MX-3.com

Hi Guys
I Have a 1994 MX3 GS.
I had a leak on the rocket covers, car wasn't idling well. It had 114,000 miles or 190 000kms on the engine.

I replaced the rocket covers / fuel filter / ( heard a screaming sound near the throttle body which i replaced but wasn't it ) CHanged the leads, plugs, and a remanufactured vaf. Changed the Vacuum Lines , Changed the fuel pump, Had the fuel pressure and Injectors professionally cleaned and checked. I also changed the battery

Upon Installing the vehicle no longer starts. It cranks but does not start.
I have checked that fuel is coming in, The plugs are wet with Gas. I checked cylinder 2 while cranking and there seems to be spark ( BLUE) .

I did not check any other leads. Leads I bought were for a mx6 but i thought it should work.

So i have spark / fuel But it still won't start.

I re did the rocket cover and Im not sure what else it could be that it won't start. I Did not touch the timing and have not done a compression test so far.

Also while i re took the intake manifold off, and re did the rocket cover gasket i noticed valves in Cylinder 2 was open and cylinder 1 intake valve was slightly open.
Im not sure how to crank by hand but im guessing this was because of the engine trying to crank.

I have checked the wiring incase a sensor is not recieving " ground " but it seems everything is still grounded and working.
The solenoid for vris was broken ( i have jb welded another on there and it seems fine).

Could the vacuum hoses be wrongfully done? Im out of ideas now, what can I DO ! .

Does anybody have a vacuum hose diagram for the k8 engine ? Im not sure if i need another engine.

I can get a KLDE engine brand new long motor, but I am unsure as to whether my existed k8 parts will bolt right up including harness, ancillaries etc.
PLEASE HELP

There are a few things you can do

- Check your timing, since your distributor has been off.
- Check if you connected all your grounds proporly
- Check any cell codes that the ecu might give you
- recheck the vacuum lines. Everything is connected well ?
- Did you put the spark plug wires in the correct order ?

hi
we only took the distributor cap off to have a look. That is all, we did not play with the timing at all.
all the vacuum hoses are correct according to the diagram for the k8's.

the only ground I have found is the one on the intake manifold and that is grounded.

spark plug is firing in

1 3 5

2 4 6

the distributor cap has 456 on the top than 321 at the bottom i think

what other grounding could there be?
i will check the cell codes, i tried starting it but a puff of smoke comes from it

My guess? Flooded. It sounds counter intuitive but assuming you have NO leaks (my car stalls when you take off the oil fill cap so make sure you have a good PCV seal, that the dipstick is in all the way, that the fill cap is seated, etc...AND that any new seal you put on on the valve cover indeed is sealed), then crank the car while at wide open throttle. If its flooded and you have spark it should sputter back to life.

I know some cars will actually do a fuel cut if it sees wide open throttle during crank to relieve this symptom. Started one of our older MX-3's this way, a friend's Saturn, etc.

Cheap and easy. Give it a try.

Oh - and next time...change one thing at a time - you've entered lots of variables at once!!!!!

Ok let me try this, the battery died When i tried this so i Will recharge and do it again.

Some parts of this vehicle are smothered in oil and grime, Could it be the grounding perhaps?

I tried looking for the diagram on the technicals page to see where the ground points are on the vehicle, does anybody know so i can clean them ?

thank you for your responses your guys suggestions are keeping me sane.

I assume the car was running (maybe poorly) prior to installing all these new, rebuilt or cleaned up parts.

This really sounds like it could be something simple - a plug that is not connected (vaf?), wires that are connected wrong (spark plug wires?) or large air or vacuum leak (vacuum hoses or air intake tube - especially check the large vacuum hose that runs from the intake to the brake booster and the large hoses that vent the valve covers to the intake tube).

Occasionally someone will cross the fuel lines. Did you disconnect the fuel lines from the fuel rail either when you pulled the intake to change both valve cover gaskets or when the fuel filter was replaced? The correct order is: fuel tank -> fuel filter -> fuel rail -> fuel pressure regulator -> return to the fuel tank.

I've today just cleaned all the grounds i could find, pretty much clean and sand then clean again for a better surface.
I checked spark plug 6, it was good normal. spark plug 2 was filled with black soot. wierd.
throttle body to me smells like fuel.

i checked all the wiring everything is connected.

vacuum hoses - purge solenoid to the canister and one to the throttle body. From EGR one goes towards the air intake box which i've left going nowhere as i thought its for venting the gas? it used to connect to the airbox. should i connect this too?.
the other egr hose is to the egr. the next vac hose splits into 2, which one goes on the bottom of the solenoid near the air intake and one goes intake plenum.

the solneoid next to the air intake the top valve goes directly onto the fuel pressure.

thats what its hooked up atm.

Dave , i replaced the rocket covers and took the fuel lines off, it is currently on the same route that you mentioned, from the fuel filter into the fuel rail then out of the rail back to the return tank. Dip stick is in all the way, everything is tight and shut.

it ran before but very poorly, used to idle hunt at intersections and had no power above 4000rpm.

im currently letting the battery charge and a full day of cranking tomorrow again with the gas pedal down all the way incase it is flooded.

Dave - p.s there is onli one angle rubber hose which connect to the metal tube which fits onto the air intake and to the silver aluminium pipe. that is all connected and tight.

there are no loose wires anywhere that i found. cross fingers it works tomorrow. I will check again for spark incase it is the distributor if the battery dies while cranking.

You shouldn't have any disconnected vacuum lines, also not near the airbox.

White finish so the vac line that goes from egr solenoid to air intake
Should be connected? What do u mean not near the intake?

put a paper clip for ground and ten. no codes came up.

also tried copper wire incase for double checking same deal.

Thank you guys especially ganue I got it started it was flooded fumes blew everywhere
But it idled n started but I have a loud screech from throttle body I'm guessing its tha gasket
Cause when I spray carb sprayer idle jumps n sound changes thAnks!!!

Glad to hear it was nothing painful.