MX-3 V6 97 will not start!

[PDP]

1 day my mazda was running on idle outside my garage, i was about to check something so i removed 1 spark plug connector while the engine was running. Suddenly the engine stopped. I connected the connector to the spark plug again and than I tried to start the engine again, but it would not start!. It is only the start-motor who is going around not the motor. After some time i recharged the battery and tried again, no luck, i checked that fuel pump, OK, checked fuses, OK checked 1 plug for spark, OK. What can the problem be?

[MrMazda92]

1 day my mazda was running on idle outside my garage, i was about to check something so i removed 1 spark plug connector while the engine was running. Suddenly the engine stopped. I connected the connector to the spark plug again and than I tried to start the engine again, but it would not start!. It is only the start-motor who is going around not the motor. After some time i recharged the battery and tried again, no luck, i checked that fuel pump, OK, checked fuses, OK checked 1 plug for spark, OK. What can the problem be?

You checked the fuel pump, how did you do this? Did you attempt to start the car and wait for the pump to prime?

Does the starter click rapidly? Or does the engine attempt to turn over? It's possible it's the distributor, it is a very common problem with these cars. I haven't personally had a problem with it, but there are multiple threads on the forums which describe the problem, causes, and fixes... all in great detail.

Try the search feature, it is your best friend on these forums:

search.php

[Daninski]

Your ECU could be the cause of this. There appears to be a safety feature in the unit that protects it agains some of the stupid things we do. When my engine wouldn't start I simply disconnected the neg on the battery and depressed the brake pedal for 15 secs and this reset the ECU and the engine started fine. In fact I had to do this twice as I did two stupid things the same day.

[PDP]

I disconnected the hose from the fuel pump before it goes into the engine and than tryed to start the car, result was alot of fuel comming:) And it smells fuel when i remove the spark plugs and starts to spin the engine.

The starter clicks rapidly, and the pistons goes up and down. I have now tried to mesaure the primary side and the secoundary side of the coil, and they are OK compared to the design.

What i am not sure about is the resistance of the different high-tension leads. I get one small blue spark from the spark-plugs if i take them out and hold them 5-10mm away from "ground-", but maybe this spark is to little?

What more can i check?

I also tried to remove the -pole on the battery and pressed the break peddal for 15-20secounds, than reconnected the -pole and tried again, no success. Can it be anything else?

What i PCU, ECU?

[Inodoro Pereyra]

I disconnected the hose from the fuel pump before it goes into the engine and than tryed to start the car, result was alot of fuel comming:)

What you did was EXTREMELY DUMB, and could've resulted in your car being engulfed by flames. There are other ways to check the fuel pump.

Do what Dan said. Chances are that will solve your problem.

[PDP]

What did Dan say? To disconnect the -pole on the battery and press the break pad down for 15 secounds?

[Inodoro Pereyra]

Yep.

[PDP]

Tried that 2 times, but sadly no sucess:( Any other good tips of what i can do to find out of this? Can it really be bad compression in the engine?

[Inodoro Pereyra]

You already know you have fuel. Now, check if you have spark. Take a spark plug lead off, and put the tip of a phillips screwdriver in the connector. Place the shaft of the screwdriver near (about 2-3mm away) a bolt head, and, while NOT TOUCHING ANYWHERE NEAR the screwdriver shaft , have somebody crank up the engine. You should be able to clearly see the spark.

[Ryan]

The spark plug wire should spark without anything in it. It should jump from the lead, a half inch to a ground.

[Inodoro Pereyra]

Oh! I've never even tried it without the screwdriver...

[BrandonM]

I used to have a 2002 s10 xtreme. it was running abit off one day so with the engine on i was wiggleing the plug wires to see if i got a reaction. I did. I blew the coil. The funning thing is that the engine ran perfect after a new coil. lol

[PDP]

I tried all the high-tension leads with a sparkplug in the end 5-10mm away from "ground" and the result was a small yellow spark. What can cause this fault? Is this the fault?

[RS_OBD'oh_2]

The only issues you can have with a spark is voltage and resistance.
Get a multi meter and check resistance of your wires end to end

You should also be OBDII, do you have a check engine light, or a code reader? If not, well worth $200.

[PDP]

Okei, will go down an mesaure the end to end resistance in all of my 6 high-leads cables tonight. I tried to find out what these values shoudl be, all i coudl find that it should be 16kohm per 1meter cable, is this right?

And i will try to find the diagnose box and try to find out if i have any faults. I guess i can check these without an code reader on my Mazda MX-3 1997 model? Time will show:)

I have no Check engine light visible in my car at this moment:(