Car has no spark
 

Trying to figure out why my car has no spark now. Ran perfectly yesterday morning, went to install my MSpnp and it wouldn't start. Put back my stock ecu and still not getting any spark.

When I loaded my MS I did remove the ST SIGN fuse, had a 90-93 firmware downloaded but I used a base 96 MSQ. I figured since I had a 96 engine i'd use the 96 base but I was told otherwise.

Now to why I don't have spark. I checked my coils, I have 1.0 ohms on primary and 13.0 ohms on secondaries, but no spark when I put a spark tester in. They say 0.7-0.9ohms for primary and 11.2-15.2ohms on secondary?

What else do I need to check? How can I check my ignitor? (was unplugged when I reloaded the firmware but never unplugged it when I first loaded my MSQ.)

Did you unplug your ignitor before loading the new firmware? I believe it tells you to do so in the instructions, otherwise its possible it damaged the ignitor.

Yes it was unplugged before loading the firmware, but I didn't have it unplugged when I loaded the MSQ

I found a thread on how to test a igniter, but not sure which terminal is which
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=201585

did you plug it back in?

More importantly, did you get them switched? If you swapped the leads, it won't start.

Yes I plugged the igniter back in

what do you mean by switched? which leads are you talking about rleete

Basically I plugged up my MS and ran a 96/97 basemap (figured this since it was a 96 engine) but I needed to run 90/93. Car wouldn't start so I put my old ecu back on and still nothing. Figured out I had no spark so that's where I am stuck at now. I lost communication with my MS but I unplugged the TPS and it started to communicate. I still have no spark but I do have communication (fixing my last thread about no power to my MS)

there's really no difference between the two that would kill the coils/ignitor.

the only thing that would kill it would be running the firmware installation while the ignitor was plugged in.

I did not run firmware while it was plugged in, so hopefully that eliminates coils/ignitor.

What should I be checking? Fuses seem to be good, bout to test my main relay. CAS was torn apart and checked, seems to be fairly new i'v only owned the car for a few months.

I installed my wideband yesterday, had a stupid problem with the 12v source but once I rerouted it worked great. The car was idling and driving perfectly with stock ecu. Then I swapped to the MSpnp and car wouldnt start, only thing I did was unplug the 2 connectors and plug 3 in the MS

did you unplug the coilpacks and not the ignitor maybe?

ignitor was unplugged, located on the right side fender. I don't think I ever unplugged my coils until a few hours ago so I could check the resistance

Another thing is, is the check engine light suppose to be on when the key is on? The stock ecu shows the CEL, but my MS doesn't

The 96 coil takes doube the dwell of the 1.6. That won't kill it?

They say 0.7-0.9ohms for primary and 11.2-15.2ohms on secondary, I have 1.0 ohm and 13.0 ohms. I don't think in my case it fried the coils or i'd have no resistance I would think

Following my alldata page my main relay is working as designed

I was talking about the coils. If you switch the leads, it will crank, but never start.

I haven't tried starting it since I pulled the coils and checked the resistance

Good news. Email me if you need help with anything.

I definitely will. Rechecked the resistance on the ignitor and readings are way off, some didn't even read. Hopefully ignitor is the problem, should have one tomorrow so we'll see

Ignitor was my problem. Swapped out to the new one and the car started and ran perfect with stock ecu. I installed my megasquirt and started the car, ran like ----. It wouldn't idle for but a minute and it died, tried to restart the car but nothing. The ignitor is toast again. What's going on? My tps was unplugged while it was running, I did not have the ignitor plugged up when reloading my firmware and msq. What could be wrong?

I have something going on with my megasquirt and I don't know what it is. Maybe you guys can take a look and help out. On some photos I marked where it looks like it has been soldered in from the back side, I got lazy and didn't do them all lol what mods does this look like it has? It's a v1 mspnp 9093

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1337213120
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1337213120
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1337213120
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1337213120
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https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1337213120
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1337213120
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https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1337213120
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Upload loaded msq. Only thing that could kill it would be incorrect ignition settings.

It's a base 90-93 msq right from the website. I believe the ecu has been modded for inverted spark or some type of spark mod. I can upload it here in a few hours, but its straight from DIYautotune

unpossible.

Checking voltage through my ignitor connector I get 12v & .03 or .3 on the stock ecu, I dont remember. But the megasquirt I get 5v on the brown/yellow wire. Doesn't this indicate some type of spark mod?

Here is the back side, looks like a spark mod to me. Far right connects to +5v, middle connects to JS7 I believe, and far left connects to IAC2B. I am talking about the pink wire

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1337299433
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1337299433
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1337299433

If I check the voltage at my ignitor I get 5v going to the brown/yellow wire. If I switch my inverted spark I get 3.9v when I think I should be getting around 0.03v. Anyone have any ideas?

i don't see anything there that suggests it should be set for inverted spark. your two spark outputs are going directly from the two pads (lower right of first pic) to the harness.

doing so will kill ignitors.

i really dont like the diode on the 5v pullup for the cas input, but mainly because it's pointless.

How do you suggest I fix that Braineack? Can I simply remove both of those things?

there's nothing, i see, to fix. simply dont run inverted spark...that seems like a big thing you shoudl have mentioned in the beginning.

I didn't run inverted spark and it fried my ignitors

Stock ecu I get .03v to my ignitor, with megasquirt I get 5v when I have No for inverted spark and 3.9v for Yes on inverted spark. Shouldn't I be only getting 0v to the ignitor when megasquirt is plugged in? That is my problem, I do not know how to get rid of these 5v even when I am running a base map. Something is causing me to have 5v and it is burning my ignitors. I have not started the car with my inverted spark on, it has always been off. Someone has to know whats going on

can i see pics of topside of board?

I posted pics on the first page, the only thing I do not have pics of is the backside of the little daughterboard

i see nothing that's been modded inside that I can tell, i dont see what if running the 90-93 basemap that could fry the ignitor.

I'm clueless aswell, I load a basemap DIY gives and have went through 2 ignitors already. Looks like I need to sell this megasquirt and get me something better since I can't figure it out

Looks like a brand new MSPNP 9093 just came up in the for sale section for $520.

Here's a suggestion for you . . . ohm out the ends of those circuit mods and see if you have continuity to your ignitor pin from any of them. Might lead you to the issue.

I do have continuity to my ignitor, that's how I found out it was bad in the first place. Car runs great on stock ecu, but MS is another story

What I meant was . . . you are frying your ignitor with continuous 5VDC (+/-). That 5 volts is coming from somewhere, and likely from one of those Frankenstein mods in the pix. See if any of those mods has continuity directly to your ignitor pin. If so, that's likely the source of the Vcc+.

From whom did you buy the modded MSPNP? Can he/she shed any light?

From what I was told it had been modded for variable tps and table switch. It ran fine before the guy sold it. Last guy had same problems I have so he rid of it not knowing how to tune MS and I took it over.

I have messed with the mods a little bit, tried removing some wires but still have that 5v to my ignitor. I will check the ohms like you suggest

Rick you are right around the corner, I would love to have you look over the board before I completely sell out and upgrade. Just let me know your needs and I am sure we can come up with something! Was planning to give you a call once I got the car registered and running stock with no problems and that will probably be this week.