90 Tracker died, burning smell in dash, won't run now...

[GeoCacher90]

Today started out great. I had just fixed a broken connector on the passenger wheelwell that feeds the lighting system from the fusible link box *(I learned all about Metri-Pack 800 series connectoors!). We went out for an adventure today, and an hour and a half from home, in the middle of nowhere, something bad happened.

The engine died and there was a burning smell. It was coming from behind the dash, I think on the driver's side. We had to have a friend come and tow us home - quite an ordeal.

When I try to start it, it starts quickly, runs rough for about 1 second, then dies. Crank again, and it won't fire. Wait a bit and try again, it runs for 1 second then dies.

All fuses in fuse box under dash and fusible links under hood check good. I visually looked around thru the left speaker hole and see nothing obvious amiss, but the burning smell still lingers.

My wife is ready to get rid of it, because this happened so soon after the lighing system failure that almost made her miss her marathon a few weeks ago.

Does this failure mode sound familiar, before I go probing around with the Electrical Diagnosis Manual?

Thanks very much!

[fixkick]

Does car have none stock lighting> or other wiring hacks, to wiring?
have things not stock wired or hacked into any harness, or any fuse box? or to ignition switch or its connectors?

car is 26 years old. not many cars this old, on the road are running now, and this car , here is UNSEEN even watching for 6 months.... very very rare.
but is great offroad and in snow. super, good because of the nibble size and weight,.

is car in Canada? or USA> ours dont have DRL up in Canada its the law there. and DRL loves to fail, overheat and burn up the DLR connector.
this is the only (burns,smokes and now fuse blowing symptoms ive ever heard or seen)
are all fuses the correct size? amps? that be first. if not DLR

a 90 tracker has super simple wiring, is it 2door, 3speed or 5 speed stick, is it 4wd?

DRL = daylight running lamps. they glow, all the time.

no starts (*cranks ok )
well

if car has custom lighting, get rid of it and make the next marathon?
or if you just MUST have it, then ask me how to wiring it so it can never catch fire again,... easy (using fuses added in the correct way....)
The correct way is with fuses added and not using engine critical sources of engine power, this is super easy to do, ASK and WIN.

cranks but will not start..... now.

ok, is the IG-coil fuse needs to be good, as does the FI fuse.
2 fuse , read 0 ohms with an ohmmeter (dmm set to low scale ohms)

next insert, the diagnostic jumper clip, (a paper clip or fuse as the case may be) to the DLC next to battery per my DLC page
http://www.fixkick.com/CEL/DLC/DiagJump.html

key on , CEL in cluster must glow , does it? , and did it before ,event?
key on, and the CEL must flash 12s. or something. (my pages cover them all) jumpered. must flash 12s.
12s means ok, (have power, sensors have not fallen off)
i then crank for 5 long seconds, and release the key, not turning it off yet.
code 12s now???????? (it can in fact tell you 2/3 ways spark is gone or other errors...)
if yes, 12, then we check for spark, next , using the same 100year old classic ways....

if spark is ok , see if engine starts on test fuel. (spray)next....

runs now, yes? or no, runs for 3 seconds each spray? or not.
if yes, you lost fueling or it's flooding., if flooding?, crank it wide open throttle, as this cuts all fueling and clears floods easy.
if it dont run with test fuel with good spark, then cam belt slipped, its a 60k mile part,. and all fail.


got 12s?

keep in mind a 26 year old car will have more than one problem. all do, seen none that did not.!
and may have double failures.... or adds one more failure to 2 others ignored.
this is true for all old cars, most are not checked correctly , with scan tool, smog checked , and inspected for damaged wiring, or hacks.

the hood sticker on car tells you what country it was built for.

89 calif
http://www.fixkick.com/specs/Body-TAGS/h...age_1.html

a 90 Fed
http://www.fixkick.com/specs/Body-TAGS/h...age_2.html

canada cars are different and same with this hood tag. some cars in canada then were graymarket. with totally different tags.

here is a canada tag

http://www.fixkick.com/specs/Body-TAGS/h...ge_14.html

note that maple leaf/? bingo not USA,

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in fact, if I had this car, and it run so good
and all there was is a simple wiring issue, I'd be like, wow , i love this car, such a simple failure, no engine block cracked in half from ice ups. or? other expensive fails. ROD flying thru side of block, or transmission failures. costing $2000
it's just a bit of copper...

please post all wiring hacks on car, and we can fix them all.... inspect all harnesses before buying cars,
look for hacks, and if found pay less.

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post full car spec.
year 90, trans type 3/4/5gears , 2wd/4wd, its G16A engine, door count, and country located, or better the tag words, (calif,USAFED/CANADA)
thanks.

[GeoCacher90]

Thanks for the reply/info.

I didn't have time to look at it today, but I can give more info.

It is a 4wd 2dr convertible with 5spd manual. It has federal emissions, 1.6L TBI engine - the tag under the hood looks just like the 1990 Federal tag you posted.

The previous lighting failure was caused by a rust hole in the right front wheel well allowing salt spray directly onto the bottom of the fusible link (power distribution) box. The terminal on the white/yellow wire corroded and the end of the wire broke off, killing power to all the lights except for turn signals.

Anyway, as far as wiring hacks from the previous owner, it had aftermarket fog lights. Iremoved most of that wiring previously, including the power feed. It also has aftermarket radio, clock, ammeter, and lighted visor mirror. The clock and radio memory wires, and the visor and ammeter lighting wires were "tapped" into the fuse box by inserting the bare end of the wire under fuse blades. Not a good way to do it. I plan to replace these with Add-A-Circuit fuse taps in the future.

Checking briefly tonight, the burned smell is still strong inside the car, and is definitely eminating from behind the dash. Inside the dash, I see a large plastic box below the ECM, zip tied to a harness. There is also a small plastic box just right of the left speaker hole, just kinda hanging out, not secured.

Everything (lights, horn, a/c fan, etc.) is still functional.

I will check for DTCs tomorrow. Previously there were no DTCs but "12.."

I will also check for spark while it's trying to start. The old fashioned way to me means a carriage bolt in one of the spark plug boots, held close to the block... We shall see.

Thanks,
Wes

[fixkick]

Thanks for the reply/info.

I didn't have time to look at it today, but I can give more info.

It is a 4wd 2dr convertible with 5spd manual. It has federal emissions, 1.6L TBI engine - the tag under the hood looks just like the 1990 Federal tag you posted.

The previous lighting failure was caused by a rust hole in the right front wheel well allowing salt spray directly onto the bottom of the fusible link (power distribution) box. The terminal on the white/yellow wire corroded and the end of the wire broke off, killing power to all the lights except for turn signals. The stock lighting runs off its own power feeds and will not effect the engine
that is if the damage is not in the fender box. seems your car is in the salt belt with all that rust, down here our car bodies last forever un-crashed.
SO no DRL , correct?
as seen here the green death from road salt.
http://www.fixkick.com/electrical-failure.html



Anyway, as far as wiring hacks from the previous owner, it had aftermarket fog lights. I removed most of that wiring previously, including the power feed. It also has aftermarket radio, clock, ammeter, and lighted visor mirror. The clock and radio memory wires, and the visor and ammeter lighting wires were "tapped" into the fuse box by inserting the bare end of the wire under fuse blades. Not a good way to do it. I plan to replace these with Add-A-Circuit fuse taps in the future.

Checking briefly tonight, the burned smell is still strong inside the car, and is definitely emanating from behind the dash. Inside the dash, I see a large plastic box below the ECM, zip tied to a harness. (sounds like an ALARM box hack)

There is also a small plastic box just right of the left speaker hole, just kinda hanging out, not secured.

Everything (lights, horn, a/c fan, etc.) is still functional.

I will check for DTCs tomorrow. Previously there were no DTCs but "12.."

I will also check for spark while it's trying to start. The old fashioned way to me means a carriage bolt in one of the spark plug boots, held close to the block... We shall see.
just use a real spark plug to test spark, no need to over load the spark system. use real plug, ground it.

Thanks,
Wes

the 90 has fast idle diode block not seen next year 91'+
and the 90 has unified main and fuel pump relay, (not cheap) and forms and odd logic.
the pump in this car does not run unless you crank it and these odd rules, unlike 91+
note the clutch switch actives 2nd coil, a must.

http://www.fixkick.com/INJECTORS/89/89-pump-relay1.jpg

the clutch switch must close too, to get fuel.


look for aftermarket alarms. you will see massive wire cuts or cannibal slices. (both)
alarms like this can block spark , fuel or cranking or all 3. and best is to get it out of there. undo the damage.

the whole deal is here (the relay)
http://www.fixkick.com/INJECTORS/89/89-90schem1.jpg

the set.
http://www.fixkick.com/ECU/89/1990-scan-...lpages.pdf

[GeoCacher90]

I had a chance to mess with the Tracker a bit this evening as the sun set.

Correct, there are no DRLs.

Once again it "started" for a second or so. I use the term "started" loosely, as it is brief and rough, but firing is happening.

I tested for spark using a loose spark plug on the #1 wire. It has spark while cranking over.

I put in the diagnostic fuse, and the only code with key on is "12."

So, it's sounding like whatever burned up under the dash (it is still overpowering in its stench) has caused the computer or that interesting double-coil fuel pump relay not to run the fuel pump.

I also found that the large plastic box is for the cruise control. Apparently it is aftermarket. There is no alarm.

Tomorrow, I will try starting with test fuel as you suggested.

Thanks!
Wes

[fixkick]

so use testfuel spray. (saves tons if time,) (dead, runs nice then stalls. or? runs poorly and back fires to air cleaner.??????????)
if passes tests, runs each time nice for 2 -3seconds ,its lost fueling
if it does not pass s this test, do compression test, ever do a timing belt? for cam? or uses a timing light, if spark time way off the cam belt slipped.
spark timing check is super easy on #1 cylinder, $20 tool if way off, cam slipped. most do shortly after 60k life.

cruise ? add on cruise can be very bad, wire damage....


the factory cruise , the box is marked 33930-60a10 is very highest in dash to right of steering column, shows as only offered on 4door car.
all boxes (modules) on car have this suz. codes. and i can look them all up.
the cruise factory switch is almost center of dash lower part.
Cruise wires up to Tachometer, RPM, and brakes, and clutch, (shorting the tach, kills engine, and code 41s)

the box behind the ECU is the buzzer (seat belts etc)
the box near left toe , rested is RWAL box (rear wheel antilock brakes.)
finding out which device smells can be hard, ok very good no DRL, they all fail. every one it seems...

if a box looks factory , it is, that is, if the wires enter the harnesses clean, no wire nuts, or cannibal splices, or solder and shrink tubing, seen,,???
i all those hacks, non stock is devices wired in that are not stock. and can be a big problem. (fires, smoke, or shorts out critical EFI signals)

if all boxes lock stock and the NOSE can't find it. we must use our meters (DMM) to find what is wrong. (minor tools, all very cheap)

the ECU on this car love to blow up that pesky main CAP. some explode in side and stinks real bad.
http://www.fixkick.com/ECU/ECU.html
Dash parts:
the 92 is close to same seen here (i have the 90 drawing too)
68 is cruise box, way up high to right, there is no TCM on 5speeds. ,5/5a are all in one on 89/90s
the cruise button is 69, and so is location, in dash same. keep in mind this drawings covers 4door too with a huge list of options you dont have, (door locks/windows elec. and electric mirrors, and rear wipers)
http://www.fixkick.com/ECU/92-95-dash-parts.JPG


really test fuel is next.
see if engines ok, if it sounds bad, my guess the belt snapped. cam. (slipped)


watch scotty? do test fuel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=064Ilsz8...ature=fvwp

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89/90 has unique pump (if suspected later , scotty test passes test fuel test)
the 10F rule.
unlike 91 up, G16s, the pump dont run key on, each turn from off to on. and cant hear it run ,
so we must test the larger pink-blk wire, at the main RELAY cranking 10-12vdc seen there.
and the same place at left rear tail light well, same wire color and corrosion there and the pump ground seen there at body screws. all love to fail.

the TBI tests

the air horn comes right off.that huge pipe, and car runs with it off, unlike the G16b
and the injector can be eyeballed cranking, (a zero cost tests and fast)
my no start page covers all this.

see a non suzuki do same here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl...eHgh8#t=30

when you crank it , it must spray ,just like this. cone spray.

[GeoCacher90]

Lots of progress this evening...

Engine runs fine on starter fluid.

Fuel pump seems to make noise (hard to detect) while cranking.
Unsure of this, I ran through diagnostics for chart A-7A confirming that fuel pump relay and circuits are all functional.

So, I suspect fuel injectors may not be injecting. I looked at diagnostic chart A-5, and the first check is to listen for injecto noise while cranking, using a "sound scope." I used my auto stethoscope, and I feel like I hear a rapid clicking that persists for about a half second after the key is released. I'm not sure if this is the injectors or some other solenoid or something. I'm trying to decide whether to proceed with the "no injector noise" path, or take the air intake off to look at the injectors...

Either way, I think I probably have it narrowed down to the ECM, injectors, wiring between the two, or maybe fuel pressure. I really doubt it's fuel pressure, since the incident involved a breakdown with dash smoke.

I'm anxious to get back to it tomorrow evening.

Thanks,
Wes

[fixkick]

the ECU can cut injection too, its a feature on all ECU made.
no need to listen to injector clicks, TBI, super hard, that, but wise. to try no lie.
the next test was and is the NOID lamp test, per my injector pages. (i do it all 3 ways) ask.
all it takes is the TPS ground wire to break this causes the TPS TP pin to go to 5v
this cases the ECU to cut fuel thinking driver, is doing the text book wide open throttle Unflood mode, actions... but 5v there, cause ECU to throw a DTC error. cranked.
really at this point there are 3 checks (if you have all tools , i do it this way.)
fuel pressure is 30psi if 0 or 10 , that is bad, end saga.
if pressure is spec, then NOID , test.
if noid ok, then the injector is clogged, it has tiny 10 micron screens, easy to clean unlike any MPI engine.
http://www.fixkick.com/IDLE-AIR/Slide_Sh...age_6.html

check the injector wires (unplugged ) or 1 ohm resistance., (spec)

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is this ground ok? this page below shows, critical ECU grounds too, see the table?)
the 2door loves to rust this G403 screw. (pump ground)
id make that super clean. (engine running or not, so it keeps running)

http://www.fixkick.com/Good_Bad_Ugly/com...lures.html


the 3way noid test. works best , for good reasons. this car runs dual drivers on that 1 injector
the transistors (drivers) can fail 3 ways, open /shorted,/leak.
a scope makes this childs play but the lamp works.
http://www.fixkick.com/INJECTORS/NOID101.html
lamp across the 2 pins (unplugged) Red wire and yellow? harness side this test is the TRANSVERSE test.
key on , must be dead. lamp. if on, shorted drivers you have.
crank it and LAMP flashes, so fast it just seems to glow... not flash....(depends on battery strength and crank RPM)
http://www.fixkick.com/INJECTORS/INJ-red-to-yel-w1.jpg
ok next.
lamp to red pin, and other lamp pin to ground , the red wire is pulsed 12vdc .
must not be dead lamp key on. (for sure 56bxx ecu) and then crank and it pulses like above, or glows.
the YELLOW pin:
now the tricky pin, this is the pulsing ground pin (transistor)
connect lamp to 12vdc + battery lug.
then other pin to the yellow pin (all tests are harness side)
the lamp must not be stuck on key on, if yes, this transistor is shorted,
ok that works i then crank and see it flash or glow dim cranked only...
that is it.

I'm not a 60axx , expert, only 56b and 70xxxx i do know well.
60a ECU are 89/90s,. and i have not reverse engineered those 60a drivers.
so only the first test above works, for sure 60a,, no glow key on, and glows cranking, Transverse connected.

other suzuki, like the swift run 1 resistor to battery and to, the injector, and then one transistor to pulse the injector. like MPI does, but is TBI.
best i can tell the 60a. work like 56b.(56b added new ECU spark system)

my injector pages show all 3 scope views of both pins. red /yellow and transverse mode (across).

but for not all that matters is noid glows cranking.
http://www.fixkick.com/NOID/91-noid-sf1.jpg

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what do we know?
engine runs, hooraah
sparks good, ecu dont make spark on 60a but the eCU monitors it full time and cuts fuel if it sees spark bad or cmp bad. its not.
ecu grounds are ok, or it wouldnt run. same for distributor power, its ok, engine does run. (test fuel)
power to ecu ok. it flashes 12s and runs.
the ecu has other pins.
the only INPUT ECU pin i know that kills the injector is the TPS. 1 pin. called "TP"

tp pin is about 1vdc foot off throttle, (dash pot retracted by hand) keyon, never 5v , never 0v. TP = GRAY WIRE. (ecu will warn you, if wrong! code 21 or 22)

keep the DLC jumper clip in place, and crank for 5 seconds, release key, got 12s now.????
you can even drive car with 12s flashing it's totally harmless this pin,
the ecu can set DTC errors only cranked, and then self clear. (fast) (most cars made this is true, not all errors are stored!)
that is why using the jumper during a failure is smart, a win, or in newer cars, a scan tool.

[GeoCacher90]

So, I borrowed a NOID lamp set from a friend. No flash on cranking.

I dropped the ECM down to unplug and check wires (who torqued those screws??). The smell got stronger so I took it out. Overpowering stench from the ECM pluf holes.

Inside, the larger electrolytic capacitor is blown - bad. Burned theough PCB and burned traces. I cannot even tell for sure what went where on the traces.

At least I have root cause now. Are there pics anywhere showing this part of the board?

Does the markup attached look like all I need to do differently with the new cap (take bottom lead up and to the right to this area)?

[fixkick]

C37 exploded.

i suspected that. first let me say sorry for you... seen many , 100s in the bbs/forums....too many, the new cap on my page will never fail.. ever.
That's real bad. (carbon is bad, it conducts,)
typical:
some explode, others just leak dry out and crashes ecu over and over,,,fast.,.
others they leaked acid, eats up all copper traces.(boric acid)

is your ECU fuse way too big?, some folks blow fuses up the amps then blow the ecu to hell.
fuse IGcoil 15amps. max.
but the 90 has no FI fuel pump fuse, so all current goes to one fuse. and that be not too good, cured in 1991.

let me see on this. question of photos.
for sure i dont have under cap photos on the 60a, car is rare. and only 2 years, 91-95 lots of photos.
this might be repairable.

all i have is this, frame 16, both caps black., see Red X , need to be replaced.
http://www.fixkick.com/ECU/hell/html/index.html



i only have 56b naked photos of the huge corner cap , REMOVED
here top
http://www.fixkick.com/ECU/hell/html/image_9.html
here bottom
http://www.fixkick.com/ECU/hell/html/image_12.html

not saying,. 56b = 60a?
but might help.

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point 2
i agree with red line, last photo !

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point3
need to get cap off and look at the greater horrors.....
the top feeds the bottom traces using the VIA there.
if this path is broken, board only gets 1/2 power. it amazes me now CEL can glow at all , ah but the spark is all done outside ECU
so this ecu is only fueling and is dead.

i bet its in BACK UP mode, and that too 1/2 dead.
backup mode on the 56b, engine floods, over and over, tries to run but floods.
yours is DOA>

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point3
need to get cap off and look at the greater horrors.....
the top feeds the bottom traces using the VIA there.
if this path is broken, board only gets 1/2 power. it amazes me now CEL can glow at all , ah but the spark is all done outside ECU
so this ecu is only fueling and is dead.

i bet its in BACK UP mode, and that too 1/2 dead.
backup mode on the 56b, engine floods, over and over, tries to run but floods.
yours is DOA>