4age 20valve silver top no spark

[Kahl]

Hi Guys,

I've done a bit of searching and found nothing terribly helpful so I figured I'd ask.

92 ae101 Levin silver top 20 valve

About a month ago the car wouldn't start in the morning, cranked but wouldn't fire. Checked the plugs, no spark. Pulled the dizzy cap off and it looked half fkd, contacts weren't looking too flash so I cleaned them up and also the rotor and re-fitted them. Car fired up, sweet.

Bought a new cap and rotor and the car ran fine. First drive after the new cap and rotor I drove to the servo to fill up. Car wouldn't start at the servo, same thing, just cranking, not firing. Pulled the cap off and refitted it (nothing flash) and it fired up again and ran fine.

When I got it home I thought it may have had something to do with the coil lead or something so I had the car running while I jiggled a bunch of stuff, had no issues the car kept running.

It had been running fine since then until Saturday, in town car wouldn't fire up, same thing as before, cranked but no spark, pulled the cap and refitted it, no luck this time though.

Cars home now, I have tried replacing the coil and igniter, still wont fire. I'm thinking maybe the dizzy is toast or something but I'm not sure how to check if it's any good. Should this be the next thing I look at? I suppose ideally I would replace a bunch of parts with known good ones until I find the broken bit, but I don't know anybody else with one to ask.

Is this a problem anybody else has had before?

What else could it be?

Is there anything else you might need to know?

Thanks

[Dell'Orto]

Check the ECU codes see if it comes up with anything.

[RS13]

What he said.

http://www.club4ag.com/faq_and_tech_pag ... 0Codes.htm

[Kahl]

hmmm I get no flashing light at all, that guide says have the car at operating temp which I can't do but that shouldn't affect it too much should it?

IGN is at ON, and shorting terminals TE1 and E1, have over 12v at the battery terminals, am I doing something wrong, seems simple enough though?

[Dell'Orto]

So the CEL doesnt flash at all? Make sure you have a good contact between E1 and TE1, that grease they pack in there makes it hard to get a good contact. Orquite possibly, your ECU is poked.

[cogent]

make sure the igniter is secured to the chassis and well grounded. the igniter is the unit the kinglead from the dizzy hooks up to.

[aesc]

Maybe its something more simple like the kinglead has a faulty connection?

[Kahl]

Sweet,
I got a new (from a wreckers) coil lead (King lead? from the coil to dizzy), no luck. Coil/igniter is bolted tight to the strut tower, I'd say it has a decent earth don't think it's that.

Tried getting ECU codes again, still nothing, made sure there was no grease stopping a connection on TE1 and E1, and used yet another piece of wire this time so that's at least ruled out (ie a crap wire not actually making the short). On a side note the CEL is never on, not even when the key is at ACC, is that normal? could just mean the bulb is blown or does it also point at a dodgy ECU??

I don't suppose any one in Palmy has an ECU and dizzy floating around that I could use to test?? Feels a bit like I could be throwing money at guesses otherwise

Thanks for the help so far

Cheers.

[matt dunn]

if you turn on the ignition ( to ON, not ACC)
and the check engine light does not come on but all the other normal lights do, Alt light, etc etc,

then i'd be more than 70% sure that the ECU is faulty.

[Kahl]

All good, I'll try ECU next.

Cheers

[ChaosAD]

Does the tacho show rpm when cranking the engine? as it is driven by the ignitor

[Kahl]

OK update time, tried this morning to see if tach needle was moving when I cranked the engine, didn't immediately notice it moving so I stopped cranking. Just as I stopped cranking I heard it fire... tried again and it ran.

Checked just now, CEL is on when key is at ACC, checked the codes, light just flashed as if nothing was wrong. So I'm now thinking it's got to be ECU right? Checked the front kick panels for it to see if the plug wasn't in the ECU properly, but since I'm a Toyota n00b I couldn't find it (it's obviously not there like in a Nissan HAHA).

Where is the ECU in an AE101 Levin? could it be a faulty plug or is it more likely that the ECU is on it's way out??

Cheers

[jakesae101]

if its like my ae92 its under the sterio and stuff in the dash well you get the area anyway

[matt dunn]

Checked just now, CEL is on when key is at ACC

Anyone else think that is a mistake or a problem?

Are you getting ON and ACC confused?

Airbags lights, stereo, and the clock come on with acc,
but the Check Engine ligfhts should not.


Anyway, from what you say it's even more likely to be the ECU.

Matt

[Kahl]

Ahhh true yes my bad CEL is on when key is at ON.

Found the ECU jiggled the crap out of the plugs/wires light stayed on so I'm thinking the wiring near the ECU is OK. I think I will try a replacement one.

Thanks guys,

[CXGPWR]

Dont get too excited about replacing the ECU, check the pickup in the distributor, also the crank & cam sensors

[sergei]

Dont get too excited about replacing the ECU, check the pickup in the distributor, also the crank & cam sensors

There is no separate crank sensor. All is in distributor.
Fault cam sensor would've been shown as error code on ECU, especially when it managed to start.

[matt dunn]

Dont get too excited about replacing the ECU, check the pickup in the distributor, also the crank & cam sensors

The dist, sensors, and everything else in the whole car,
can do whatever it likes whenever, but if the CEL is not on with ign and the car not running,

then there is a fault in the ECU or the BULB.

The dist can be un plugged and the CEL will still come on.

[levinguy]

sounds exactly like when i had a faulty 4age ecu...

worked somedays but not the next

[ChaosAD]

pull the lid off the ecu and check for leaking caps, burnt resistors or any other visible damage