No Spark Issue - SR20det Redtop

Problems, ideas and comments specific to engine swaps.
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sycklash
Posts: 55
Joined: 30 Jun 2014 17:34
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

No Spark Issue - SR20det Redtop

Post by sycklash »

As the title suggests, I'm having some issue with my SR20 not wanting to fire.
It's a Redtop S13 SR20det, and it just doesn't seem to want to give off spark.
First off, we have gone over the harness more than a few times (re-doing the splicing, going off the wiring diagrams found on here), and troubleshooting on a few s13/sr20 websites for common problems.
We have power to all four on the igniter (but weird thing is we have ground on every one of the other side),
the injectors click, so we assume the CAS Is working because otherwise they wouldn't,
Brand new coilpacks(old ones were all cracked and figured that might be the culprit as well),
12v switched power to coilpacks,
the o2 and coilpack plugs aren't reversed,
MAF has power, all the correct power and grounds at ECU(constant to #46 + 109, switched to 38 + 47, and grounds to 13,39,48,107,108,116),
igniter is grounded,
power at ignition on the orange wire, tested the ohms on the igniter,
etc etc...

I think the next step is to cut open the harness and check for fusible links because apparently that's a really common problem.
We temporarily bypassed the relays as a final attempt to try and get everything to go, with still no avail.

Couple more details would be that we got spark a couple times when the motor was done cranking, which was weird, but it stopped doing that.
We also got spark last night when we hardwired a ground from the coils, so it's not getting ground correctly? It also seems like the wires on the coilpacks are reversed, as in E and 1. the opposite is grounded constant, while the one thats suposs to be constant, is the one receiving signal. Normally that'd be an easy fix, but nothing there was ever cut or touched so I'm thinking it's factory so it's not wrong?

This may seem like a lot of gibberish as I'm at work typing this first thing in the morning after a long night of trying to figure out this wiring,
but I'm hoping someone may understand partially and help with any insight. (Yes, we think it's wired up correctly),
SR20 gear is pretty scarce around here so it's kind of hard to borrow someone's igniter or CAS or anything, so that's why I'm just testing the sensors rather than buying everything new as well.
Instagram: @Sycklash
Three B's Racing
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Re: No Spark Issue - SR20det Redtop

Post by Three B's Racing »

Is this engine set a recent install? I'd open the ECU and make sure it isn't a flood ECU from the quake in Japan. Someone here a couple years back had a flood motor and when he opened his ecu it was water damaged.
"Lastnight the wife said oh boy when your dead you can't take nothing with you but your soul oh "Think"
- John Lennon
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okayfine
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Re: No Spark Issue - SR20det Redtop

Post by okayfine »

Just to confirm you're testing spark by putting plugs into the coilpacks and getting sparks to ground?
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sycklash
Posts: 55
Joined: 30 Jun 2014 17:34
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

Re: No Spark Issue - SR20det Redtop

Post by sycklash »

Three B's Racing wrote:Is this engine set a recent install? I'd open the ECU and make sure it isn't a flood ECU from the quake in Japan. Someone here a couple years back had a flood motor and when he opened his ecu it was water damaged.
I've opened up the ECU to see if it was burnt out previously anywhere, and it seems to be good. When I did I seen no signs of water damage whatsoever. it at least looked good to me. No smell coming from it, or oxidization anywhere. The LED is also working on the ECU if that counts?
okayfine wrote:Just to confirm you're testing spark by putting plugs into the coilpacks and getting sparks to ground?
I have the plugs in the coilpacks and putting up against the valve cover or turbo, when testing for spark. Is that what you mean? Or messing around with the actual ground wires?

Thanks for quick replies!
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510rob
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Re: No Spark Issue - SR20det Redtop

Post by 510rob »

Oh, wait... This reeks of the old 510 ignition switch dilemma/problem...

Are you aware that the B/W & B/L terminals do NOT have a sweep between the RUN and START positions on the ignition key?

When your fingers let the ignition key drop back from START to RUN, power is interrupted for a moment, which can cause the ECU to reset...

Pull the black/yellow wire from the starter motor and confirm (with a voltmeter) that your ECU is actually powered while you have the key in the START position.

You could also mechanically remove the CAS and plug it back into the harness and then give it a spin with your fingers while measuring & confirming the various voltages here and there.

I agree that if the injectors are working that they will click for a moment. You could pulse them with 12V for a split second just to hear/feel each one click.

To confirm the ignition system, disconnect the injectors, then stuff a 12Ω resistor (or one or two old ballast resistors) from 12V to coil terminal #3 on the ignition sub-harness, then slowly spin the CAS and measure the voltage across the resistors while you spin the CAS. Doing this will confirm that there is an ECU-gated voltage signal making it from the ECU to the Ignitor and to the coil. That would confirm a lot of wiring and the the ignitor.

That is where I would start.
SRECUDiagram.jpg
SRECUDiagram.jpg (84.57 KiB) Viewed 6278 times
sycklash
Posts: 55
Joined: 30 Jun 2014 17:34
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

Re: No Spark Issue - SR20det Redtop

Post by sycklash »

510rob wrote:Oh, wait... This reeks of the old 510 ignition switch dilemma/problem...

Are you aware that the B/W & B/L terminals do NOT have a sweep between the RUN and START positions on the ignition key?

When your fingers let the ignition key drop back from START to RUN, power is interrupted for a moment, which can cause the ECU to reset...

Pull the black/yellow wire from the starter motor and confirm (with a voltmeter) that your ECU is actually powered while you have the key in the START position.

You could also mechanically remove the CAS and plug it back into the harness and then give it a spin with your fingers while measuring & confirming the various voltages here and there.

I agree that if the injectors are working that they will click for a moment. You could pulse them with 12V for a split second just to hear/feel each one click.

To confirm the ignition system, disconnect the injectors, then stuff a 12Ω resistor (or one or two old ballast resistors) from 12V to coil terminal #3 on the ignition sub-harness, then slowly spin the CAS and measure the voltage across the resistors while you spin the CAS. Doing this will confirm that there is an ECU-gated voltage signal making it from the ECU to the Ignitor and to the coil. That would confirm a lot of wiring and the the ignitor.

That is where I would start.
SRECUDiagram.jpg



I am completely in debt to you.
It was the ignition, just jumped the wires and she fired right up.
Thank you :D
Instagram: @Sycklash
Three B's Racing
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Re: No Spark Issue - SR20det Redtop

Post by Three B's Racing »

Nice Job Rob!!!
"Lastnight the wife said oh boy when your dead you can't take nothing with you but your soul oh "Think"
- John Lennon
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mell00510
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Re: No Spark Issue - SR20det Redtop

Post by mell00510 »

ROB for President!! :mrgreen: -that's awesome
datzenmike wrote:Too bad about the fire wall. What does the V8 weigh?
Chickenman
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Re: No Spark Issue - SR20det Redtop

Post by Chickenman »

Hmmm... thanks for that Rob. I'll have to check my 280Z ignition switch carefully to make sure they don't have the same issue. Swapping in a HalTech over the summer and that would be an annoying issue. Even though the 280Z is injected, the ECU is analog and has nothing to reset. The Haltech, is a different matter altogether, and it probably wouldn't like the +12v Ignition source being interrupted.
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