Fiero No Worky

[PK]

Following on from the storage endeavours,  Dangermouse unused for several years but started every ahem 6 months or so refused to start for the first time ever! 

That Todd guy very kindly gathered and posted a load of well deserved primary ignition components but there was absolutely no point in trying to get the Fiero going until the main issue of damp was resolved...... So now the Fiero will get some attention.

It's a 1986 2.8 V6.  It will crank but not fire.  The battery is fine.  The tach does not bounce or move a muscle.

I have a complete dist. unit.  Coil, leads plugs etc . Sent by Todd but also have an emergency ignition control module in the car.  It's an "E-Tron duralife".  I have no idea of good/bad US available brands.  My initial plan was to try this ICM unless anyone else has some words of wisdom or suggestions for plan of attack?

I do not enjoy electrics, probably due to really impressive colour blindness and the insistence of wires being colour coded.... We just never got on. 

Cheers
PK

[GTRS Fiero]

Possible causes in order of likelihood:
Bad ICM
Bad pick up coil
Bad Ignition coil to ICM cable
Bad ignition coil
Bad power to the ignition coil
Bad connection, possibly at the C500 connector
Bad ECU

When you crank the engine, does the service engine light illuminate?

[PK]

The service enjun light comes on with ignition and stays on whilst cranking.  Haven't looked for error codes or anything yet.

Thanks for the list.l, that's really helpful.

Cheers
PK

[GTRS Fiero]

So, the ECU should be OK.

[Fierofool]

No-Start is caused by either No Spark or No Fuel.  Do the easy checks first before replacing parts.

First, let's find which you don't have.  The easiest and fastest to check is spark.  Grab a spare spark plug and pull one of the spark plug wires on the trunk side.  Insert the plug into the plug wire and hold it against the exhaust manifold while someone tries to start the engine.  If it doesn't fire, your problem is ignition.  If it does fire, the problem is fuel.

If it doesn't fire, swap out the ignition control module.  If it still doesn't fire, swap out the ignition coil.  As a last resort, replace the pickup coil or the distributor. 

No Fuel can be a blown fuel pump fuse, a dead fuel pump, or a clogged fuel filter, or bad fuel pressure regulator.

Check the fuel pump fuse and the Inj 1 and Inj 2 fuses.  Check all fuses.  The Fiero has some funky crossover circuits that control things you wouldn't ever think of as being associated. 

Remove the cap from the fuel pressure regulator.  Try to start the engine, then standing back at arm's length, use something to depress the valve stem in the fuel pump valve.  It should give a good shot of fuel.  You don't want to have your face near it.  If fuses are good but no fuel, you may have a bad pump.

[PK]

Thanks again.  No error codes stored, not that I expected any.

I am quite sure it's ignition.  Can hear fuel pump and smell fuel.  There are no glamorous assistants here but I am sure that I can rig up some one man check involving phone video recorder and some spark plug holding apparatus.... With the bonus that I will be nowhere near that electrickery stuff.

Has anyone heard of the E-Tron dura life Ignition module?

[TopNotch]

Try spraying starting fluid into the throttle body, and then attempt to start. If it starts and then dies quickly, the problem is probably no fuel. If it doesn't start, the problem is probably no spark.

[PK]

A foreign body!!?

Sat loose on the inside of the distributor is a "U" shaped piece of shiny metal. It has serated edges on the inside edges of the U and a dimple either for connection or location!!!  No idea where this SHOULD live, if anywhere! 

Have photo but only have tellingbone, no PC so can't post.

[Fierofool]

Has anyone heard of the E-Tron dura life Ignition module?

Just get one made by Welles.  Cheaper and it has a lifetime warranty.  For a slight upgrade, NAPA sells Echlin and Belkin.  Not sure who makes them, but they're usually made in Mexico or Canada instead of in one of the Asian countries. 

Edit:  Forgot where you were.  You may not have a NAPA near you. 

[PK]

We don't have a welles, a NAPA or indeed any brand or parts store that could source me Fiero parts!  Welcome to my world, it's sometimes a tad painful.

This E-Tron has "made in Canada" printed on it.  The old one is a GM unit but I guess no longer available.

I am guessing as standard the pick up coil has a plug carrying the two wires to the ICM?  mine is just two separate wires not in a connection block.

[Fierofool]

You need to be sure that the white and green wires each go to the proper terminal when connecting to the ICM.  I just went out to check my spare distributor, but it looks like it's another part that's decided to run away from home at some point.  Maybe someone else will jump in to identify terminals.  I do have a distributor without an ICM or terminal end.  I insulated the terminal ends by slipping a piece of shrink tubing over each and shrinking it down. 

Also, twist the pickup coils leads around one another to make them as short as possible and still allow them to connect.  takes up the slack and keeps from pinching them when you put the distributor cap on. 

To test the pickup coil, connect one lead of an ohmeter to the base of the distributor and check each lead of the pickup coil, one at a time.  You should get an infinite reading.

Connect the leads of your ohmeter to both pickup coil leads and you should get a reading of between 500 and 1500 ohms.  Your reading should not fluctuate.

[PK]

Great info thanks.  This is where being colour blind is no use.     I am reliably informed that the pick up coil to ICM wires are white (more enjun heat yellow now) and green.  I think the green going to the "P" terminal and white to the 'N"?

Great trick on twisting the wires and heat shrink.  Thank you.

Will hopefully have time for another look at ignition tomorrow.

I think my U shaped piece of metal is from within the rotor body... To hold the rotor right to the shaft! Or at least part of it. It doesn't seem to fit there well but that's the only place that makes sense.

[PK]

The green wire goes to the "P" terminal on the ICM, closest to centre of dist.

The white (yellowed by heat/age) wire goes to the "N"

The weird foreign body bit sat loose in the dist I think must have been from the rotor cap shaft hole.... It doesn't fit in there well at all but I am sure there is normally a strip of metal in there but just so the cap is a good fit. That can't be helping things.

[PK]

Not very glamorous but the arrival of Larry the Bampton rat allowed me an easy check for spark. ... No spark.

The foreign body was part of the rotor cap.

ICM replaced, no starty.

May get a chance to have another go tomorrow.

[PK]

I know you are all of having fun but when you return....

Ignition coil is out and I will test that and report back.  I see some rivet removal is required to fit a new one.  Todd sent me a new one a while ago, in the box are the bits needed to replace the rivets but also some long shiny brackets....I guess these are for some non Fiero application?