5AFE starting issues

[AE91Sprinter]

Pretty much the same as a 4AGE - this is an 87 model

what are the things i should be looking at? takes a LONG time winding it over to start it. Has spark, fuel is in the rail (unsure of pressure - how should i test that?), compression tests well.

Dont know much about EFI, so im pretty new to this. Have checked the ECU codes, getting 8 and 11 last time, reset it but havent checked since...

How do i test my air sensor, just a resistance thing orrr...?

have searched pretty heavily but cant find anything.

[no_8wire]

Hows your battery?

[AE91Sprinter]

good, voltage is well over 12 sitting, alternator charges well whilst driving, cranking is never an issue.

[Alex B]

You can not tell the health of a battery by its voltage, it needs to be load tested.

[AE91Sprinter]

ive tried another known good battery with the same results. This battery was used in my previous car with no issues, although that car did idle like a bus (4k ke70).

[sergei]

after it has started does it idle ok?
check codes again...

[AE91Sprinter]

misses a bit on occasion, doesnt stall, but very nearly does + brings itself back from the brink. I have increased the idle to stop it near-stalling. I'll check the codes again asap.

The fast idle has a mind of its own though, half the time it'll fast idle, other half it'll barely idle @ 600ish rpm - could be a bit blocked up? coolant is clean as a whistle though, doesnt lose any. Bypass could be sticking, i guess.

Once it is going, and its warm, it starts first pop. Has no obvious hesitation, has pretty good power throughout the rev range (for a 5afe...). Main problem is the cold starting, and a bit of an idle problem, but its a fairly old engine that (afaik) wasnt maintained as well as it should have been before i got it.

[CozmoNz]

Check coolant (air in the idle up valve), um, check your cold start injector, and the missing... well i duno, my 4agze does that too (just randomly misses while ideling), but i need to replace leads, cap, dizzy etc. (still havnt done it since i brought it from sean 6 months ago lol)

[AE91Sprinter]

Yep, it needs a new cap, i know that much. Plugs have been done, they're fine - tested with known good leads, and they're fine too.

Coolant level hasnt dropped since ive had it (march 05)

How do i check my coldstart injector? unplug it and plug it back in?

I'll test the ECU again tomorrow, ive gotta grab a pair of tires for a warrant so its on a jack atm, dont fancy starting it etc without all four tires on the ground :p

[AE91Sprinter]

still throwing codes 10 and 11

[AE91Sprinter]

can anyone tell me the cold injector resistance... or if, in fact, im looking at the right thing? its on the inlet manifold, has a blue plug w/ a two prong going into the top of it.

it clicks continuously when i jumper the car

resistance i read from it is 31.7 ohms (the standard injectors are 13.8 ohm)

[Ae92typeX]

Just checked the old mans 5afe- its done 80k and runs perfect-
cold injector 31.8 ohms
regular injectors 14.2 ohms

[AE91Sprinter]

awesome, cheers for that man
Well within spec, obviously

Right, next plan is to replace the fuel filter, then!

[AE91Sprinter]

right, i took the fuel filter off, it seems pretty damn blocked up to me - I left the hose that goes to the fuel rail on it, but removed the whole thing via the banjo on the fuel rail, so i had the filter loose from the car but the fuel rail hose still connected to the filter (couldnt get the bugger off, will need to take it to my folks place + use the vise...).

Blew through it from the bottom of the fuel filter and exhausted the fuel, and it seems pretty difficult to blow through - im imagining that i should be feeling next to no resistance, but theres quite a bit - not an easy thing to describe, really. It takes a fair bit of force, and i can feel my lungs working before any serious pressure goes through it, put it that way. Fuel pressure takes a while to build up too, so my guess is that its so blocked that the engine is starving a bit under load.

Repco and supercheap dont get any in for a least a week or two (none in the country) so ill try BNT on monday, unless they're open tomorrow.

[AE91Sprinter]

Ok, replaced the fuel filter - 32$ at BNT, quoted 48 at repco and they didnt even have them in the country... Fantastic! very happy with 32$, nice guys at BNT too.

At any rate, hasnt helped my starting issue.

Once again, for a once over -

checked compression, tested fine.
Tested spark by putting the sparkplug against the block + cranking, spark is there, but perhaps not as nice as id like it - white spark, but a small jump, not over the whole electrode of the plug. Could be the issue, i guess...
Fuel filter replaced, pressure seems a bit better now - needed it anyway, so not wasted money.

Makes a slight knocking sound under load, if the timing is severly retarded it stops it, but at correct timing with any fuel it does it.

Im starting to wonder if i have a small headgasket leak, but that should show up on the compression test...

Perhaps I have a valve issue, but im not overly willing to take the head off it to find its all peachy.

gah. Frustrating.