Well, a couple weeks ago I got everything put back together after doing my timing belt, (among other things,) and now it doesn't start. I checked timing marks and everything lines up. Then I thought it was fuel related cuz I didn't hear the pump running when turning the key. Sprayed starting fluid in the throttle body...nothing happened. Before that I pulled a couple plugs out and they're wet. (new plugs) So I got fuel. I checked for spark at both coil wires and I have good blue spark there. I pulled a couple plug wires off, one from each side, checked for spark using a good used plug I had in my toolbox and I got a weak orange spark from both.

edit;....(Damn, I just realized, they were both from the RH distributor ) I need to check the other bank when I get my helper back. (6 yr old granddaughter, just to turn the key)

The new parts I put on are; plugs, wires, dist. caps, rotors, and ECT sensor. I did check the new wires before installing to make sure they were in spec. All the old parts I took off were original. Plugs were shot, wires were bad, (most were way out of spec) ECT snapped in half, and the caps and rotors were covered with spider nest eggs. (this car shouldn't have ran) Anyway, I tried to pull codes with the diagnostic port in the engine bay and the engine light stays lit, no blinking. I put in my old ECU which also light stays lit but that one definitely started my other car. I am gonna send the ECU in to have it redone anyway. This one has already been rebuilt but the date on it is 10/2013 and has a sticker on it says ebay. I looked up the company online and they had lots of bad reviews from BBB.

I only had the car a few weeks before tearing it apart so I have no history on it except it had a bad skip but still ran pretty good with decent amount of power but had no engine light lit. I was just gonna do the tune-up but things happened and I ended up doing the full T-belt. (and the "among other things")
I let someone borrow my Ohm meter so I need to wait to check the cam and crank sensors. Should I still check the coils at primary and secondary even though I do get good spark from them?

What does anyone think this could be? Something I did, or something that could have gone bad by just sitting all winter? I'm just asking cuz there's noone near me I can just throw ideas at and I'm not thinking as straight as I used to. I'm hoping it's something simple and I'm just over thinking this. It's really bugging me cuz it ran before I started the job. thnx.

 

First thing is the fuel pump only gets power when you are cranking the engine and it is running. It does not run with the key ON engine OFF. I'm a little confused by your post you say you have (or had?) good spark but now you don't? Or you were checking at coil vs. the plug wire.

You have bad spark from both coils?

 

I've heard my fuel pump come on in my other LS400s by just turning the key. But I've also done a test (I read it somewhere) from the diagnosis port in engine bay touch terminals +B and FP and turn ignition on and if the screw pops up on the fuel pressure pulsation damper then the pump is working. Also the fuel pressure first gets checked with just turning key, not running. But I don't have a gauge anyway. Plus all the new plugs are wet with fuel, so fuel is good.

I have good spark from both coils. Weak spark from plug wire. I'm gonna try it again with a different plug when I get a chance.

 

sorry to hear dean!

are you certain you clocked the dist rotors properly onto the cam gear? i've read folks installing them upsidown (180 deg out) but there should be a keyway preventing this from happening anyway. this would still produce spark, but at the wrong time.

also double check all electrical connectors. sometimes it looks connected but the contacts may have pushed out due to brittleness of the plastic and the retainers failing.

 

Can you believe people actually get the rotors in 180* off? I always wondered how people can do that cuz, as you said, "there's a keyway to prevent it" As I was installing them I actually "tried" to put one in backwards (not bolted of course) just to see what it would look like. Wow it was cockeyed, no idea how anyone could screw them in like that.

Anyway, I was just about to post this. I haven't checked much lately (just aggravated with car not starting and other things in life) but I'm now convinced it isn't as weak as I thought. I realized the plug I used to test for spark was a bad one that got mixed in with my good used plugs in my toolbox. Amateur mistake, or senior moment, which ever you prefer.

I did realize why it wouldn't start after the T-belt job, I'm just coming in from checking the timing marks (again) and man do I feel like an idiot. I lined up the L cam on the wrong mark. That's something I've never done. Eh, first time for everything. Maybe this weekend I'll have it back running, finally.

 

the older i get, the more senior moments i get...obviously !

glad you found your timing marks error, and glad you have a non interference engine! easily remedied!