Installed the MPGuino and killed the car... (FIXED)

[Boydness]

****FIXED, The FI fuse was blown****

Well, I installed the MPGuino on my '92 Geo Metro XFI and drove it around the block to test the installation.
The gauge was not displaying anything for Instantaneous, I believe that the Tank was reading 999.99 (I think).

Went around the block once (maybe 0.5 miles), then started the second pass.
I pulled over (at the base of a hill), put the car in Neutral. I was going to check the VSS connection (near the fuse block). About 5 seconds after I let off the clutch, the car died. It would not restart.

I checked all the fuses => all fuses were good
I removed the gauge => still will not start
I removed the power, negative, and Injector connections => still will not start
I checked the hacked connection to bypass the Injector resistor, connection still good. I thought that I might have disrupted the connection, when I spliced the connection to it..

Full tank of fuel, all dash lights, starter engages.
Acts like no fuel or spark...

What could have I done to the car with the install?!

[RobertSmalls]

Well, VSS won't cause a no-start, nor would one broken FI wire... Your problem is probably either unrelated to the install, or related to something you knocked loose while working on it.

"Acts like no fuel or spark..."

I think it's time for conventional diagnosis. Try starting fluid, then test for spark.

[wyatt]

What are the exact symptoms? Will the engine turn over? Also, make sure your connections are sealed (electrical tape), grounding something out could cause problems.

[McTimson]

I think I've hooked up the wires in pretty much every possible wrong combination before, and the car still worked fine, just the gauge showed messed up values. So I agree that it's most likely an issue outside of the gauge.

Can you bump start it?

[Boydness]

Originally Posted by RobertSmalls

Well, VSS won't cause a no-start, nor would one broken FI wire... Your problem is probably either unrelated to the install, or related to something you knocked loose while working on it.
"Acts like no fuel or spark..."
I think it's time for conventional diagnosis. Try starting fluid, then test for spark.

Yep, surprised me that I would have an issue like this after the installation, if I had considered it a possibility I would have selected a test route without such steep hills...

It was extremely hot (steamy) and I ran out of time to troubleshoot on the side of the street. After I tried to make sure that I had not disrupted/knocked loose any connections, I was perplexed...

Originally Posted by wyatt

What are the exact symptoms? Will the engine turn over? Also, make sure your connections are sealed (electrical tape), grounding something out could cause problems.

The starter turns great, just acts like no fuel and/or spark.
I initially thought that it could be a grounding issue, so I removed the connection of the new install to eliminate the possibility. I may have moved some other wires and will have to check everything around the areas that I was touching during the install.

Originally Posted by McTimson

I think I've hooked up the wires in pretty much every possible wrong combination before, and the car still worked fine, just the gauge showed messed up values. So I agree that it's most likely an issue outside of the gauge.

Can you bump start it?

That's good to know, it's a relief that I could not have caused any permanent damage with the install itself.

Thank you all for the great replies.

[dcb]

well, it is still possible to damage something if the wiring installation isn't done right (i.e. shorts or??), but the internal connections on the guino itself should not make enough load to damage most things on a car.


But you should actually check that you have a spark, and that it is injecting fuel and try to determine the exact reason your car isn't running. hook up an inductive timing light to a spark plug lead and see if it sparks (or hold a plug against the block where you can see the gap), take off the air cleaner housing and point a timing light at the tbi jet and see if you see fuel. You gotta do some troubleshooting instead of guessing.

I'm not sure about something in your first post:
"I checked the hacked connection to bypass the Injector resistor, connection still good. "
maybe it is a matter of terminology, but why bypass the injector resistor?

[Boydness]

Originally Posted by dcb

well, it is still possible to damage something if the wiring installation isn't done right (i.e. shorts or??), but the internal connections on the guino itself should not make enough load to damage most things on a car.

But you should actually check that you have a spark, and that it is injecting fuel and try to determine the exact reason your car isn't running. hook up an inductive timing light to a spark plug lead and see if it sparks (or hold a plug against the block where you can see the gap), take off the air cleaner housing and point a timing light at the tbi jet and see if you see fuel. You gotta do some troubleshooting instead of guessing.

I'm not sure about something in your first post:
"I checked the hacked connection to bypass the Injector resistor, connection still good. "
maybe it is a matter of terminology, but why bypass the injector resistor?

Until, I can get back to vehicle, all I can do is determine if the installation is in any way related to the issue. I completed the install and then had the issue.
I wanted to install the MPGuino for the return trip home (525 miles), I did not anticipate any issues.

As far as the bypass, I am still trying to figure that out (it was done by one of the POs). I have a post here discussing the question: TeamSwift • View topic - HELP: What is this wiring hack job all about?

[Boydness]

I appreciate all the help.

Turns out I was wrong last night, I missed that the FI fuse was blown. I double checked everything and found it blown. Additionally, I do not believe that there is anything wrong with the pre-assembled MPGuino, although I do believe that the installation was the cause of the issue with the vehicle.
I suspect that the bypass hack has something to do with blowing the FI fuse (possibly a solution to blowing fuses?). I found that the FI fuse was not 15A, but 20A. There was also a 20A fuse in the A/C slot, I suspect that it is not in use and is intended as a holder for a spare fuse for the FI. I found a good 15A fuse in the glovebox, so the over AMP was intentional.
I will have to explore this more when I have the vehicle at home.
Again, I do not think that there is any issue with the MPGuino itself.

[dcb]

There's a lot going on with that car

Note, with those ohmage readings we may be looking at peak and hold. There's several folks looking for a solution, but there will be a substantial discrepancy in fuel tracking, http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...sory-6863.html