Hello
ok im having some serious trouble with my 97 sti
its just had the head gaskets done and after putting it back in we cannot get it to start we ahve tried everything we can think of and nothing is wrong like no fault codes??

 

How about the crankshaft sensor?

 

Do you know what you aren't getting? Have you a spark, is the fuel getting to cylinders, have you got good compression?

Internet diagnostics are "last resort" but more info would help.

 

would it not throw up fault code??

 

Not Necessarily. Like Smokingkills said, you need to start from scratch. If you have fuel, compression and a spark inside the cylinder then it must equal BANG. So if your not getting a BANG then the spark must be at the wrong time- so either crank shaft sensor, timing belt out etc, or not enough fuel, or not enough compression.

Also check the ignition leads are on the right way round

 

Have you put the cam wheels back on in the correct place and the correct way as one of them needs to pick up the cam sensor..

 

If either or both of the crank or camshaft position sensors aren't reading, it will eventually throw up fault codes 11 or 13. However, you will need to turn it over on the starter for a good 15-20 seconds continuously in order for the ECU to time out of the start sequence and activate the error(s).

As Smokingkills has already asked you, have you checked to see whether you are actually getting fuel in the cylinders and spark out the coilpack? F4's point about the correct location and installation of the cam wheels (and the correct alignment of the crank and cam wheels on belt installation) is worth confirming too.

In addition, when it's sitting there turning on the starter, what's happening? Is it just turning over consistently again and again without giving any evidence that it's trying to fire, or what?

 

I have spark fuel and compression, although i cannot confirm wether the spark is at the correct time, and yea cam pulleys are definately in the correct place and timing too as we have done it 4 times too make sure

when i am turning it over it will attempt to start once every so often but doesn actually fire if the makes sence?

 

If you have built the engine correctly, spark will by definition be at the correct time because the ECU works out the engine's position from the timing of the crank and cam position sensor inputs.

Have you checked that you have compression in all four cylinders, and have you actually measured if with a gauge?

Just so we know where you are with this, you've got the metal pulley on the 2/4 bank inlet (i.e. upper) cam (i.e. on the passenger side of a right-hand drive car), while the plastic pulleys marked R IN and R EX are on the driver's side of the car, yes?

Also when fitting the belt did you use the single and double lines marked on the pulleys to align the belt - and did you use a new belt (or else an old one with the alignment marks still visible)?

What is the frequency with which you hear it trying to fire? Is it random or does it occur regularly - for example every two complete rotations of the crankshaft?

 

hi splitpin
compression is up to 11 bar and yea checked with a gauge

yes pulleys are done that way(wouldn fit the wrong way around anyway due to one being recessed alot)
i used a new belt and aligned the double lines of top and bottom facing each other while single marks on pulleys face marks on the covers

i think the spark is more random than frequent

also when timing i was just told by a mechanic who deals with subarus that on the crank i should time it off the little sprocket behind the crank pulley? is this true or false as i timed it off the mark on the crank pulley(looks like a little arrow)

 

Hmmm. The correct alignment mark is on the "little sprocket", yes. There's a line on the flange which you align with a matching one on the oil pump.

The whole point of that is that you can set the belt up without the crank pulley even fitted.

I can't remember what the relationship is between the mark on the crank sprocket and the pulley. May be that they're the same. If I were you though I'd mosey on over to Slipstream UK's manuals thread, and double check.

 

Your mechanic is correct about using the sprocket on the crankshaft, but you say that you have used the mark that looks like an arrow and if you are refering to the one that is on the front face of the pully then this mark denotes when the engine is at TDC and is the wrong one.

The subaru engines are not timed at tdc like most, it is timed at 90 deg after tdc... The mark you need is in the form of a single line which is situated on one of the timing teeth used by the crank sensor at the back of the sprocket, this should be aligned with the corrosponding mark underneath the crank sensor.. If you re-time the engine using this method then she should fire up... Don't worry, you shouldn't have caused any damage to the engine by timing it at tdc

 

legends lads thanks a million i shall re-do it tonight and let ye no

iv my fingers crossed

 

Well is that it runnin sweet as a nut..

 

yea lads running perfect now
thanks a million for all the advice will get some pictures up of it soon