XE Not firing right...

[Ben]

Right i am stumped on this one

Got a bog standard XE in a Nova, fitted engine last week, started and ran, tappets ratling like mad and a bit lumpy but was told been sat for two years so assumed needed running for a while.

Gave it back to the customer, 1 week later wouldnt start, he brought it back and i fitted another earth strap and it ran but like a bag of spanners for about 5 minutes, started seriously backfiring and cutting out.

Then wouldnt re start again.

Inspected the engine (engine was supplied by customer who said was in perfect running order) and found that it had the wrong spark plugs in it...

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y228/lurk75/S1RST006.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y228/lurk75/S1RST011.jpg

After taking the rocker cover off to get the plugs out finally swapped them over and fitted Brand new GM plugs for the XE.

Tried to start it but its firing in the wrong place (half way by the sound of it) and then locking up on the bores, changed the crank sensor made no difference.

Take the coil lead off and its turning over at correct speed and sounds fine but when refit the coil lead its locking up again as sparking in wrong place again.

Obviously i have checked the timing, this is spot on, checked the firing order many many times and its correct. Have put earth straps onto any possibly earth point just to try and get it to run.

Have got good fuel pressure etc.

Anyone got any ideas as i am stumped, no matter how silly it sounds please say it as i am willing to try anything as i believe i have tried everything.

:thumb:

[Riggy]

has it got the correct ecu ben ?

what about lambda sensors etc

[Ben]

Yeah its the original ecu that came with the car which run fine before (old engine had bottom end issues) Engine is non lambada type.

[Stoo]

Hall sensor??

[Ben]

Does it have another name?

[Adam]

Its in the distributor

Works with the crank sensor to find exact engine position.

Assuming its got a dizzy,Lol.

[Ben]

Yeah have swapped dizzy's as well!

[Stoo]

you swapped dizzys, or dizzy caps?

[Ben]

Dizzys, you name it i have a spare to swap and check.

[Ben]

Well and dizzy caps as well, tried 3 of them!

[Adam]

Ignition timing way advanced, igniting on the upstroke....

Hmm, but its a fixed position dizzy,Lol.

[Ben]

Ignition timing way advanced, igniting on the upstroke....

Hmm, but its a fixed position dizzy,Lol.

Yeah thats exactly what its like, perfect diagnosis if the igntion timing was adjustable lmao, this is why im confused, normally can diagnose a prob on a xe in an instant but this one has got me.

Only thing i can think off (but way over the top) is the crank is bent so not being picked up on the sensor.

[Adam]

Its go to be something timing related, hall sensor, crank sensor..
Iirc the crank sensor needs to be a precise distance away from the pulley wheel, perhaps it's something to do with that and its giving intermittent(sp) signals.

Lol

[Ben]

Crank sensor sits into the block on an xe and not picked up on the pulleys.

Its fitted correctly and cleaned out the whole etc to make sure no ****e in the way etc.

[Riggy]

its not gone into a 1.o nova has it ben ?

just as that gay resistor wire cause soe aggro like that

[Ben]

Dont know what donor shell was, has been a XE for years, we just done a like for like swap not the conversion.

[Ben]

Thinking of it where does that wire come from?

[Adam]

Its the black wire to the ignition coil.
On 1L models the wire is a resistor to stop the coil overheating.

If you use the same wire for a normal coil it gives a crap/none existent spark.

Replace it with a proper normal wire straight from the ign barrel.

The problem your having tho doesn't sound like its causes by a resistor wire, normally it wont give a spark at all, your getting a spark, just not timed right.... Lol

[Ben]

Yeah that seems fair comment, will have a check around for it, never bothered converting a 1.0l as always heard they are more aggro so just use 1.2 and above donor cars.

[Adam]

Does it have a cam sensor?
Or was that just the later 2L ecos.

[Riggy]

ad some times on 1.0 nova conversions it sparks when you let of the key , when the voltage goes back to 12v for a second but it could spark anywhere then lol

i had **** loads of probs puttin gsi into a 1.0 shell so i ended up fitting a full gsi loom

[Saloony]

Mine does that, turn on ignition and she sparks away lovely.

[Ben]

3rd Dizzy cured it! Thank god

[Adam]

Lol

[Ben]

Strange as dizzy number 2 works fine on another car but not this one, never mind.

[edens-xe]

Strange as dizzy number 2 works fine on another car but not this one, never mind.
sod's law matelol!

[SRI crazy]

you mite hav the plug leads on the wrong way and its crossfiring

[coombsey]

have you timed it by the pointer or by the actual crank take pulley off and look at the crank pulley there is a notch by 1 of the screw holes make sure it is at 6oclock and the cams are at 12 spark plug lead 1 goes at the bottom and two at the top obviously the fireing order is the standard 1 3 4 2 try that

[Ben]

3rd Dizzy cured it! Thank god

Wish people would read the complete thread!

[Riggy]

lol welcome back ben :thumb:

[Ben]

lol cheers mate