subyrally Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 ...and ive been old that if i cant get it running soon, ill have to junk it. i have replaced just about all the ignition system components under the hood during the last couple months. new coil, ditsy, cap, rotor, plug wires, alternator, battery, plugs are new from december when i built the engine. i set the timing on the ditsy to tdc. the timing belts are still in sink. i checked for spark, it were there. pulled a plug and smelled gas, so the injectors are working. i tried starter fluid and the car didnt even try to start, i just got a single "pop" from the tail pipe. i really need to get this car running again so that i can get to and from school while my impreza is in the shop.(damn deer) it will be down for at least two weeks and i think that getting the rx running will cost less than getting a rental car, even with the insurance co paying a bit towards that. any help would be great, i need all that i can get. i am at a loss on trying to fix it. i have no idea of what else to look for. thanks tim c. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomRhere Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 Going out on a limb here, ........... But re-check your disty to crank timing, IE: #1 cylinder on compression stroke, disty at #1 plug wire tower. (You did say you changed plugs and wires, could have them off time, as in 180* out). The pop thru the exhaust is why I say that, means it fired a plug sometime during the crank-over.. Plus re-check for proper rotation/firing order on the cap. Could be you've already cured the "initial problem", but caused another in trying to get it running again. It happens to the best of us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canajun2eh Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 I'm going to go out on a limb too,... I'd check the installation of the timing belts. Since I don't know what engine is in the RX, I'm probably blowing hot air. If so, please accept my apology. Assuming it's an EA82: When you installed the timing belts, did you use the middle of the three scribed marks on the flywheel as the reference mark? These lines are NOT near the ignition/TDC marks. Also, did you make sure that when you installed the second belt, the camshaft pulley mark of the side already done was down? The two sides are not both up or both down at the same time. The three scribed lines, together with the camshaft timing hole of the pulley lined up with the top notch on the rear belt cover, indicate the camshaft position where all valves on that side are closed. You use this to install the belt, because that's the only camshaft position that's stable. You do not install timing belts when the crankshaft is at TDC. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subyrally Posted September 13, 2004 Author Share Posted September 13, 2004 i need to check that, i havent cahnged the timing on the belts since they were first installed and the car ran fine till it died 2 months ago. i wonder if the plugs could have been fauled by the repeated attempts to start the car without success. any ideas or opinions? btw, for any that dont know, the rx does have the ea82t, mpfi turbo.great car when it runs, but for me, its a p.i.t.a. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subyrally Posted September 13, 2004 Author Share Posted September 13, 2004 oh yeah, btw, i know that when you set timing belts, you set one side up and the other down. i used to work for a suby garage (bunch of jerks there) and i have every book for the 80's subies. that i could find. as well as the fact that i go to school now for automotive technology at lincoln tech. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted September 13, 2004 Share Posted September 13, 2004 Then what do you need our help for, brainiac? Sorry, just couldnt resist You are getting fuel, right? If you are I guess pulling the plugs out and checking them for fouling is the next step. Check for spark from the coil also, they have been know to die on older Soobs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subyrally Posted September 13, 2004 Author Share Posted September 13, 2004 well, i know that hte spark is getting at least to the ends of the wires, me and my friend checked for spark, and when i had the cap off to make sure that hte rotor was spinning when i cranked it, i saw the spark jumping the gapthat the rotor would usually bridge.tomarrow, i will try fo some new plugs to see if that makes any difference. if not, then ill prolly be calling local garages. unless someon is able to come out here to help out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nug Posted September 13, 2004 Share Posted September 13, 2004 You still haven't got it running? That sucks. I don't know what I'm doing this weekend. If it looks clear, then I may ride up. If I do come up, i'll bring my rx, so we can compare the two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subyrally Posted September 13, 2004 Author Share Posted September 13, 2004 snot rocket, thanks for the offer, if you come up, ill see about throwing a cookout. id love to see another running rx, ive never seen one that ran other than mine, when it ran. You still haven't got it running? That sucks. I don't know what I'm doing this weekend. If it looks clear, then I may ride up. If I do come up, i'll bring my rx, so we can compare the two. and if anyone wants the history o the car and the work ive done, here you go. the car's history is that it was previosly owned by an old employer, it caught fire about 6 years ago when something got sucked into the engine compartment and lit. it basicall sat for about6 years until i took ownership of it as a rolling shell. i rewired the front end, put in the enginethat was waiting for the car, the engine had brand new heads on it. i had the car running and rather well at that. then when i quit the shop i worked at, i had the car tranported to my house, where i fixed the rust on the car and gotthe engine work done. i drove it up and down the street every few days, just to keep the battery charged. turned out that the alternator i used was toast. replace that and the battery, then the car ran again. then came the day that i drove it up and down the street, then put some fresh gas in it. the next day, i went to start it cause i wanted to make sure the car was ready for inspection, nothing, the fuel pump wasnt priming like it should have when i put the key to the "on" position. i started by checking thevuel pump wiring and ended up rewiring the pump. then i checked the relays, they were still good. then i tryied the other ignition components, i replaces the ignition ciol and plug wires. no change, then i tried replacing the ditsy, found the original problem, the pump primed and everything seemed to wake up, but it still wouldnt start. i thought that maybe the ditsy was 180* off,tried setting the timing again and again, and again and again. i finally had a friend come over to help me, and i think i finnaly got the timing set right, but it still will not start.i checked for spark, check. checked for fuel, pulled out a plug and could smell fesh gas. checked the plugs, looked almost new, justa little bit dark colored from use. checked the fusable links, all intact. tried using starter fliud, nothing but a single "pop". thats where i left off yesterday. woulda done more today, but had a really bad headache. i think that is accurate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beavis Posted September 13, 2004 Share Posted September 13, 2004 Shoot a bunch of starting fluid into the intake and then crank the engine. If it runs and then dies for a few seconds, you know that your ignition system is working, and that the problem is in your fuel system. If it doesn't fire at all, keep working on the ignition system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted September 13, 2004 Share Posted September 13, 2004 Subyrally - Quote, i set the timing on the ditsy to tdc. the timing belts are still in sink. i checked for spark, it were there. pulled a plug and smelled gas, so the injectors are working. i tried starter fluid and the car didnt even try to start, i just got a single "pop" from the tail pipe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLCraig Posted September 13, 2004 Share Posted September 13, 2004 just to clarify turbone's stament/question... are you saying that when the cams are in sync, are you also say that your #1 cylinder is at tdc? i.e. when #1 is at Tdc is one cam mark is at 0* and the other at 180*? if that is the case, that's not how it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted September 13, 2004 Share Posted September 13, 2004 I was just trying to point out to Beavis that subyrally already tried the shot of starter fluid. He (subyrally) also mentioned earlier that he knows the correct way to install timing belts. I think its possible that with a new srt of plugs he might get it started. I also think that maybe the coil/disty isnt putting out enough juice. What color does the spark look like? Blue or orange? Now if I could remember which color is hotter.... Stupid drugs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLCraig Posted September 13, 2004 Share Posted September 13, 2004 see what happens when I write a responce when someone is editing theirs. i only saw the part about the tdc and cam sync... my bad oh blue spark is the hotter of the two Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted September 13, 2004 Share Posted September 13, 2004 Eh, when I quoted his post, it only did half of it and I had to go back and edit it. Dont want to misquote a quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subyrally Posted September 13, 2004 Author Share Posted September 13, 2004 well, when i first tried checking the spark, my friend said the spark he saw was blue, hhe thinks. when i had the cap off to make sure the rotor was turning, i saw a multicolor spark jump rom the center contact to one of the contacts for the wires. it was kinda a cross between blue and orange. but that was a huge gap. im thinking that the timing belts arent really the problem since the timing on em hasnt changed since they were put on the car, and it ran like a scalded beast until two months ago. a bit of bad news though, we got a rental car this morning, brace your selves ......... a neon, ewwwwwww.... and i am stuck driving my mom's mercury mistake, i mean mystique. just as bad. just more incentive to get the rx running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bajavwnsoobnut Posted September 13, 2004 Share Posted September 13, 2004 see neon post in off topic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subyrally Posted September 13, 2004 Author Share Posted September 13, 2004 still wouldnt be caught dead willingly driving a neon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subyrally Posted September 13, 2004 Author Share Posted September 13, 2004 well, i think that the guy at the shop i used to work at screwed me when he set the timing on the engine for me. oddly enough, the car ran like that, but i am thinking that something has chenged since to keep it from starting. im at a loss on how that happened when the belts are new, atleast something resembling new. anyone wanna help with timing belts tomarrow morning?? i wanna try to get it started before school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nug Posted September 15, 2004 Share Posted September 15, 2004 Bump. No plans for the weekend yet. There is the little problem of this hurricane-looking-thing heading straight for us, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subyrally Posted September 15, 2004 Author Share Posted September 15, 2004 well, i wanna try to get it done this weekend, possibly on friday. hey snot rocket, are you available on friday? if so, then maybe i can get it reigistered and tagged by saterday. let me know asap what is going on, i have friday off so ill be out working on it all day depending on the weather. if someone can get me a trailer, i might be able to get a garage to use. maybe. Bump. No plans for the weekend yet. There is the little problem of this hurricane-looking-thing heading straight for us, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subyrally Posted September 16, 2004 Author Share Posted September 16, 2004 well, i am hoping to get the car worked on firday, i havent lifted a finger on it cause ive been sick for the last few days. if at all possible, i would like to get it running and registered this weekend. i am not sure how i will accomplish this feet, seeing as my impreze is at the shop and the rs dont run yet, i think ill have to figure something out. i thinnk the sickness has gone to my head cause i dont think i am making sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nug Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 I'm up to my neck in junk at work, taking Friday off will only make it worse. So unless i'm crashing at your place friday night, then I'm coming Saturday. If, you know, something else really important comes up (I'm not backing out, I'm just saying that I'm in demand ), I might not be able to come. But for now, yeah, I'll come up. What kinda tools you got? Got a voltmeter? FSM's? Beer? This car caught on fire, and was rewired. This is gonna be fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subyrally Posted September 16, 2004 Author Share Posted September 16, 2004 well, i have no problem with you crashing over here, just as long as you dont crash the car. btw, you have a pm. feel free to call me 301-305-1807 thanks for everything tim c. I'm up to my neck in junk at work, taking Friday off will only make it worse. So unless i'm crashing at your place friday night, then I'm coming Saturday. If, you know, something else really important comes up (I'm not backing out, I'm just saying that I'm in demand ), I might not be able to come. But for now, yeah, I'll come up. What kinda tools you got? Got a voltmeter? FSM's? Beer? This car caught on fire, and was rewired. This is gonna be fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nug Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 Mmm, yep, I'm still coming. Pm me some directions. I'm in Richmond VA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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