Speed3 Not Starting

[Cody A]

I’m looking for some ideas here. I had some work done by a mechanic to fix my A/C on my 2008 Speed 3 and replace my EGR valve while he was at it. Turns out that was a mistake as he either dropped something down into my turbo or overheated it. Not sure which, but the turbine blades were all bent and the turbo was giving me the turbo siren. So I grounded the car until I could get a new turbo in.

After 4 weeks of working on my car at nights and weekends, between other commitments for my kids sports, I finally managed to get everything back on the car. Now my car won’t start. I’m working with Justin at Freektune to try and get my car tuned and up and running. Makes it tough though if I can’t get it started.

Here are my list of mods:
CST 4 CorkSport Turbo
CorkSport MAP sensor (cam with turbo)
Cobb Stage 1+ (Short Intake, Air Box, Turbo Inlet, Fuel Pump Internals, Rear Motor Mount)
NGK 5610 Spark Plugs gapped at .024” (per Justin at Freektune request)
Cobb AP
Freektune (still on my first map from Justin)

Now all of these are new mods except the rear motor mount. I’ve had the car for over 140,000 miles (currently at approximately 160,000 miles) and I’ve had really no problems. Just general maintenance.

I’ve attached a datalog I pulled from the Cobb AP. It looks like the fuel pump is priming just fine since it goes to 65 psi. What I’m not sure of is if a relay or fuse could be causing a problem in not allowing the pressure to build beyond that. I was very careful and methodical when I swapped out the internals on the fuel pump. So I think it’s okay, but I’m not sure how to verify that once it’s in the car.

I’m thinking it’s either fuel pump or possibly spark plugs. With spark plugs being less likely.

Any ideas?

Also as a side note. I’ve owned a 3rd gen Rx-7 for over 20 years and do all of the maintenance on that car myself. So I’m a decent mechanic. At this point I think what I’m chasing is either a sensor, a connector that maybe I forgot to reconnect, or possibly something something I did wrong with the fuel pump. At this point I’m just frustrated and kind of out of ideas.

As an FYI I sent the datalogs back to Justin at Freektune as well. So maybe he will know something that will help.

 

[Easter Bunny]

What actually happens when you try to start it?

Also check the ground by the hpfp that's like the no 1 reason people have problems

 

[Cody A]

What actually happens when you try to start it?

Also check the ground by the hpfp that's like the no 1 reason people have problems

I think I checked the ground on the HPFP. I believe it’s the one in the first picture I attached. I read about that when I did a search before I posted. The connector in the 2nd picture might be a ground as well, but I can’t remember.

As far as what it’s doing. When I turn the key it wants to turn over and it almost sounds like it wants to start for just a split second. Then it just continues to turn over and doesn’t want to start. I’m trying not to do it all that much as I don’t want to burn up my starter. Just a couple seconds then let off. Try again, then turn off the car.

I took a picture of my AP before I tried to start the car and then after. I also pulled another datalog off before I start it and then as I try to start it up. I’m still really new to the AP, but I think I’m starting to figure out how it works now.

Now that I understand a little more what I’m looking at, in the AP, I’m thinking that the fuel pump might be okay. If I’m reading this right it is building pressure like it’s supposed to. So maybe it’s fine. I have some brand new NGK stock plugs. Maybe I’ll swap those in and try that. Perhaps I just goofed up something when I set the gap on those other plugs.

Is there a way to read data from the spark plugs in the AP without taking the plugs out? Meaning can I diagnose if I did something wrong there or is just something I have to take out the plugs the old school way (aka trying new plugs or moving them around if it’s a misfire).

 

[Easter Bunny]

I doubt it is spark plugs the car would start and run on three cylinders

 

[jsmith]

What pressure is the MAP sensor reading?

 

[Cody A]

What pressure is the MAP sensor reading?

I don’t see the MAP specifically in the list of gauges on the AP. I went ahead and turned on all of the gauges and did another datalog of trying to start the car again (with all sensors turned on this time). If you can tell me how to pull that MAP info from the AP I can go do it. I did put a new MAP in the car, but I gave Justin at Freektune the new parameters. So hopefully that is loaded into the tune. Could be a leak though I suppose if I didn’t get it in there just right.

I did notice something this time that I missed before. My CEL is blinking exactly 7 times. When I turn the car off and back on it blinks exactly 7 times again. There’s nothing in the AP though for CEL. So I’m kind of confused what that could be. Or maybe it’s nothing.

 

[Cody A]

I doubt it is spark plugs the car would start and run on three cylinders

Were those pictures the ground wires you were talking about? Or are there diffferent grounds I should be looking for?

 

[jsmith]

Column L (HPFP Act. Press.) in that log looks odd in rows 33 through 38.

If you are trying to start, and and your Column M (HPFP Des. Press) doesnt match your Column Lit looks like you are running on in tank pump pressure only (~65 PSI)

Can our cars even turn on with such low fuel pressure?

Might want to charge battery too. Its dipping below 12 volts on crank.

 

[Easter Bunny]

The cars can run on in tank pressure. I don't know about starting

 

[Cody A]

Column L (HPFP Act. Press.) in that log looks odd in rows 33 through 38.

If you are trying to start, and and your Column M (HPFP Des. Press) doesnt match your Column Lit looks like you are running on in tank pump pressure only (~65 PSI)

Can our cars even turn on with such low fuel pressure?

Might want to charge battery too. Its dipping below 12 volts on crank.

So would this be an indicator that I did something wrong when I did the HPFP internals? Or something wrong with the harness plugging into the HPFP? Is there a way to check if the HPFP is talking with the car via the AP. Maybe a voltage reading from the HPFP or something.

The battery is only a few months old, but I’m keeping it on a C-tek trickle charger in between messing around with trying to get it to start.

 

[Mtnbker3531]

What actually happens when you try to start it?

Also check the ground by the hpfp that's like the no 1 reason people have problems

Can attest to that one, gave me one hell of an ass kicking!

 

[Easter Bunny]

Can attest to that one, gave me one hell of an ass kicking!

Can you tell what's going on in the pictures? It's been too long for me to be much help looking at them

 

[Cody A]

Can you guys send me a picture of the ground you are talking about. Or maybe a link to a thread where they have a picture or two of it. If so then I can go backwards and figure out where it is on my car.

I appreciate the help by the way.

 

[Cfoldone]

Speed 6 and 3 share same upper wire loom. So one picture is the brass lug on a OEM style ground in OEM location. The loose one is a 6 but the wire is exactly the same and shows the location of it coming out of harness loom.

 

[Mtnbker3531]

It's a bolt holding down a small 16 guage wire attached to a metal tab.

I had trouble with mine after I did my first intake valve cleaning. It worked its way loose after about 500 miles and was all kinds of fun to figure out.

 

[Cody A]

Speed 6 and 3 share same upper wire loom. So one picture is the brass lug on a OEM style ground in OEM location. The loose one is a 6 but the wire is exactly the same and shows the location of it coming out of harness loom.View attachment 25268 View attachment 25269 View attachment 25270

@Cfoldone and @Mtnbker3531
I think I found the ground you are talking about. I circled it in the first picture below.

I never removed that one, but I checked it anyways. The bolt was on there tight. So I decided to check the ground from the bolt to the metal tab. I believe it should read around 0.2 ohms, but when I check it I get oscillating between OL (open loop I believe) and something in the 40 kilo ohms range.

Just to make sure I decided to check the ground for the negative battery cable and that came back as 0.2 ohms. Which is what I expected.

So I’m thinking that little tab isn’t grounded. I even checked the bolt to the bracket the tab was bolted on to and the tab to the bracket. Both came back as OL. So it looks like it’s a bad ground.

It looks like you guys have already been down this path before so how would you recommend I get it grounded? Do I need to remove the coatings from the tab? Get a new tab and bolt? Or do I just cut the wire and ground it to a different spot on the car or use a thicker wire? What’s your suggestion?

 

[Easter Bunny]

Take everything off and sand it down to get good contact

 

[Cfoldone]

There are 3 bolts for that bracket that the brass ground terminal mounts too. I can only show 2, other is hidden but accessable to remove/clean/tighten. There is a ground connection between passenger motor mount (engine ear with 2 studs) and chassis frame rail.
These are for electrical noise control in harness. High current cables are in starter area.

 

[Cody A]

There are 3 bolts for that bracket that the brass ground terminal mounts too. I can only show 2, other is hidden but accessable to remove/clean/tighten. There is a ground connection between passenger motor mount (engine ear with 2 studs) and chassis frame rail.
These are for electrical noise control in harness. High current cables are in starter area. View attachment 25276 View attachment 25277 View attachment 25278 View attachment 25279 View attachment 25280 View attachment 25281

So I managed to clean that first contact until I was getting around .2 or .3 ohms. I used some 0000 steel wool to polish it up real good.

I bolted it back on and cranked it and it looks like I’m building up to a little over the 1,000 psi range now. So thanks for that.

The car still isn’t starting though for some reason. So I did another datalog and attached it. I have the O-ring kit from CorkSport now in case I had a leak on the pump, but I’m thinking it may be okay. I’m still not sure why it’s not starting though.

I’ll go look for those other grounding contacts. I would have NEVER realized there was a ground on the engine mount. So now I need to go look for that.

If you guys have any other ideas please let me know.

 

[Cody A]

Okay so I checked the grounds in those pictures (of the ones I could find). I cleaned them all of until I got around 0.3 ohms.

I found a different ground (with two wires) attached the motor mount in a different spot. So I cleaned that up. I couldn’t find a screw hole on the side like that. Mine was on top towards the passenger wheel (under the antifreeze overflow).

I found the bracket for the red wire in the picture below, but I couldn’t find a wire anywhere. I looked everywhere and couldn’t find one.

The other picture you have of the bracket. I can’t seem to find that one. It looks like it’s somewhere near the fuel pump, but I can’t find it. I tried looking under the car with no luck finding it that way either.