Jeepster hitting but not running

GPster · September 12, 2016, 06:06:45 PM

Well, it runs! I have been working for days wrapping and tieing up all the wires that I have bared trying to trace power. I had pulled the distributor to check everything in it but I had only watched the placement of the rotor so that's as near timed as it is. There had been some concern about the "Check Engine" light so I've worked at trying to at least get that to work. Also Wayne had mentioned about watching that I didn't loose the oil pump drive down in the oil pan when I pulled the distributor. The dash has instruments rather than just lights and with them being electric gauges I thought that because power goies to all the senders and then to the instrument the common problem was probably no ground. I found a black wire in the harness to the panel and the wiring diagram shows the ground being black and no black wires doing anything else. I grounded it but that wasn't enough. Checked the fuse panel looking for an instrument fuse and the diagram shows there is one but the fuse panel in the wiring diagram doesn't match the fuse panel in the GMC service book or the one in the Haynes book and none of them match the panel that was in my donor truck. By this time I have gone too long without any positive result so I threw caution to the wind. I cranked it a little bit and then checked the TBI but didn't see anything. So I poured a little prine in it's throat and went for brok(en). It "hit" right away and caught in probably the second revolution. It stayed running and it didn't sound like it was tearing itself up so I let it run. The fan belt stayed on and the exhaust manifold smoked from age but it stayed running. It heated up it's coolant and turning the distributor didn't change it much so I left it run about 15 minutes. There's probably more but my fingers (2) are tired so I'll rest for awhile. GPster

58 Yeoman · September 12, 2016, 06:28:37 PM

Great going, Joe, you finally got it going. Congratulations! That's got to be a load off your mind. );b(

rooster · September 12, 2016, 07:20:06 PM

well done

kb426 · September 12, 2016, 08:35:56 PM

Hallelujah and pass the beer! I'm very happy you're making progress!

Crosley.In.AZ · September 12, 2016, 11:41:00 PM

it is good news Joe.

so, are we thinking there was a grounding problem here?

chimp koose · September 13, 2016, 12:07:32 AM

Way to go . your persistence has paid off . Wiring just scares me as I am an electrical no mind .

enjenjo · September 13, 2016, 04:38:16 PM

Good on you Joe. There is a wire you have to disconnect to set the timing.

GPster · September 15, 2016, 08:49:08 PM

Quote from: "enjenjo"Good on you Joe. There is a wire you have to disconnect to set the timing.

Been PM with Rooster lately about this and he thinks it newer is switching over to run off the ECM. Been looking through all the manuals of information that I've got and haven't seen anything about disconnecting anything but maybe a note about disconnecting the Knock Sensor. The 2.5L four doesn't have one. Can't figure anything else. GPster

tomslik · September 16, 2016, 11:08:53 AM

the "timing" wire you need to disconnect (to set timing) will be tan w/black tracer, just so ya know...

rooster · September 16, 2016, 11:31:37 AM

Joe do u have a vacuum advance dizzy in your 2.5?

GPster · September 16, 2016, 05:06:38 PM

The only Tan/Black wire in this mess is one from the harness from the module in the distributor to the ECM . It's hard to think that this wire needs to be disconnected because it's part of the harness of 4 wires all going into the same plug that are the only wires (except the 2 wires to/from the remote ignition coil) that come from the distributor and go anywherer. This distributor looks like it was only used in '86 and'87 because most of the pictures that I've seen in assorted manuals have had the female receptical for the wires being part of the distributor's housing rather than being a receptical on the end of a short harness coming out of the distributor. The wires in the harness according to the wiring diagram are White EST signal, Purple/White EST Ref Pulse Hi, Tan/Black EST Bypass, Red/Black Ref Pulse Lo. By the way this distributor does not have a vacuum advance diaphram on it. Maybe Rooster's Chilton manual has a better description of ignition timing proceedure than anything else I've seen. It's a shame that as many of these things the sold the couldn't make them more alike. GPster

tomslik · September 16, 2016, 05:52:37 PM

the tan/blk wire IS the correct one to disconnect, the conector is in the loom somewhere besides at the distributor....either way it should run plugged in or not, should set a code if it's NOT plugged in (together).
it's a single terminal weatherpac connector

rooster · September 16, 2016, 06:38:19 PM

Quote from: "GPster"The only Tan/Black wire in this mess is one from the harness from the module in the distributor to the ECM . It's hard to think that this wire needs to be disconnected because it's part of the harness of 4 wires all going into the same plug that are the only wires (except the 2 wires to/from the remote ignition coil) that come from the distributor and go anywherer. This distributor looks like it was only used in '86 and'87 because most of the pictures that I've seen in assorted manuals have had the female receptical for the wires being part of the distributor's housing rather than being a receptical on the end of a short harness coming out of the distributor. The wires in the harness according to the wiring diagram are White EST signal, Purple/White EST Ref Pulse Hi, Tan/Black EST Bypass, Red/Black Ref Pulse Lo. By the way this distributor does not have a vacuum advance diaphram on it. Maybe Rooster's Chilton manual has a better description of ignition timing proceedure than anything else I've seen. It's a shame that as many of these things the sold the couldn't make them more alike. GPster

Book say jump a wire from A too B On the connector under your dash, thats for the 2.5 only. But is your computer even working? You said there was no 5 volt reference on TPS. It has to be alive.

GPster · September 17, 2016, 11:21:14 AM

Quote from: "rooster"Book say jump a wire from A too B On the connector under your dash, thats for the 2.5 only. But is your computer even working? You said there was no 5 volt reference on TPS. It has to be alive.

I made a trip to the garage working on one of my wife's projects. Typically I tried to get a second for one of my interests and I just checked the voltage at the Jeepster's battery terminals to make sure that I hadn't connected something that was causing a drain on the battery. My meter (Harbor Freight) showed 27.1V. Put the meter on AC volts to check a wall receptical and I got nothing. Messed with the dial and after a while the readings started to look like I was reading continuity on the ohms scale. Switched and tried to read continuity and even touching the probes together I coludn't get the meter to show direct. Back to the battery and still got 27.1V. New battery in tester and no damage from past leaking batteries. So I don't trust any last tries looking for 5V. So much for taking some time for my own interests. GPster

GPster · September 17, 2016, 01:23:48 PM

Had a chance to slow down. Stopped and read the meter's directions. The meter (and I) were on the wrong scale. The battery showed 12.7 volts. I stopped after that little bit of encouragement. I wonder how much money Harbor Freight saved ny eliminating AC and DC from the printing on the two V settings on the meter. Didn't push my luck any further so I don't know if the gray wire has 5V or not. GPster