Back together but not running right.

[FrankZ]

Finally got my motor back together and stuffed in the XJ. I wouldn't start and the darn compression as crap. I knew I screwed something up so off came the timing chain cover.

Here's a bit of advice for you new builders and old gear heads alike. No matter how many times you've built a motor, double check your own work.

I used the wrong keyway on the crank gear...D'Oh!!

No worries, I got that issue resolved toot-sweet and re-assembled the front end stuff. After re-clocking the distributor the engine fired up just fine. I held the RPMS at between 1800-1900 for a good 20-25 minutes and shut it down. After the motor cooled I drained the break-in oil and replaced the filter. Filled it up with fresh Delo400. Upon restarting the RPM's started a little above 1000 just as they should, and then started to drop to 750...and then started bouncing up and down until it finally died.

I restarted it a few times and it kept doing the same thing. Finally I turned on my extended idle and the rpms held fairly steady at just over 1000RPM's.....Hmmmmm.

Initially there were no error codes but one fianlly did pop-up. #11, No Reference signal detected during cranking. WTF! Cam and crank sensors are not that old. After a little research I found 2 different descriptions of the error code. One says it's the cam sensor, the other says it's the crank sensor. I swapped out the cam sensor first, no change. Next came the crank sensor...no change. Into my bag-o-spares I go and swaped out the IAC...no change. TPS....no change! I also cleared the code before replacing any of the aforementioned parts and the code has yet to reappear! Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!?!?

I've cut the distributor ears off (long ago) and tried rotating the mutha...no change. Plug wires have about 1k miles on them. Sparkplugs are Bosch Platinum 4's, never had a problem with them before. I even disconnected each injector one at a time to see if one was bad, the motor ran worse each time i pulled a connector.

So tomorrow it's a new rotor and some new plugs, fiqure it can't hurt anything.

So what am I missing here folks?

[John]

Code 11 means: Intermittent loss of either camshaft or crankshaft position sensor,/No crank reference signal detected during engine cranking/Timing changed from initial learned value. Are you sure you cleared the codes? Bad electrical connection?
John

[FrankZ]

Oh yes the code was cleared. Positive and negative cables held together and error code zapped out of existance! I've disconnected the CPK, CPS, O2, etc,etc and gave them a good dose of electrical contact cleaner. No signs of corrosion or damaged contacts.

[Flash]

Oh yes the code was cleared. Positive and negative cables held together and error code zapped out of existance! I've disconnected the CPK, CPS, O2, etc,etc and gave them a good dose of electrical contact cleaner. No signs of corrosion or damaged contacts.

Run a jumper wire directly from the battery Negative post to the ECM ground, and see what happens.

Flash.

[FrankZ]

Swapped in some new Champion Truck Plugs, no change.
Swapped in new rotor. no change.
Stopped and had a smoke and cup of coffee, no change.

Took a close look at the plugs that I pulled, seems I didn't bother remembering that your sparkplugs can tell ya bunches if ya just open your eyes and listen.

Black soot. Rich condition/improper combustion. Okie-Dokie...now we're getting some where. In a carborated vehicle it's a relatively easy fix, adjust your fuel consumption or fix your weak-assed igntion. On a computer controlled fuel injected engine that relies on sensor input signals to set the fuel injector pulse width? Not so easy.

Fuel pressure is steady at 49psi with the motor running.
24# Ford injectors (closer to 26# at 49psi)
IAC is funtioning properly (opens on startup and closes down to try to maintain 750 RPM.

O2 sensors not relavent until engine reaches normal operating temp. (open mode at PCM)

Not sure if the PCM ignores TPS signal at idle or not, gotta do some learnin'.
MAP Sensor may need a close look too...more learin' ahead.

Timing is not adjustable since the advance is electronic in nature and determined by the PCM, again, based on sensor inputs.

FWIW, the miss is pretty obvious even at higher RPM's. You can see the results on the tach and hear it as well.

No road test till I get this resolved.

I've gone from being pissed, mad, and frustrated to feeling challenged. Can't let the mechanical bastard give me another beat down!!

Feel free to point and giggle.

Hey (insert wife/S.O name here)! Looky here, the dumbass is at it again!

[Flash]

IF you have a bad ground, to the ECM, all the info the ECM gets will be tainted..like map sensor voltage.................B+ should be checked vary carfully...........did you paint the block? If so you may need to scrape the paint of the block ground connection that the ECM uses.

Flash

[FrankZ]

I haven't done anything to affect th PCM ground. The block was painted over a year ago, all grounds are good.

[FrankZ]

Swapped the MAP sensor, no change.
Quadrupple checked the vaccum lines, no change.
Quindribble checked the grounds, no change.
Added a temporary ground from PCM direct to battery. no change.
Added temporary ground from battery to motor, no change.
Pulled the fuel rail and injectors, energized ignition circuit to check for leaky injectors, no leaks found.

Fook it. I'm done. Maybe next year.

oh yeah, check valve in the pump assy is shot too, won't hold pressure after shut down.

[Flash]

Swapped the MAP sensor, no change.
Quadrupple checked the vaccum lines, no change.
Quindribble checked the grounds, no change.
Added a temporary ground from PCM direct to battery. no change.
Added temporary ground from battery to motor, no change.
Pulled the fuel rail and injectors, energized ignition circuit to check for leaky injectors, no leaks found.

Fook it. I'm done. Maybe next year.

oh yeah, check valve in the pump assy is shot too, won't hold pressure after shut down.

Frank, that may be your problem.......pump unable to hold pressure, causing fuel droplet instead of a fine fuel spray pattern from you injectors.
This could cause an over rich condition that could blacken the spark plugs!!!!!!!

Whats the running pressure in gear, under a load?


Flash.

[FrankZ]

48-49 psi
FWIW, the pump produces more than 49psi, but anything above that pressure is dumped back into the tank via the FPR in the pump assy.

[FrankZ]

So I decide to touch the heep again today between service calls. Pulled the distributor and inspected the teeth. A tiny amount of wear but nothing unusual. Pulled the cam sensor and cleaned the innards with carb and choke cleaner till it sparkled. Wiped all the parts down again just to be safe then whilest cursing I stuffed all the parts back in place started it up again. Nothing! Engine turned over but wouldn't start. So decided to reconnect the fuel pump harness thta I had disconnected a few days ago...dipshit! No fuel, no vroomvroom.

Turn it over and she starts up. Rpms jusp to 1100 as usual and the IAC starts to close and the rpms fall off to just over 750 and the needle stays there. No more bouncybouncy! WTF!!!???!!! All I did was clean the distributor up a little bit. I've been pulling my hair out (back hair) by the roots over this fookin' thing and all that was wrong was a dirty dizzy. Glad it's running right but not that it took me this long to fix it.

Once again I'm here for comic relief not mechanical now-lidge.

I'm so proud of myself.

[gradon]

I think it was all of us wishing the problem would get fixed before you pushed it off a cliff.

[FrankZ]

Naw...to heavy to push. Setting it on fire was on the short list though.

[Flash]

Naw...to heavy to push. Setting it on fire was on the short list though.

Frank, i thing you have had enough car fires of one year oooorrrrr aaa............. for a long long time

So do you thing it was a dirty connector that you re connected or the dis?

Flash

[FrankZ]

I don't think the connector was the issue. Before going to moab I disconnected all of the connectors and cleaned them contact cleaner and added a dab of dielectric grease to the contacts themselves. Cleaning the dizzy should not have fixed the prblem but it did. I've a few other folks say that their poor running motors were healed by replacing theirs as well.