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240 Crank no start condition but there's fuel and spark.

DavePolyakov

Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2020
Location
Shoreline, WA
I was dailying my 240 for four months with no issues until she wouldn't start at the gas station. Up to this point, she was running really good and I had already taken care of a decent bit of maintenance.

She cranks over and the battery is a healthy 12.6 volts so I'm pretty sure I can eliminate the starter and battery as the issue.
Has over 1/3 tank of gas.
The timing belt is on point as I replaced it when I bought the car and it's not loose.
I checked spark by grounding a spark plug on the intake and all four spark plugs have spark.
I checked fuel pressure by loosening the nut on fuel rail and yes fuel squirted out.
I can hear injectors firing with a screwdriver and I also tested power with a 12v light tester so I know there's fuel going into the cylinders as well as spark.
Can't imagine it's compression it wasn't showing any symptoms of low compression before this.
I tried starting with the MAF unplugged and then with the TPS unplugged. No luck.

Thanks in advance for any guidance on where to go next.
 
You need fuel, spark, and air.
If you have all 3, they need to happen at the right time.
We will need a year to help further.
 
If the compression were that bad, it would crank at a much higher speed.
If you have fuel and spark and it's still not starting, make sure none of your vacuum hoses are cracked. I don't know about the 240, but an air intake failure can stop the turbo cars dead. Is this using the accordion hose? Bend it around a bit and see if it opens up anywhere. You might be able to kludge it with a good quality duct tape if that's the problem. Try to get a good look at the intake manifold gasket too. Sometimes a piece breaks off and slips out of the mating surface. Less likely, see if the throttle plate is seized shut.
It could still be a fuel problem if the pressure is insufficient, but I imagine you'd at least get some stumbling if that were the case.
 
The air filter looks pretty new and the throttle plate moves freely. Accordion hose doesn't seem to have any cracks. I was driving it everyday so this is not a first start in a long time. I know it was running good and yes the timing is correct.
Both fuel pumps are new, I had extra's and I replaced the fuel filter because I would guess that would be relatively clogged at an estimated 600k. Because I had to take out that assembly I replaced the main fuel pump at the same time because an extra one came with the car when I bought it. Not exactly sure why. It's a 1989 LH2.4.

I'm doing my best to list everything I know so far so that the more knowledgable can help. Thanks for the help and understanding.
 
It's LH2.4? Are there two little boxes with covers and styluses mounted somewhere? If your car has them, open the box with the letter A printed on it, remove the stylus from the cover, insert it into socket 2, and with key on engine off, press the button for one second three times. This will load up a diagnostic routine that tests the electromechanical moving parts in a sequence. Read this document about the diagnostics system for more details.
It might or might not narrow down your problem, but it's interesting to watch at least once.
 
The wiring and connection looks good (no exposed wires or anything) but I'll try this for sure. I saw some posts that said if you have spark then it's probably not the crank sensor that's bad? Again not sure but will try this right now.
 
Did you check and make sure not only that the timing belt was lined up but also turning? Look through the oil cap and see if the cam is turning?
 
Did you check diag codes for both sockets #2 and #6 (ECU and EZK)?

A bad CPS will prevent the EZK from generating spark. I don't know if it will throw a code if the CPS is completely dead. Visually check the CPS cable to see if the insulation is broken just as it goes into the sensor, or swap in a known good one.
 
I do have spark though. I checked it by removing a spark plug and touching it to the intake while turning over the car. All four sparkplug showed spark.
 
sheared crank timing gear?

take plug out and see if you can have someone crank the car and watch a piston move up & down?
 
If you indeed have both fuel and spark, check the camshaft sprocket locating pin. They're known to shear. IPD sells a solid pin to replace the original thin wall hollow pin.

Try running it on brake cleaner.

I've said before and I'll say it again. Don't use chlorinated brake cleaner to find vacuum leaks or run an engine. Lethal phosgene gas can be released by the combustion process. I prefer to use spray carb cleaner.

Extreme Danger when Heated
Tetrachloroethylene is commonly found in brake cleaners used in workshops. Despite its toxicity, it is an extremely effective, quick drying and non-flammable solvent. Unfortunately, this chemical’s prevalence may lead to it being used for non-brake cleaning purposes, such as metal surface cleaning prior to welding. Heating Tetrachloroethylene brake cleaner residue past 315 degrees Celsius, such as in the presence of welding, creates Phosgene.

Phosgene is a Deadly Gas
Phosgene gas is a pulmonary (choking) agent which was used as a chemical weapon during World War 1. It is a white or pale yellow gas that creates a vapour cloud near the ground and spreads quickly. It can be fatal in doses as low as 4 parts per million. Once exposed, there is no antidote for Phosgene poisoning.

During, or immediately after exposure to a dangerous concentration of Phosgene, people can experience an unpleasant range of symptoms including: coughing, difficulty breathing, burning sensation in eyes, nose and throat, nausea and vomiting, skin lesions, low blood pressure and heart failure. It is not uncommon for the effects of Phosgene poisoning to be delayed by 2-6 hours or even longer, before signs of pulmonary oedema, kidney, liver or heart failure are observed. Full recovery is possible depending on the concentration of gas the person was exposed to. However ongoing chronic bronchitis and emphysema can be experienced after Phosgene exposure.

There are a number of notable cases of Phosgene poisoning as a result of incorrect use of Tetrachloroethylene brake cleaner.

https://www.envirofluid.com/articles/tetrachloroethylene-a-deadly-danger-in-brake-cleaner/
 
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Ah yes I guess this is a possibility. I'll take off the cover tonight or tomorrow and check. Wouldn't this more likely be something to break during driving though? (as opposed to simply not starting after turning off).
 
Forgot to mention I did this and it showed code 1-1-1. Several months ago it showed 2-2-1 and replacing the intake pump solved this code.
Retrieving the codes is different from what I described. If you press the button 3 times, it will cycle through running electromechanical parts in a sequence. On mine, it tests at least the cooling fan, injectors, and IAC.
 
How about stuff like spark plug gap? If it's too large it's easy to foul out. If the coolant temp sensor circuit is open(infinite ohms) then the engine could flood. If the diaphragm on the fuel pressure regulator is seized it can make much higher fuel pressure and flood the engine. Definitely look at the plugs and see what is happening on them.
 
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