4th gen swap issues

**celica91gts** · 08-08-2016

Hey guys,

I'm having some problems with starting my fresh swap. I was super excited this weekend because the swap is basically done. Double checked all fluids and tried to turn her over. Nothing. dash and everything is getting power, i am getting fuel. pulled the fuel line and its squirting out. It wont even crank. i heard the starter click a few times and stopped after that so i thought it might be stuck. hit it lightly with a hammer a couple times but no go. so i pulled the starter and replaced it with a brand new one. still nothing. my next step is to measure the battery with a multi-meter and then check to make sure the starter is getting power.

-brand new optima red top
-wire harness by prime MR2

any ideas you guys?

**4thgenceli** · 08-08-2016

Jump starter? Relay starter mod?

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**4thgenceli** · 08-08-2016

Sorry that was from my phone while I was pooping this morning. If you tried to start it and it clicked once but not anymore that really sounds like the typical starter relay mod fix. To test to see if that's the problem I would pull the EFI fuses so fuel won't get to the injectors and then with the key in the ON position run a jumper wire from the B+ starter terminal to the signal wire terminal on the starter. That should crank the motor over. If it does then just do the hot start relay fix here.

**celica91gts** · 08-08-2016

Thank you. i will try that today after work and post back.

**donteatbugs** · 08-09-2016

I hope the engine isnt locked up.

**underscore** · 08-09-2016

Can you crank the engine over by hand? Where is the swap from?

**ChrisD** · 08-10-2016

If it's not cranking then you're dealing with something in the starting circuit. I'd try jumping the starter manually and see if it turns. If it does, then turn the key on and jump again and see if it fires. Also might be worth trying to turn it by hand first like underscore mentions.

**celica91gts** · 08-11-2016

So a good friend of mine and I got a multi meter and went at it. Found out it was a bad ground. The engine now cranks but wont turn over. The ignition coils are getting 12 volts. So gotta check for spark and fuel. Maybe the injectors are clogged. What is the easiest way to check for spark? Pull the ignition coil and see if there's spark when cranking it? Gotta check to see if fuel is going to fuel rail and see if the injectors are opening.

**celica91gts** · 08-11-2016

Originally Posted by donteatbugs

I hope the engine isnt locked up.

Haha I thought so too. We have negative minds cuz we thought of the worst thing possible.

**celica91gts** · 08-11-2016

Originally Posted by ChrisD

If it's not cranking then you're dealing with something in the starting circuit. I'd try jumping the starter manually and see if it turns. If it does, then turn the key on and jump again and see if it fires. Also might be worth trying to turn it by hand first like underscore mentions.

This was really helpful, at first i thought the new starter i got was bad. They do sometimes come like that from orieleys. But hooked it up to a starter pack and it worked.

**celica91gts** · 08-11-2016

Sprayed some carb cleaner in the throttle body and still wont turn over.

**4thgenceli** · 08-11-2016

So..confusion.

Can you take a breaker bar and turn the engine over by turning the crank pulley bolt?

If not -- remove the spark plugs and try turning it over again.

If you still can't turn it over then its seized or jammed up on something. What did you do to the motor before you swapped it? Timing components, pistons, etc. I'd backtrack and check everything that was done to the motor before you installed it.

**celica91gts** · 08-12-2016

Originally Posted by 4thgenceli

So..confusion.

Can you take a breaker bar and turn the engine over by turning the crank pulley bolt?

If not -- remove the spark plugs and try turning it over again.

If you still can't turn it over then its seized or jammed up on something. What did you do to the motor before you swapped it? Timing components, pistons, etc. I'd backtrack and check everything that was done to the motor before you installed it.

I have done nothing to the motor except changing its fluids. Act flywheel. Southbend clutch package. And wiring harness from prime. I will try what you suggested. Thanks man

**Funkycheeze** · 08-12-2016

How can an engine crank, but not turn over? So confused.

On the swap we did, it cranked but wouldn't actually fire - had spark (test for this first by pulling a coil and putting an old plug in it and touching the threads on the plug to a good ground like a shock tower bolt while you crank the engine over with the coil still connected to the harness) but the injectors were all stuck so they wouldn't fire at a lower idle pulse width. You can use a vehicle stethoscope to listen to each injector for the ticking as it fires. You can also try manually grounding each injector signal wire at the ECU to see if that makes the injector 'tick' which means it opens (but this doesn't check to see if it is too sticky to allow the engine to idle). The injectors we had would tick with this manual method but not tick when the engine was cranking, so we changed them and it started. One of the injectors was completely dead, wouldn't tick and resistance measurement was infinite (ST215 injectors should be around 14 ohms or so).

Also short the TC wire to ground to see if the ECM flashes out any codes on the engine light (this should be wired up as well, of course). The engine we had, after changing injectors would only run for a few seconds roughly and then die - the ECM would not flash out any codes. We changed the ECM and it ran great after that.

**underscore** · 08-13-2016

For clarity: turning over means the engine internals are moving. Are you able to get the internals to move or not?

Originally Posted by celica91gts

I have done nothing to the motor except changing its fluids. Act flywheel. Southbend clutch package. And wiring harness from prime. I will try what you suggested. Thanks man

Where is the motor from? Did you take it from a running, driving car or is it from an importer?

**celica91gts** · 08-13-2016

Sorry. I think its cranking. I hear my starter work and turning my flywheel causing my engine to shake. That's cranking right? The engine just wont turn on and run. I got the engine from an importer. No proof of working car but before I bought it I did a compression test and it was 190 across 4 cylinders so figured it was good.

**ChrisD** · 08-13-2016

OK, so you have it cranking and make good compression. That's 1 of 3 things you need. Next you need fuel and spark. Funkycheeze above gave you a quick run down on checking for those. Do the spark test first, it's pretty easy. From there we can check that your fuel pump is running and your injectors are firing. If not, then we look to see what might be preventing them.

**underscore** · 08-13-2016

If you compression tested it then the internals should be good, and 190psi sounds excellent. If it didn't go bang at all with the carb cleaner sprayed in there my guess is no spark, but like Chris said check for both and see what's missing.

**celica91gts** · 08-19-2016

tomorrow i will be able to work on the car after work. i got a hold of a noid light tester to check to see if my injectors are firing. i'll keep you all posted.

**Funkycheeze** · 08-19-2016

Noid light will only tell you if the injectors are receiving a signal from the ECM to fire. You should use a stethoscope to listen to them to check the whole system. If they don't fire, do a resistance check.

**celica91gts** · 08-19-2016

ok, thank you.

**celica91gts** · 08-31-2016

So the car is not getting spark.

Stupid question but... Since the car used to be a cap and rotor with spark plugs wires and is now and coil pack the only thing that sends a signal for spark is the ecu correct? Only thing I can think of is maybe a bad crank position sensor or ecu maybe?