13/11/2018
As many of you will know I'm a big fan of fuel injection and ecu's. To me, carburettors belong in the world of wizards amongst the dark arts! I have wired up many ecu's from OE's to Omex and find it an enjoyable task, like building lego. Even when there is a problem or something isn't working and serious head scratching is involved, following logical steps usually results in the solution being found.
I say usually, because last week and until today my logical approach played no part in the solution as to why this engine would just not start. Its that scenario, when you know its going to be something really obvious but you just cant see it...
The engine was a used Zetec with an Omex ECU. It came in with a horrible fast tick over popping and banging but it ran...just. So after sorting a few wiring issues including, wiring in the air control valve, discovering the vacuum outlet had not been blanked off, adding a relay for the fuel pump and engine power supply we were good to go.
Except the bloody thing just wouldn't start, it would turn over and try to fire up but it wasn't going to play. So multi-meter in hand I ended up checking every single wire, every terminal, swapped the coil pack, checked the ecu several times for two days I searched and found nothing. Till today...
Today I did what I should have done first, what I would have done if it was running carburettors, yes you got it check the spark plugs. They were so wet n gummed up from all that running rich that no matter what I measured from the coil pack no spark was going brave that mess.
So after a good clean and drying them out in they went and after a several hesitant moments the damn thing fired up. Another lesson re-learned!!