Ok guys, I must be the dumbest guy around. now I got NO SPARK.

Let me give a chronology of what we did today. We had to take out the car's oil crank case because we had an oil leak. We bought the parts needed yesterday and re-installed it. When we went to turn on the car we discovered we did not have any spark so we proceeded to do the following:

1) With the MS still connected to the car's ECU we checked for spark in the #2 cylinder. No luck. (I already pmed Chad asking for help and he told me to check #1 and #2. I already left the shop but called and asked to have it done).
2) We tested the coils and we didn't find anything wrong with them.
3) The electrician pulsed a wire plug to check and could only get feedback from the fuel pump.
4) We then disconnected the MS and tried to crank the car with the stock ECU; no luck. No spark
5) Opened the stock ECU and could not find anything wrong with it with the tester.
6) We reconnected the MS and opened Megatune and found it read RPMs.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Rafa

BTW, since the car has all the turbo kit's hardware already installed I plan on towing it back home tomorrow because this way I will have internet connection while in the car for sure.

 

Sounds like the ignition modules are burned then. Sometimes getting the spark output settings wrong can damage the modules and not kill them instantly, but you can have them then die a couple days later.

 

I don't know how the docs are on the MS-I, I imagine they are a lot better, but using the spark output settings recommended (Inverted, active low) were wrong when I used the recommended LED outputs. Fried one of my coils.

The fact that you lost both is a little weird, the place to check is at the connector feeding the coils - do you see a voltage between (on my '00 the brown or brown/white) control wire and ground? You should only see it while firing, so if there's a voltage before you're running, then you've likely fried the coils.

You can also check the resistance across the inputs on the coil.
-Abe.

 

his coils were dead. it's running now. i suspect a flashed ecu with the coil still connected.

 

**** Braineack, you're the most informed guy about everything Miata! How the hell did you know it was running? BTW, many thanks to all contributors and specially to you, lazzer and Chad.

Now on to other issues. It idles pretty good but I have to connect a laptop to find out about what's going on. The moment I try to go to WOT it cuts the spark.

I'm not asking about tuning yet (got to do some extra reading first). I do, nevertheless have a question to pose just in case someone else faces the same issue in the future: of the 2 coils that come in the car, I could only physically see damage in the one that goes to 2 & 3. To the naked eye, the one going to 1 & 4 had no visible damage. The question then is: could the crank angle sensor have been reading this one and cutting spark?

Anyways; SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY CAR IS ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

what is you over boost protection setting at?

 

Scott; what???????????????? I'm kidding. I'm waiting for my son to get back from work to start messing around with the MS (last time we did something with it i spent 2 weeks without a car:gay:

I'll wait a about 1 hour if you don't mind. One thing I know for sure is that they did not connect my boost gauge properly at the shop. I not only can't see boost but the vacuum figures are messed up.

I'll check all the Ms settings in a few minutes. I even took pics of my getto cops but to me those look beautiful.

Got to go, my son just got in.

 

FYI, I have two dead coils (one from age, one from a MS accident) and both *look* fine. Measure the resistance between the pins. If they don't match a good one, it's junk. Not like 10% different, but a half a mega ohm instead of 1.5k, that's how mine was.

 

Got it but in my case I already set up the cops. Love them. I guess I'll have to order 2 Miata coils just in case.

 

Overboost protection at 1.5 psi. Some pics.

I'm worried about coolant temps. I figure they did not properly connect the radiator fans or I have a blown fuse. I'll check.

Any suggestion on the VE table?

Another thing, when I accelerate the car the LC-1 gauge shows crazy rich numbers (all the way to the gauges limit). While at idle everything is fine (I guess around 14 to 1?)

Rafa

 

My guess would be acceleration enrichment, which dumps extra fuel when you open the throttle rapidly. My old carburated bike literally had a squirt gun and you could see it "shoot" gas into the turbo. It was exciting. :-)

190* isn't that hot. A lot of computers won't turn on the fans till 200. I don't know if you're a metric person, but water doesn't even boil (clean water, atmospheric pressure) till 214*. I have my fans come on ~180 and me thermo open at 160, but the stock temp for the thermo to open is 180, some cars 190, and there's no point in running the fans with the thermostat closed! :-)

I run my fans off the WUE light, so it's easy to tell the MS to turn them on (set the initial state to 1) and see if the fans work, don't even need to start the car.

 

change the overboost to 5psi. are you turboed?


fix you lc-1.

 

Abe, I got most of the info. Even though I was originally taught metric, the years living on this side of the pond have forced me to learn the US values.

One quick question; what is WUE? sorry. I'd also like to do the mod where my fans would kick in at around 180 and for my thermo to open at 160. If it's not too much hassle; what would be the best way to achieve this? Our local weather is pretty hot and humid all year round.

 

5psi. Got it. About the LC-1, that's #2 in my to do list tomorrow. I'm using one I had bought used but at the shop they installed it less than 2 feet from the turbo. #1 is following your info and tightning the coils. Installing the aluminum plate first thing tomorrow morning.

If I'm turboed or not, we'll find out in a few minutes when I take my car out for a spin after changing the overboost to 5psi.

Thanks to all,

Rafa

BTW, here's a pic of my guetto cop wiring harness:gay:

 

well, change the overboost to whatever psi you dont want to hit. like you if run 6psi, make it 8-9psi. to prevent overboosting. that's most likely why it cut out.

make sure you lower the dwell with those cops. 3.5 cranking 2.5 running.

 

Warm Up Enrichment. It's just a light (the middle) on the MS, but you can use it for an output, which I did, to drive my fans. If that doesn't make sense, I'll dig up some pics/info - I also upgraded my output transistors to handle more current (just a bit, 2n2222a's).

The thermostat opening is a purely mechanical part. Go to NAPA and get a 160* thermostat. I like it cause the car runs cooler, I dislike it because the heater is near useless on cold days.

I want to make a electronically controlled thermostat, but that's a bigger project for another day.


Do you know how to unhook the wastegate? Pull the c-clamp off the arm from the can. Then it's relatively hard to get into boost, and lets you safely tune the car.

P.S. Do you run the COPS in parallel??

 

Great info there Abe. Thanks. I'll see if I can get a 160* locally (I couldn't care any less about cold days! :gay. I just went out for a short ride around the block. Coolant temps showed 215*. Not happy with that one. I heard the fans come into operation only when the MS read that temp. Not happy with that. I'll take a serious look into it tomorrow morning. I'm running a PWR radiator and the fan shroud and spals offered by FCM. I also committed to buying the new coolant re-route system developed by Emilio's associate but that's at least 2 months away.

The info on how to unhook the WG is good but at my age I really don't need to do that. I've also got the Knocksense sensor installed (granted in the wrong location, right next to the CAS and I'll also get to changing it soon) but one thing I did which I really like and I'll take some pics and show them just in case anyone else wants to do it was to put the led on a small hole I made to the 2 gauge pod I have installed. Love that location, it scares the hell out of me.

Please keep me posted on your electronic controlled thermostat. It sounds like a really good idea and I'm very chicken when it comes to my engine's water temps.

Finally, whenever you can, please post some pics on the WUE. It makes sense but I'd like to know more.

Thanks a lot.

Rafa

 

I need some explanation about this datalog. I got no clue but this is what we recorded.

 

Email me your datalog Rafa and your current MSQ. I'll check things out.
How much boost do you plan to run?
Your temperature readings are probably 5-10* off Rafa, it's hard to say but your fans should turn on around 207* I think so it's pretty close.

Abe, he has an external WG, he can't disconnect the arm that doesn't exist.

 

Got it guru . Doesn't this type of post sound like music to your ears? It sure does to mines! I mean, this doesn't compare to the whining about not been able to fire it up.

BTW, any simple way to set the temp for the fans to turn on lower than that?

I'll get on with sending you the datalog and current MSQ (actually I'll get my son to do it for me).

At least I've felt some of the acceleration while in 1st gear. If that is a taste of things to come it's all good.

Regards,

Rafa