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[b]RESOLVED![/b]Need some opinions/ideas please. Misfire/crank no start

5OF2k

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 28, 2012
Messages
664
Location
colorado springs, colorado
RESOLVED!

Good morning all!

Before I get into the symptoms, here's my mods list:

stock c/r 6bolt
BC272's
EVO pinks
AEM EMS V1/speed density w/GM IaT and 5.5bar MAP
SMIM
2.0-2.5 C.pipes
Aeromotive FPR set to ~40 at idle, 43-ish w/o vacuum
3" turbo back
6ES sparkplugs
EIII 16g, 26lbs
255LPH

Idles fatastic, on a dime @850/900rpm, just as it should, regardless.

Now then, onto the probs:

Yesterday, on my way home from work I came up on a car doing about 10 under the speed limit. Being as I work out in the boons, it was on a 2-lane highway and the speed limit is 65. which I cruise at about 70, maybe 75. In my attempt to go around this car, I floor it, and as soon as the car hit over 15-ish psi, I hear a bit of a "POP" and the car starts sputtering/misfiring/sounding like a subie. So, I back off of the throttle, and everything goes back to normal, not misfiring/etc. Perfectly normal. So, for giggles I get on it again, and same thing, above 15-ish psi, misfire/subaru sound. Tried it a few more times too, in different gears, starting at different RPMs and so-on, and the same thing. Above 15-ish psi, misfire/etc. Get to my house to pick up my dog, pop the hood and look around for any obvious signs of issues, boost leaks, torn couplers, popped hoses/etc. Find none. Car is "fine".

So, i figure "ok cool, when I get home, I'll pull the plugs and see if they've fouled". I go by my house, pick up my dog without issue(other than the assumed misfire under the 15psi+ pulls, which I didnt KEEP verifying at that point, figured it better safe than sorry), until I get out in front of my parents house. I pull up, put the car in neautral, set the e-brake and start to reach for the keys to turn it off, and it dies. Completely. I think to myself "that's weird", turn the radio down, and attempt to re-start. I notice I'm not hearing the f.pump run as I usually do, and my tach isnt bouncing as it always does right before it fires (a sign tha CAS is functioning properly, sending RPM signal to the ECU). Now, the fact that I've been trying to quit smoking alone, and been sucessful for the past 72hrs are so is fantastic. Inherently, the size of my fuse is significantly shorter, and I proceed to get extra-upset and curse up a storm. Figure thats a good time to take a break and do a little research...

So, I go inside, and DL the PDFs of the service manuals to my phone, and go thumbing through them a bit. I locate the relay diagrams/locations, and have calmed down a bit. So, I head back outside all bundled up (the sun is now down, and according to my phone it's 14* with the wind chill), flashlight in-hand, ready to go. I pop the hood, start inspecting fuses and such, everything looks good. So, I head to the inside of the car, put the key in the ign and flip it to ON, and listen. No f.pump, no tach bounce/etc. Still not working right. So, I decide I'll hop over to the other side, and inspect the relay. Start to pull things out of my glovebox and so-on(remember, it's 14* outside. I was trying to check it out while being able to sit IN the car, out of the wind and cold), get everything to where I can get at it, and throw the key in the ign again, for giggles. Turn it to the "ON" position, and guess what.....

Pump PRIMES! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif

So, I hop out of the car, run accross to the d.side and hop in, crank it over and sure enough. Pops right off, starts just fine. FANTASTIC! An intermittent cranks/no start! I LOVE THESE!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bawling.gif

Anywho, at this point Im pretty upset again, and decide I should go back inside and warm up/cool down, before I break #5. So, I do just that. Head inside, have a couple beers and play some Wii. Then, I head to leave and take my dog home and such, extremely nervous about making it home and so-on.

Head to the car, pop the key in, pump primes, tach bounces, car fires as normal....(go figure). So, I let it sit and run to warm up to operating temp, because I want to see if the misfire is still there(which I found out later, it was). I also tried it again this morning, for grins with the same results. Still misfiring above 15-ishlbs.

So, there we have it. I know it's long-winded, but Im trying to be as thorough as I can in explaining whats going on. Like I said, it's cold as sheiza here right now, and the shop I normally have access to is full of cars that I cant move by myself from hitting curbs in the snow, and so-on....

Id like to be able to try a few things, and narrow it down some before I start digging into it completely. Its going to be another cold one today, which is NOT ideal for trying to figure out an intermittent issue.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif

So yea, any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated fellas. Thanks in advance, have a good one, and word to your mother(s)!

-Jake
 
Last edited:

iceman69510

Turn Right Racing
Staff member
Joined
Mar 5, 2001
Messages
10,964
Location
Michigan
You may have a split hose that opens up only under boost. Or a leak only happening at higher boost and appears normal when inspected and not under pressure.

Really hate weird intermittent no starts.
 

5OF2k

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 28, 2012
Messages
664
Location
colorado springs, colorado
Yea, I was kind of thinking that too.... BUT, then again, Im in speed density, so a boost leak doesnt affect it like it normally does on a typical metered air car.

Im going to try and make it to the shop tonight and see if there are any boost leaks, anything obvious. It's really frustrating, and especially since it's my DD... I guess it makes sense though, being as just the other day I was "bragging" about how the whole DSM reliability thing was a misconception(I know its not a DSM, but Im too damn tired of trying to explain the difference to people all the time, so I let it slide around the idiots i sometimes keep company with...:) ), because mine had been so stone-cold reliable.....

Should have knocked on wood....lol

Im kind of leaning toward it being the main relay as far as the Cranks no-start goes, honestly. The CAS and ICM are new, only been on the car a few months. Because the tach isnt bouncing like it should when cranking, it tells me the CAS isnt getting power as it should be, and therefore not sending spark....that coupled with the fact all of my fuses are good, and Im not hearing the pump running tells me its something with the relay. I also forgot to mention, when it died, I did hear a "click" over by the glovebox, right where the relay is...

I guess more than anything Im just looking for verification...

Thanks again!

-Jake
 
Last edited:

5OF2k

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 28, 2012
Messages
664
Location
colorado springs, colorado
Just a heads up:

Pulled 6ES plugs, replaced with 7ES plugs, and replaced Bosch spark plug wires with some new Denso wires. Also re-mounted my coils and T unit and installed my JMF coil mount for SMIM. As i was pulling the coils off of the bracket they were on, i noticed a couple wires had the insulation stripped off, and the single wire that runs tothe extermal transistor/box/whatever it is had a bunch of breaks in the insulation and a couple spots with corrosion.

So, i re-made the wire using some scrap 18ga wiring i had at the shop, solder-on eyelet with a 4mm opening(to fit over the coil terminal as the OE did), and some heat shrink.

Apparently, something in the process of said replacements, repairs and installations did the trick. The car is running great again, nice and smooth as usual. Now, im waiting to hear back from a member about coming to pick up a replacement SMIM, and it'll be time to start installing the T67 setup /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Thanks for the help fellas. Great reminder here to start with the basics, and K.I.S.S.

-Jake
 
Last edited:
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