running on one cylinder? - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

KrzyKrackr · 12-02-2006, 08:26 PM

ok, i've searched around and found a lot of posts talking about wiring with the problem i have. i just got done getting my sr swap in my s13, now it's just trying to get it running right. it starts up....sounds like a helicopter, but runs nonetheless and idles pretty good, for running on one cylinder that is. i have one known bad coil pack and 3 good ones, but i am only getting spark in one cylinder. i figure i may have the ignitor wired wrong, but my question is this...I am getting voltage to all 4 coil pack harness plugs, but ony the front one is firing or getting any of the coils spark. since they all have voltage, is it possible that maybe the i wired the ignitor harness connector backwards or switched the wires by accident? when i got the harness the connector to the ignitor was broken and burned up it looks like and the wires were kinda torn up. i cut it off and ran some new wires from the plug back down to the wires on the harness, and i thought that i had labeled them correctly, but who knows at this point, they were all the same color. since im getting voltage to all the plugs to the coils, shouldn't they fire? or do they have a certain order that they need to fire in order to get spark from the coil pack? could it be an ecu problem as well? sorry for the long story, just getting frustrated and want to get this thing on the road!!

cmcdougle · 12-02-2006, 10:08 PM

You said all three of your problems. You must have missed them. Here are your solutions: First, get new coil packs. Second, get a new ignitor chip. Third, get the correct harness. Then come back if it still doesn't work.

Oh, your engine won't run on just one cylinder. If certain cylinders aren't running, then don't start the engine. It isn't good for it. Make sure you have oil in it.

KrzyKrackr · 12-03-2006, 10:25 AM

i have the correct harness, i have 3 good coil packs and one bad and i'm getting a new one today, and i belive the ignitor chip is good. you missed my question. will wiring the ignitor chip incorrectly still give the coil pack plugs voltage, but just not allow them to fire? is there a certain order that the coils have to gire in order to get spark? and it will run on one cylinder, i've got a video of it and it starts up every time. and yes, i have oil in it.

smelly240 · 12-03-2006, 11:34 AM

the coilpacks should have 12v in hte hot wire, a ground and then i believe a neg trigger from the igniter to collapse the coil feild? check the JWT site and go over your wiring with a DMM, and make sure the harness doesnt have a open or short to ground.

cmcdougle · 12-03-2006, 05:16 PM

ok, you missed my point. Fixing a harness is a good temporary solution (if you do it right), but you should get a new one.

The spark plugs HAVE to be in a certain order. Off of the top of my head, I think it is 1-4-2-3, but look it up to be sure.

KrzyKrackr · 12-03-2006, 05:30 PM

ok, that's pretty much what i was looking for. number one cylinder is firing, but the rest will not get spark. so im guessing i have 3 of the wires mixed up on the harness to the ignitor chip. i would buy a new harness if i had the money, but im 5 grand deep into the swap already, so for now i think i will just try to figure out which wires are crossed.

cmcdougle · 12-03-2006, 08:46 PM

you spent 5 grand and can't spend another $20 for a harness?

Try grounding the spark plug when you check for spark. Your engine will NOT run on one cylinder.

KrzyKrackr · 12-03-2006, 10:37 PM

20 for a harness? i thought you meant a whole new harness haha. my bad. i grounded them. unless i am mistaken, i can unplug every coil pack except for the first one and the car will start, not like it matters anyway because number one is the only one getting a spark. am i running on more than one cylinder then? i can send you a video tomorrow...

cmcdougle · 12-04-2006, 10:05 PM

it really starts when you unplug the coil packs? I have never heard of an engine running on one cylinder. Usually when you unplug one plug it wants to die. I just put it to bad wiring or a bad chip that didn't give all of the voltage the plugs need to fire healthily.

Does it do the same things when you have only one coil pack plugged in as when you have them all plugged in and it is supposedly running on that one cylinder?

12-02-2006, 08:26 PM	#1
KrzyKrackr Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Maryland Age: 42 Posts: 28 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	running on one cylinder? ok, i've searched around and found a lot of posts talking about wiring with the problem i have. i just got done getting my sr swap in my s13, now it's just trying to get it running right. it starts up....sounds like a helicopter, but runs nonetheless and idles pretty good, for running on one cylinder that is. i have one known bad coil pack and 3 good ones, but i am only getting spark in one cylinder. i figure i may have the ignitor wired wrong, but my question is this...I am getting voltage to all 4 coil pack harness plugs, but ony the front one is firing or getting any of the coils spark. since they all have voltage, is it possible that maybe the i wired the ignitor harness connector backwards or switched the wires by accident? when i got the harness the connector to the ignitor was broken and burned up it looks like and the wires were kinda torn up. i cut it off and ran some new wires from the plug back down to the wires on the harness, and i thought that i had labeled them correctly, but who knows at this point, they were all the same color. since im getting voltage to all the plugs to the coils, shouldn't they fire? or do they have a certain order that they need to fire in order to get spark from the coil pack? could it be an ecu problem as well? sorry for the long story, just getting frustrated and want to get this thing on the road!!

12-02-2006, 10:08 PM	#2
cmcdougle Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: May 2006 Location: Irvine, CA Posts: 1,361 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	You said all three of your problems. You must have missed them. Here are your solutions: First, get new coil packs. Second, get a new ignitor chip. Third, get the correct harness. Then come back if it still doesn't work. Oh, your engine won't run on just one cylinder. If certain cylinders aren't running, then don't start the engine. It isn't good for it. Make sure you have oil in it. __________________

12-03-2006, 05:16 PM	#5
cmcdougle Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: May 2006 Location: Irvine, CA Posts: 1,361 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	ok, you missed my point. Fixing a harness is a good temporary solution (if you do it right), but you should get a new one. The spark plugs HAVE to be in a certain order. Off of the top of my head, I think it is 1-4-2-3, but look it up to be sure. __________________

12-03-2006, 08:46 PM	#7
cmcdougle Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: May 2006 Location: Irvine, CA Posts: 1,361 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	you spent 5 grand and can't spend another $20 for a harness? Try grounding the spark plug when you check for spark. Your engine will NOT run on one cylinder. __________________

12-04-2006, 10:05 PM	#9
cmcdougle Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: May 2006 Location: Irvine, CA Posts: 1,361 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	it really starts when you unplug the coil packs? I have never heard of an engine running on one cylinder. Usually when you unplug one plug it wants to die. I just put it to bad wiring or a bad chip that didn't give all of the voltage the plugs need to fire healthily. Does it do the same things when you have only one coil pack plugged in as when you have them all plugged in and it is supposedly running on that one cylinder? __________________

12-03-2006, 10:25 AM	#3
KrzyKrackr Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Maryland Age: 42 Posts: 28 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	i have the correct harness, i have 3 good coil packs and one bad and i'm getting a new one today, and i belive the ignitor chip is good. you missed my question. will wiring the ignitor chip incorrectly still give the coil pack plugs voltage, but just not allow them to fire? is there a certain order that the coils have to gire in order to get spark? and it will run on one cylinder, i've got a video of it and it starts up every time. and yes, i have oil in it.

12-03-2006, 11:34 AM	#4
smelly240 Nissanaholic! Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Philaburbia Age: 47 Posts: 2,137 Trader Rating: (4) Feedback Score: 4 reviews	the coilpacks should have 12v in hte hot wire, a ground and then i believe a neg trigger from the igniter to collapse the coil feild? check the JWT site and go over your wiring with a DMM, and make sure the harness doesnt have a open or short to ground.

12-03-2006, 05:30 PM	#6
KrzyKrackr Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Maryland Age: 42 Posts: 28 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	ok, that's pretty much what i was looking for. number one cylinder is firing, but the rest will not get spark. so im guessing i have 3 of the wires mixed up on the harness to the ignitor chip. i would buy a new harness if i had the money, but im 5 grand deep into the swap already, so for now i think i will just try to figure out which wires are crossed.

12-03-2006, 10:37 PM	#8
KrzyKrackr Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Maryland Age: 42 Posts: 28 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	20 for a harness? i thought you meant a whole new harness haha. my bad. i grounded them. unless i am mistaken, i can unplug every coil pack except for the first one and the car will start, not like it matters anyway because number one is the only one getting a spark. am i running on more than one cylinder then? i can send you a video tomorrow...