Cranking No start, no spark, <12v at FI fuse

[Perry]

My 1998 2 door tracker (1.6) was sitting about a week. I went to start it and it sputtered for about 1-2 seconds and has even tried to fire since. Consistent cranking, fast since I have a new HD battery for my winch.

I checked all my fuses for continuity, all good. Then I tested for voltage, key on (CEL on when cranking/key on FYI)

IG-coil - 12v
Tail dome - 12v
FI - ~7v

Fuel pump runs, but when I pull a lead off the distributor while cranking I se no spark (sorry I don’t have a spark tester will buy today).

I then swapped out the fuse box for a good known unit, same thing about 7 volts on the FI fuse with KEY ON.

No noticable corrosion on fuse box or connectors that plug into it. Although the plug underneath towards the front (my base model only has 2 plugs in fuse box) was hard to pull out.

Any ideas?

[fixkick]

98 G16b no spark (with no spark the ECU sees that and cuts fuel , to prevent crash and burn as seen TV and real.
FI is bad, 7volts DC is always bad power, easy no? why not try a new fuse, some have hair line cracks inside, unseen by humans, test it or replace it
first learn to measure volts on both sides of fuse. and end the guessing whats up.
12v (fuseFI) 12v
see? both sides are 12?
if both sides are 7v that means the main box fuse is damaged in soom way.


know that most TRACK/Kick/Vitara's driven in the salt belt all fail under the front main box. all do, and the cure is obvious.
use the voltmeter,
measure every node in the box. all must be 12v,

96 -98 all have a new box those year, with FI fuse moved, see? to there.
lets do nodal analysis 101:
to work the box remove the battery neg lug or risk fire, and burns, when you short things there, the feed there is 500 amps, so do not short parts in that box ever.
the 80amp fuse must be 12v both sides
the output of 80 feeds all fuses in this box so of FI is 7v the problem is here. (fuse good, ) if FI is blown that 7v is back feed voltages.
if the FI fuse is blown then we have short on this feed, as is very very common

we really need to know if FI is blown, 0ohms is good, infinity (fuse in hand) is blow,.
12vdc one side and 7 other side , is fuse blow, for sure, the 7v is back feeding currents, from other paths, many.... ill skip why just take it as truth.

the fues is blown
now why.
well here is my page on that, cover like 5 ways to find it, all ways from Sunday.

i even do FI
http://www.fixkick.com/power-elect/blows-fuse.html

[fixkick]

need voltage on both side of FI
this is always first, then a new fuse
BAM it blows up.
right?
yes, then find the short next using simple isolation tactics.

[Perry]

What do you mean both sides? I stuck the Probes in where the fuse goes.

Now, this is important step in my trouble shooting.

My FI fuse is not blown I get about .5 ohms when measured,

Next I tired:

I took a fuse box with all the fuses out of a running and driving 1997 2 door sidekick and I still get ~7 volts on the FI fuse and no start.

What do I check next now that both my fuse box and fuse is good?

[Perry]

You’ll have to excuse how much of a beginner I am at electrical measurments. So in order to find what the voltage on the FI fuse what do I do?

See attached images of some different points I took my readings from:

http://imgur.com/Rn8cgC6 - fuse in

http://imgur.com/hzzQ9IW - fuse out

[Perry]

So got an update, apparently my electrical trouble shooting was a little.... off. Turns out that isn’t my problem.

I swapped in a distributor from a 97, but I’m going to need to retime it. But there is good news!! I have spark now since it’s rumbles and puff. Very close to starting but can’t quite do it.

That’s better than just endless cranking.

---

My distributor: http://imgur.com/U593lBS

Distributor on running 97: http://imgur.com/IPJO2UG

[fixkick]

it must be timed, cant be just thrown in.
the 7vdc is impossible. if true.... 7vdc d the ECU dead, (IG coil fuse kills spark and fuelpump dead ) but FI fuse kills spark, fuel and ECU dead.)

the coil is inside the distributor.
and hard to test , for that fact,
even a bad rotor shorted to the shaft , a cheap part bad, can hid the fact the coil works perfect 96-98 years.
i jumped all over 7vdc, not spark, as power is first, always first.
my guess is your meter was not grounded right.
or you did not probe the FI fuse correctly and not both ends. as must be down to get CAUSE , known.

http://www.fixkick.com/IGN_timing/16v-procedure.html

[fixkick]

you need to set the crank at TDC #1 firing
removing the old distributor first makes that super hard to do , done wrong like that ,not, but see below.
if you had left the old one alone all you do is hand turn engine to rotor #1 wire aligned. (front spark) put marks on the base slot, (Sharpie fine point:"?)
then pull the old DIZZY out and put the new one in, with the bases marked in the slot, old to new same. (this can be super accurate done with due care)

but that is history now, gone, now you need to learn how to tell #1 from #4 firing TDC.

the way to do that, timing belt cover not pulled, or not pulling valve cover is to use compression gauge or use the rubber hose trick

turn the front pulley to 0 tdc mark (means 1 or 4 firing now) (find a rubber hose, that is say 12 to 18 "inches long, that fits in spark well spark plug out.
using hose to lips,.
then blow in to front spark hole, #1, if not possible (cheeks balloon out , bingo for #1) of you can blow easy that its #4 firing
so turn the crank pulley 1 full 360deg turn CW, now , cheeks test passes for #1. firing, now you are ready for DIZZY drop.

now drop the distributor in its hole... has 13 gear teeth, 12 wrong and 1 right. down the hole. (takes 3 times on avg to get this)
and make the rotor points to #1 cap spark wire. (mark the dizzy rim for #1 location, cap on , the take the cap off. see my drawings for #1 true locations.
lock it down (dizzy base bolt)
start car.
and use a timing light to set it with the timing freeze jumper inserted in to the DLC connector (right front headlamp located)

[Perry]

Gotcha, I’m so sad I rushed and pulled the dizzy without noting where it eas pointin!!! So stupid of me.

When I find TDC firing on #1 I turn the rotor to look like this?

[fixkick]

its not dumb
dizzy's ended long long ago.... are are not mainstream now. DIS It for ever. (Distributorless ignition system)

the rotor turns CCW, counter clock wise

put the cap back back on.

then with a marker do this. mark #1 on the body then taKE OFF THE CAP,