Car died and won't start - ideas please!

Technical Area Engine, Transmission, Exhaust etc
2

 Hi,

My partner was driving our '96 Eunos when it died very suddenly, no noise or anything.  It was towed to a garage of a friend of mine and I had another friend run diagnostics this morning - synopsis as follows:

  • engine cranks but doesn’t fire (no fuel or spark)

  • no fault codes present

  • fuel pump is not priming

  • power to the PCM

  • immobiliser appears to be turned off

I am thinking a potential ECU problem or some sort of safety cut-out

Additionally, the drivers side electric window was found to be not working afterwards - whether this is related or not I don’t know…

Any advice or ideas greatly appreciated!

Rob

3

fuel pump relay or the immobiliser circuit to the fuel pump?

4

 Hi Andrew,

Thanks for the hint - would that stop the spark as well and would it not flag an ECU fault?

I work 160 miles away so I won’t see the car until the weekend so all advice appreciated for when I get back

Rob

5

 Cam belt?

6

[::(] 

 

Hi im not sure if this is any good to you, but i had the same symptoms only last week, today it was diagnosed as the crank sensor, apparently the part is about £60.00, ive no idea what the labour involved is.  Good luck,  I cant wait to go and collect it and start having some fun again. 

 

Jane

7

 Fuel pump relay would not stop the spark.  It would not raise a fault code either.

The ECU or the crank sensor would both show fault codes if there was anything wrong.

I’d favour the immobiliser as the most likely.

8

 Or, thinking about it a bit more, it could be the coil pack.  That won’t show a fault code, if it’s dead you’ll get no spark and if there’s no spark the fuel pump won’t run.  And it’s a 1.8 mk1 so has the most delicate coil pack.

9

 Thanks all for your input  [:)] - I’ll have a good look at the weekend.

10

 Hi all,

Had a look at the car this weekend - my friend hadn’t read any fault codes but is not sure he has the correct level of s/w completely.  Having not driven the car much I can’t see a MIL light?  Is there a MIL light on the Mk1’s?  If not, I’m thinking it may be more likely to be CPS than ECU.  Removed the ECU at the weekend and no sign of water ingress or high temps.

Jane - when you had your problem did you have any dash warning light?

Cheers,

Rob

11

Neither the UK nor the japanese versions of these cars had the MIL, only the US Miata. Having said that there is a simple way of reading the fault codes, using an LED and a resistor. Info is here:-

http://www.mx5club.co.nz/maintenance/engine_diagnostics/

 

Good Luck

12

Have you looked to see if the cams are turning, this sounds so much like a cam belt failure ?

13

 

 Cheers Ralph :wink:

Geoff - yep, cam belts fine, but worth checking - cheers :-))