The car is a 1989 350ci GTA, and as the title says it won't start!

The fuel pump makes the normal priming noise, but rather than stopping after two seconds, it seems to continually prime. No matter how long you sit their for it just keeps going.

What could be causing this?

We removed the ECM and installed a Craig Moates ZIF socket, but put the existing chip straight back in. The chip was put in the wrong way round. We know this can kill the PROM, and have burned a replacement stock chip but this has made no difference.

Okay, fuel pressure at the fuel rails is 36psi with ignition turned on.

The SES light is not showing any codes.

The ECM fuse is intact and not blown.

All the fuses in the box under the steering wheel are intact also.

Please help!

 

Time to start taking apart whatever you changed until you can make it work again. There's nothing unique about using a ZIF in a moates adapter. You either have a bad connection, or bad PROM(s), easy as that.

 

Did you read the prom before doing anything?.
If you did then read the current chip and see if it matches the original one. If it matches they you have a electrical problem.

Or find the appropriate .bin and try burning that, and then read the chip and make sure it compares with the .bin you used.

 

Double and tripple check your solder work. It is too easy to short 2 adjacent pins with a solder bridge, or if you use too hot of an iron, to lift a land or pad off of the PCB. Hold the PCB up to a bright light to check it.

 

When you turn the key to on does the SES light come on then off quickly and back on and stays light?

 

Are you getting the code 12 when you jump the A+B terminals? If not, its something with the ZIF or chip. Sometimes they arent seated right (not necessarily in a ZIF socket) and it'll do weird things.

 

The only ever time I had a similar problem like this was when my ECM was faulty. Relays clicked sometimes it started but then it would just die.

It took me a while to figure out the problem after I went over the wiring a couple of times.

I ended up pulling the ECM circuitry out of the case and started flexing it to see if it was the problem. And sure it was the SES light stayed ON when key was on ignition.

 

IroczInOz:- What did you mean by that? Did you mean that the car would run but the SES light was on continuously? What happenned when you bridged the terminals with a paper clip? Did it show any codes?

Okay guys, we have now managed to get the car started again. However, the SES light is on continously. When we bridge the terminals with a paper clip it's not changing or giving us any codes. It is idling at around 1700rpm, when in park, though it sounds good. No funny nosies or anything. It is idling around 1200rpm when in drive.

The car did have a custom chip in it when we bought it, but currently we have burned a stock bin chip and have that in the car.

We double checked all the solder work and theres no problem there.

Thanks for all the help so far, any more help would be much appreciated.

 

If the SES light is on consistently then there is probably something wrong with the BIN you burnt. What program did you use to edit the BIN with? winBin, Tuner Cat?

I know when I burnt an a faulty BIN the car an like crap and the SES light was consitently on and did not flash any codes.

What I was saying in my above post the car did start, but then died soon after or did not start at all. The SES light was not on when running. But I think your ECM is okay must be something with the BIN.

The only ever time I had a faulty BIN was when I used WinBin and did not know that you have to calculate the checksum yourself as it does not calculate it for you.

 

I'd like to bring back up something that IroczInOz mentioned a few posts back. If at key on the SES light does not turn on, blink off then come back on again solid, then the ECM software is not running.

Look for the SES blink at key on (no crank). If not present then go no further, something is wrong.

RBob.