>timing marks
>
>*        Replaced the fuel pressure regulator
>
>*        Removed the fuel pump basket to clean the screen (very small
amount
>of tiny debris)
>
>*        Replaced the fuel pump
>
>*        Checked the fuel to the fuel rail (gobs of pressure spray)
>
>*        The motor fires very intermittently but still does not start
>
>
>
>Any other suggestions?
>
>
>
>Thanks!
>
>
>
>Brooke Fairbanks
>
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