Someone help me before i go crazy.. KA24e crank no start. no engine codes.

[deuceforty]

So this is the story of a KA24e in a 1989 240sx coupe (two tone ;P )

My brother didn't know anything about cars when he got it, never changed the oil and blew the motor. They found a junkyard motor (happened to have been rebuilt recently!) and i installed it for him. Drove the car all around the USA, never had one problem with it. I have been doing all the little maintenance things on the car as they break, but for the first time it left him stranded on the side of the road.

Here is what happened.

turning on to the highway and applying brakes, car idle drops to 400 ish, then the car cuts off and won't turn back on.
has car towed to his house.
I check and find he is getting very little fuel pressure - Install walbro fuel pump. + new fuel filter
Car still does not start, spark seems weak, distributor cap and rotor are original. Pitted, cracked, corroded horrible condition. Replace cap and rotor.

Still no start.
Ohm test ignition coil. It is an open circuit. Replace ignition coil.

Spark plugs are still covered in fuel when pulled. cylinder 3 has gunk on it.

MAF cleaned, TB cleaned, Distributor replaced from known working vehicle. Still nothing.

ECU gives error code for Coolant Temp Sensor. Ohm test it. it is not in spec. Replace, and wire in new pigtail due to corrosion on plug. Still no start.

ECU giving code 55 (no codes). Car still does not start.


I pulled the valve cover to see if maybe something internally was damaged. it all looks good, there seems to be a bit of slack in the timing chain though.. I took a video but I don't think that is the issue.


this is driving me crazy as I have no idea what could possibly cause a no start condition under these circumstances..

help please! my brother needs to go to work!!

[the head]

1. did you recheck spark? has it improved since changing the coil?
2. I know this sounds dumb but did you make 100% sure you didn't get the disty 180 out when you changed it? It's much easier than you think to do.
3. recheck wires-firing order on disty cap
4. Run compression test on all four cyl make sure you don't have any issues in the bottom end

[deuceforty]

the biggest issue is that the car had been perfectly running and driving until all of a sudden it just.... stopped. on the SOHC its virtually impossible to get the dizzy 180 out, as it has a notch it can only click in one way

[janetfdoss]

Take that to some garage you will definitely find the solution because if now you will not got the mechanic then you might get in bigger trouble.

[thegr8one013]

if the plugs are wet with fuel your getting fuel. remove the plugs and let it dry and check for spark. if you have spark then your timing is off. if your timing is off then you got the wires mixed up or you might have an internal failure

[unwtdhero]

make sure the ecm is getting power, that would cause no engine code....

[Croustibat]

Lowered S13 without relocated harness tend to munch through it. Remove front wheel arches liners and check there, could be a cause.

[the head]

Originally Posted by deuceforty

the biggest issue is that the car had been perfectly running and driving until all of a sudden it just.... stopped. on the SOHC its virtually impossible to get the dizzy 180 out, as it has a notch it can only click in one way

the housing can only click in one way yes, the rotor can be in any direction.

[EnnEssEnnKAT]

Could it be possible that the timing chain jumped a few teeth and the timings off?

[Crazyced]

Keep it simple. Engine needs Air, Fuel, Ignition and Compression to run. Make sure you thoroughly check those 4 things 1st. Could it be a faulty IACV? Although giving it a bit of throttle at startup should bypass that.

[deuceforty]

after trying starting fluid and the motor sounding like absolute dogs hit we compression tested it.

115-115-115-80

RIP. 2 quarts low of oil will do that