QuestionQUESTION: I contacted you the other day and you told me to try to get a fault code for my cirrus that will crank and not start. Well, I am not getting any codes. The asd relays appear to be fine. I am at a complete loss at this point. Any suggestion on what to look at next? I was really hoping the code reader would give me something.
Thanks again
ANSWER: Hi Mike,
By "the ASD appears to be fine" do you mean that the fuel pump is heard to run for about 1 second when you turn the key to the run position? Are you getting spark when you crank? (Take one of the spark plug caps off, insert an insulated handle screwdriver up inside of it, then hold the pair by the insulation and position the screwdriver shaft 1/4" from the cylinder head while a helper cranks the starter). Watch for a spark to jump throughout a 5 second crank period, or not. Then let me know.
Also if you have spark, I would look at the egr valve (which is located below the coolant filler pipe and next to the transmission control computer which itself is next to the underhood power distribution center; it is also adjacent to the thermostat housing). The valve is mounted sideways and is connected to a pipe that comes around from the rear exhaust manifold and to the intake manifold. Have you checked that the egr valve might be stuck ajar? Notice that is has a round top with a vacuum hose connected to it, and the body of the valve is connected to the exhaust pipe connection. Then in between the two parts is a flanged area which if you look at carefully will be seen to have inside of it a rod with a groove that goes around its circumference. That is the valve stem. Often the valve gets gummed up with exhaust gases and thus hangs up ajar. That you would notice by taking a flat blade screwdriver and using its tip to lever the stem back and forth by inserting it in the groove. A spring inside the valve tries to resist the motion of the stem and attempts to close the valve firmly against the valve seat. If you find that the spring doesn't fully bring the stem to the rest position then take some WD-40 and spray it on the valve stem at the point where it enter the valve body. Then work the stem back and forth some more. Be sure that the spring-action of the stem returns the stem to a dead stop.
Those would be my next steps.
Roland
Just checked for spark and am not getting any whatsoever. Should I still check the egr valve?
No, but are you getting any sound of the fuel pump running? If so, then I think you will need to check the crank and cam sensors for whether they are working properly. Do you have a digital voltmeter?
If the fuel pump isn't running for that 1 second period then we'll have figure out why.
Roland
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: The fuel pump is definetly running for a second when you turn the key. Yes I do have a volt meter also.
AnswerOK Mike,
First you should check that the rotor in the distributor is conducting between the center contact and the tip.
Then you will want to measure that you have 8V on the orange/white wires at the cam and crank sensor plugs when the ignition is in the "run" position. Then you will want to put the voltemeter between the tan/yellow and the black/light blue wires (pins 1 and 3 of the 6-wire plug, but it has to be plugged in) at the distributor while you turn the engine over by hand using a socket and racthet on the crank pulley bolt. You should see the voltage pulse between 5 and 0.3V as you turn it. Similarly measure between the gray/black and the black/light blue wires of the crank sensor for the same pulsing (although at a different frequency). That would assure that the engine controller is getting those two sensor signals which are needed to generate a spark. You can use fine straight pins to pierce through the insulation to make the contacts to these wires.
Roland
