Won't Start... No matter what..., well, i've checked EVERYTHING, and she still won't start... Options

[Detatch]

I have checked EVERY vacuum line, wire, component, sensor, etc... no CEL codes (JUST recently cleared the code 54 myself, as Majestic Motorsports and Fabrication neglected to do this with the motor swap)... She still won't start.

When I got the car back from Majestic, she ran like a BEAST (in safe mode) for about 6 hours, before the turbo blew it's oil seals. I immediately shut the car down until a week or two later when she was driven back to Majestic for them to pull the turbo off for shipment to EMS Powered for rebuild. It took me lodging a complaint with the BBB, the Attorney General's office of TX, and a lawyer who walked right into their office to get my turbo back... Two months later, off a car they were about to sell. In any case, after that the turbo was put back on, the car and she wouldn't start. A new set of spark plugs were put in, and she still wouldn't start. I get from NC all the way back to IL just on the east side of St. Louis, and she fired up on the trailer. This thing ran rough... She would die if I let off the throttle, backfired constantly, and wouldn't go over 3200rpm. After getting this beast home, the same things happened. I got to drive her to the recycling center a few days after (running in this condition), but the engine refused to start when I went to leave. A trailer was involved, but this damn thing is sitting next to my house now. The other night I performed the code 54 fix myself (two 1k ohm resistors and the appropriate relay), and cleaned the spark plugs. Still nothing. After that, I checked for spark and noticed only two of them were sparking and not very consistently. Spark plugs replaced, and we have consistent spark all the way across the board. The plugs are all back in (the new ones), the charge cooler back on, and everything back where it's suppose to be. I have since checked every ground, every wire, every vacuum line, etc. The exhaust pipe smells like fuel, so I know she's getting fuel. You can hear the intake, so it's obviously getting air. I checked the plugs on top of the charge cooler tank, so she's getting spark. The timing was fine before the turbo blew a seal (even in safe mode), so the timing should be fine... I had it checked visually before the motor swap was even performed. The distributor was checked when the distributor cap was replaced during the motor swap. The coil pack is obviously supplying power, as the spark plugs are sparking... I even took the O2 sensor out and cleaned it. NOTHING... Disconnected the MAP sensor, and it gave me a code 31... I plugged it back in and reset the ECU, and no more CEL code. This thing is beyond me...

If there are ANY mechanics or anyone who knows anything about these engines in the midwest, I'm in Missouri... Any PM's, replies, or suggestions are MORE than appreciated.

Info on car:
1994 Celica GT with 1994 WRC edition 3S-GTE engine, E-153lsd tranny, 9.4lb fidanza flywheel, TM1-HDG6 clutch from ACT, and OEM ecu, sensors, etc. Battery is an Optima red-top.

Swap info: Majestic had to run a separate set of wires between the ignighter and the ECU to get the injectors to pulse (a resistor pack is now on the firewall), and also did a clutch safety bypass. They also messed with tvsv, which I am clueless as to if that has to do with the injectors or not.

That's about it... I'm looking forward to getting this thing running, and ALL help is appreciated.

This post has been edited by Detatch: Aug 10, 2011 - 11:56 PM

[DG_Performance]

You say that you have all new cap and rotor and wires and plugs? Pull all plugs out and look for them to spark while someone turns motor over...if all work put back in. If not go check dizzy parts. If that checks out ok Then go right to the injectors and test them and their wiring. Did you do compression check after you blew turbo? Maybe more than just the turbo had failure....

[Neon90424]

you pretty much covered everything from the top of my head...

Does the engine make any strange noises when it cranks?

is your fuel pump working correctly?

fuel filter clogged?

foul play?

high impedance and low impedance were the injectors changed?

somethings not right if its cranking with spark and nothing happens and timing is right its in the fuel department or your cranking with no pistons

[Detatch]

thanks for the ideas guys, i got her running now. with the help of a friend of a friend who does his own work on his porsche and dotson, we got this beast running... turns out it was a combination of a dead fuel pump, the ecu was bad (fluctuating signal from the LEV pin), dead charge-cooler level sensor after all, low fuel, and a blond mechanic/owner/driver...

she's running perfectly now aside from a badly cracked TB-IC coupler and tiny amounts of oil still getting blown out of the thing...

[Neon90424]

take care of that WRC! glad to see you solved that problem and I wonder how the problem came to existance

[richee3]

Bad ECU, really? The dead fuel pump kind of makes sense. The pistons create a vacuum in the cylinder as they crank so it would suck fuel into the cylinders without the fuel pump pumping any fuel, so you would still be able to smell fuel in the exhaust though not as strong. Either way, I'm glad it's running again and I hope to see it at the meet!

[stephen_lee]

I wouldn't imagine the ECU would go out at the same time as the fuel pump, unless the pump took the ecu out too, except the way its wired I don't see that happening either..

[Detatch]

didn't, it was the LEV pin on the ECU that was fluctuating, causing a code 54 along with blown turbo seals... apparently baktasht had a reason to block my number on the cell number he gave me when my lawyer walked into his shop to get my turbo sent back to me... the "replacement" turbo i got back from them over at EMS Powered has the exact same shaft play (very little, but i remember the feel) and problem of spitting up oil as it did before i paid them to rebuild it... funny, never got the spark plugs i paid them for either... mehh... bottom line is, in addition to all that, my turbo has bad oil seals AND she was in safe mode due to that LEV issue. the sensor is bridged with a 30A fuse now though, and the ecu in there now has no problems with it. she runs perfectly now, other than blowing 4 quarts of oil out the BOV in 3 days... anyone want to "donate" a good ct20b?

[Neon90424]

disco potato that ****!

[Detatch]

UPDATE!! everything's fine now, except the turbo is still blasting oil into the air charge... anyone have/know where i can find/have a design for the adapter plate to run a 3S-GTE in N/A? if i can find or make one of those, i found someone that's willing to help me get this thing off so i can ship it to a shop in AZ that can rebuild it. the catch is, the dude doesn't have place to keep the car while waiting for the turbo to come back. looks like it's either get a replacement turbo, or get the adapter plate.

[Neon90424]

3sgte in NA = dumb

might as well buy another better turbo for it

[stephen_lee]

3sge in NA = 3sfe powers

[Detatch]

thanks, i realize this... my only reasoning for wanting to run my 3S-GTE in n/a is because i found a place to rebuild the turbo for $200, and i need a running vehicle i can drive while i'm waiting on that rebuild. that, or something to run while saving up for a new turbo, lol... bottom line is, my saturn has expired plates, and my 5S celica's plates are about to expire (neither of those two cars will pass safety inspection at the moment), but the 3S celica (with the bad turbo) has good plates until december, and will pass safety inspection. i just need it running, regardless of power (or lack of) until i can get the shot turbo issues resolved.

[Neon90424]

put the plates on the other car?

[Detatch]

i don't get tickets on the rare occasion i get pulled over... that would land me more than just a ticket. i'm not down for that... i need this thing running one way or another... in the long run i'm aiming to do cams, the hydra nemesis self-tuning ecu kit, bigger badder turbo, etc... clearly i know how to make or take power, but the immediate goal is to get the damn thing to run. i don't need to take unnecessary risks that could land me in a world of trouble, i don't need to spend money i don't have on a solution that i fully intend to do in the long run, and i don't intend on spending massive amounts of money on a downgraded turbo when spending a little more (were i to actually have a little more) could get me the same or an upgraded turbo.

not swapping the 5S out of the beater into the nice one just to make it drivable either.

[stephen_lee]

make the beater legal. probably easier/cheaper than any other option you have ATM

[Detatch]

yea, as soon as i get more money coming in the door, i'm going across town to have a sheet aluminum dash made to put in... if it's too costly to have them bend it and weld it all together for me, then i'll do it myself. then paint, then she gets bolted right in.

still want the 3S celica to run though...