Evening all, i have been having a problem with my 96 ej20 after a rebuild. It will fire then die. I have another 98 uk scoob and swapped the crank and cam sensors over. I have bought new plugs. checked the coil packs and all have 1.2 ohms resistance. The top fuel feed pipe is pumping so the fuel pump is doing its job. Ok like i say it will fire then die and will not fire at all no matter what i do. disconnect the battery over night and will do the same thing. which is clearing the memory. So at a dead end now and really dont want to call in a sparky. What code reader do i need to get hold of to work out what the ecu is thinking?
Cheers in advance Spen

 

Don't waste your time or money on cheap generic code readers, they don't work on anything older than a 2001MY car.

If you want to know what the ECU think is up just search this forum using the term "black plugs" and all will be revealed.

However, you haven't mentioned the check engine light coming on as yet. If it hasn't/doesn't when the car stalls then the ECU won't have anything to tell you. If it does, and this is a UK car you're talking about, the symptoms you're describing are consistent with a fault in the internal immobiliser - which is likely to result in code 53 when you use the plugs.

 

Aha ok cheers!the car run sweet before the rebuild but now does this. Its a Jap car and i have a new thought. The crank cam sensors worked when fitted to my uk car which eliminates them. But what about what they read? The crank is a reground second hand one so maybe the bit it reads is wrong? Also could i have put the wrong cams in the wrong head and therefore the bit it reads on the cam is on the wrong head? The engine does not run long enough for the engine light to come on it literally fires then shuts itself down which is consistant with the crank sensor? Is it possible to bypass the sensor by bridging the plug or giving a false reading on the sensor?
Cheers Spen

 

Wish you'd said that at the top! Are we to take it that everything about it is JDM - inc. ECU, loom and stuff, or is there some cross-pollination gone on?

No, the crank position sensor reads the projections on the back of the timing belt drive pulley, so nothing about your crank could affect this.

Anything's possble but you'd have to be a bit dull to do that. Difficult to put the wrong camshafts in the wrong head as they're different lengths. Suppose you could have mixed up intake and exhaust on the same side though...?

No, if the ECU couldn't get the engine timed up via a reliable input from the crank and cam pos sensors, it wouldn't try to fire it in the first place. This suggests that your problem is elsewhere.

No, in a word. You can't bypass the sensor as the engine definitely won't start then. You could simulate the output if you have the kit to do it, but if you had, you wouldn't be asking, and in any case, there's not much point simulating it.

 

Ahh ok. thats closed a few doors. It is a jap and no cross polination just original engine rebuilt. Obviousley i marked up the cams etc but was just a wild thought if i was on a diffrent planet the day i done it. checked compression and all fine. belt pulley is original. And about the starting and the ecu it wants to run straight away but when it actually runs it then dies so pretty sure it must be ecu related. Originally i thought fuel starvation but took off top fuel inlet hose and healthy feed from pump and when plugs come out they are flooded! Realy confused as fine before i took it out minus the knocking from number 3!

 

I've read a couple of threads where OP's did exactly that! So not beyond the realms of impossibility, of course.

But obviously exhaust all other potential culprits first, before removing cam covers, etc...

 

Yeah its getting that way now!lol What does the cam sensor actually read?is there a lug of some kind on the cam?

 

No it's a lug on the back of the pulley.

That's a point, you've definitely got the pulleys on right haven't you?

 

I marked them up so should be ok but think i may whip apart for my own peace of mind!

 

Brain surge! if i remove the cam sensor and turned the engine by hand would i be able to feel the said lug with my finger?

 

If you stick your finger through the hole, yes. Are all four of your pulleys made of metal btw? If there's one metal and three plastic then the metal one should be the left (2-4) intake that runs next to the cam sensor.

Even if all are metal they should be marked up L IN / L EX / R IN / R EX. Left in this case is as you look from the driver's seat (so, as above, left is the 2/4 cylinder side, right is 1/3).

 

Ok will have a lil poke later but pretty sure they where all plastic. Should there be a metal one then?