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Thu Nov 13, 2025 3:17 pm

LordHuron95 wrote: Just tested the injectors. All read 2.6 ohms. Book says 2-3 is spec so that's good.

I tested each one by building pressure with the afm and then with a battery hooked to the injector terminals, manually firing it. I think they shot okay. Went through them all again just holding them up and building pressure, didnt see any dripping/leaking. For the now-not-starting, forgive me if it's been covered, If you have a Cold Start Injector, as MarkWard noted, it's really time to make sure it's not over-fueling your engine from leaking all the time, or really bad spray pattern.

Thu Nov 13, 2025 5:06 pm

jlrftype7 wrote: For the now-not-starting, forgive me if it's been covered, If you have a Cold Start Injector, as MarkWard noted, it's really time to make sure it's not over-fueling your engine from leaking all the time, or really bad spray pattern.

Not sure I posted it. I did take it off earlier and moved the AFM to pressurize it with no propping being seen. Though I did not connect a battery to actually witness it spray nor did I check its resistance.

Thu Nov 13, 2025 5:26 pm

According to the haynes manual, resistance for the injectors should be between 2-3 ohms. Does this include the cold start injector too? I just tested it a couple times and it levels out ~4.2-4.1

Fri Nov 14, 2025 3:59 am

The ohm value on an injector is a necessary but not sufficient condition to test ok. A flow test is required to rule out a bad injectors.

Note one bad injector could cause your high CO

On edit..added “not”

Fri Nov 14, 2025 5:55 am

You’ve verified it’s not leaking, but you need to check the electrical function and that it is physically spraying. Cold engine with the valve disconnected electrically place a test light between the terminals in the plug connector. Have some attempt to start it. The light should light. You only get a few attempts before a heater element in the thermal time switch disables it to avoid flooding. This is likely not related to failing emissions. Just trying to figure out the no start.

The engines were never designed for multiple start attempts. If the injectors are working, if the engine doesn’t start, each attempt will flood the cylinders eventually to the point that the rings get washed and you loose compression.

When it’s not starting put a timing light on to ensure you are getting spark while cranking.

Fri Nov 14, 2025 9:48 am

MarkWard wrote: .
The engines were never designed for multiple start attempts. If the injectors are working, if the engine doesn’t start, each attempt will flood the cylinders eventually to the point that the rings get washed and you loose compression.

What can be done to alleviate washed rings? If at all?

Fri Nov 14, 2025 10:18 am

LordHuron95 wrote: What can be done to alleviate washed rings? If at all?

Functioning properly it’s not an issue. Disconnecting the ECU wire from the coil should disable the injectors. Disconnecting the double relay is another way. This shuts the fuel pump off.

It was starting and now it’s not. Likely something didn’t get reconnected. I always forget to connect the airflow sensor. Just a bad habit. Spark plugs don’t like getting wetted out. Maybe a fresh set. All of this is to get you back to where it was running. Double check your work so far. It’s either coincidence or something isn’t connected properly.

Fri Nov 14, 2025 11:52 am

LordHuron95 wrote: I took the plugs out and noticed they were all pretty wet.

As an aside, there is a fresh new puddle of oil under the engine. No idea why considering I've only been turning the engine over and not starting it.
This may not be THE problem, but rather signs of A problem I mentioned.

If you washed your crankcase oil down with gasoline, it will indeed leak oil *much* easier depending on how thinned the oil is.

Does the dipstick smell gassy? An acquired skill to, Ahem, acquire is how eagerly oil runs off your dipstick — in indicating fuel having washed down and thinning the oil.

If too washed down, change the oil ASAP or await big repairs. Not to mentioned not getting accurate emissions readings for gas burning with the oil… at that point your engine is damned-near simulating a two-stroke in terms of the exhaust…

The stick had to have smelled gassy when your plugs were wet — whether that came from having no spark burning the fuel, or from too much fuel to burn.

Did you ever take catalytic temperatures when full-hot?

Fri Nov 14, 2025 10:02 pm

E1 wrote:

If you washed your crankcase oil down with gasoline, it will indeed leak oil *much* easier depending on how thinned the oil is.

Does the dipstick smell gassy? An acquired skill to, Ahem, acquire is how eagerly oil runs off your dipstick — in indicating fuel having washed down and thinning the oil.

If too washed down, change the oil ASAP or await big repairs. Not to mentioned not getting accurate emissions readings for gas burning with the oil… at that point your engine is damned-near simulating a two-stroke in terms of the exhaust…

The stick had to have smelled gassy when your plugs were wet — whether that came from having no spark burning the fuel, or from too much fuel to burn.

Did you ever take catalytic temperatures when full-hot?

It *shouldnt* be thinned. It's still sae 30 I believe. Or 20-50 I think. Either way, maybe 100 miles on it. Plus zddp additive.

I'll definitely check the dipstick when I get home sunday. I have a new set of plugs I was gonna toss in, but I'll check the oil first.

As for the temps on the CAT, no I havent. That was my next step when the starting issues, uh, started. It ran "fine", I took out the plugs one at a time and unplugged the injector plugs, while doing compression tests on each cylinder. Afterwards, it wouldnt start. I swear I've triple checked all wires, plugs, connections in general that they're all where they should be.

Took plugs back out for 2 days. Took fuel pressure in the meantime. Cleaned off the plugs and put them back with no luck.

Fri Nov 14, 2025 11:23 pm

LordHuron95 wrote: MarkWard wrote: .
The engines were never designed for multiple start attempts. If the injectors are working, if the engine doesn’t start, each attempt will flood the cylinders eventually to the point that the rings get washed and you loose compression.

What can be done to alleviate washed rings? If at all?

Add some 'liquid power top lube' it is made to eliminate fuel wash down developed on dragsters, the guys who make it are on the dragstrips with the racing teams.. It protects cylinder walls, piston rings, valve guides injectors... Use in petrol ,ethanol , methanol , diesel ..Go for the grape scented one.

Sat Nov 15, 2025 1:33 am

Crank it over with plugs out and injectors disabled , put 10 ml engine oil into each cylinder with a pipe .turn over by hand.

Now give it a shot of ether , or engine starting fluid, and see if it breathes fire. That will tell you if you’ve got a fuel or ignition problem

Mon Nov 24, 2025 1:30 pm

In an effort to change the oil, I started stripping the drain plug of course. Finally got a new one and the chance to change the oil. I also have a new filter and rislone additive to help restore the oil seal for the pistons. Gonna change everything and turn it over by hand to spread the oil around. Then try starting it up again.

That just gets me back to where I was a few weeks ago. Engine not passing smog, most likely running extremely rich. If it does run, I plan to get it hot and check temps of the CAT to verify it is or is not the problem.

My hunch is that it is not the CAT and that the engine is simply running extremely rich. After testing voltages and looking at the injectors working, I saw no dripping/leaking from all 5. All were within resistance spec (2-3ohms) although the cold start valve read something like 4.2. I'm not sure if it is supposed to also be between 2-3 or not like the others. In my research though, a high resistance would cause a lean mix, not a rich one. So that wouldnt point to my problem if that is the case.

Furthermore, the only way I know to adjust for the rich condition is by turning the CO screw on the AFM for a small change, or adjusting the spring inside for a large change.

Thoughts? Concerns? Comments?

Mon Nov 24, 2025 7:33 pm

My friend just suggested checking the coil as well and so I did as it says in the Haynes manual.

Primary resistance spec (1-15) 0.42-0.76 ohms. Tested at ~3.6
Secondary resistance spec (1-4) 2400-3500 ohms. Tested at 7220 ohms.

So looks like a high resistance on my coil would lead to poor spark. Such poor spark could mean extra fuel is not burning and thus running rich. That would lead to my poor smog readings. Sounds like I’ve nailed down the culprit, yeah?

Tue Dec 09, 2025 7:52 pm

Since my last post I changed the oil using SAE 30 “break-in” oil, added a ZDDP thickener and changed the filter.
I turned the engine over by hand a couple of times and today installed one of the replacement coils I got. It’s Bosch Brazil.
Test results: 1&15 spec 0.8. tested 0.52-0.76 old was 3.6
1&4 spec 2400-3500 tested 3750 old was 7220.

So the new one is significantly closer/within spec. I plugged it in, double checked everything else was plugged in. Relays, hall sensor, injectors, etc. She turned over fine, but died. Kept turning over fine but as soon as I stopped turning the key, the engine would die. Only one time did it run while holding the gas pedal, but as soon as I let off, it sputtered and died.

I swear I’ve checked all connections in the engine bay and such. Hoping its a small thing I’ve overlooked.

Wed Dec 10, 2025 4:43 am

vac leak

Wed Dec 10, 2025 4:44 am

Check the AFM flap has a smooth rotation nit sticking

Wed Dec 10, 2025 8:50 pm

AFM flap seems to be moving properly. Couldn’t find an obvious vacuum leak but will try smoke tomorrow or friday. Had used smoke to find and fix numerous leaks a couple months ago. Next “biggest” one was the throttle body where the butterfly’s spring sticks out the top.

In my poking around, found the lower injector seal on 4 was not put back in place so I fixed that. Then started going through the electrical testing. Appears my “new” head temp sensor of only a couple months is already done. My multimeter never registers any resistance when touching the sensor body itself. I have to pierce through the wire insulation to get any reading. Or set it from 20k to 200k and get an extremely high resistance.

Could that sensor prevent it from running? It has been below 50ºF here the last couple weeks.

Thu Dec 11, 2025 9:51 am

A disconnected or failed-open Head Temperature sensor tends to result in a rich mixture.

I'm not sure about your sensor testing procedure. The body/base part of the sensor w/ the hex head should be <1 ohm to the cylinder head (AKA ground). The connector end of the sensor wire is what has some amount of resistance to the head/ground, which is used to determine temperature.

Thu Dec 11, 2025 5:50 pm

RawUmber wrote: A disconnected or failed-open Head Temperature sensor tends to result in a rich mixture.

I'm not sure about your sensor testing procedure. The body/base part of the sensor w/ the hex head should be <1 ohm to the cylinder head (AKA ground). The connector end of the sensor wire is what has some amount of resistance to the head/ground, which is used to determine temperature.

First I touched I think it was terminal 13 in the ECU plug and ground. No reading. Then I unplugged the sensor from the spade connector that ties it to the harness, touched one probe to the sensor’s spade connector and the other to ground. Nothing. Then from the spade connector to the body of the sensor, nothing. I dug out my old sensor and would get a reading by touching the spade connector and the hex body on it. So then I raised the multimeter from 20K to 200K. Touching the sensor body and the spade connector finally gave me a reading, just over 20K.

Fri Dec 12, 2025 1:22 am

LordHuron95 wrote: RawUmber wrote: A disconnected or failed-open Head Temperature sensor tends to result in a rich mixture.

I'm not sure about your sensor testing procedure. The body/base part of the sensor w/ the hex head should be <1 ohm to the cylinder head (AKA ground). The connector end of the sensor wire is what has some amount of resistance to the head/ground, which is used to determine temperature.

First I touched I think it was terminal 13 in the ECU plug and ground. No reading. Then I unplugged the sensor from the spade connector that ties it to the harness, touched one probe to the sensor’s spade connector and the other to ground. Nothing. Then from the spade connector to the body of the sensor, nothing. I dug out my old sensor and would get a reading by touching the spade connector and the hex body on it. So then I raised the multimeter from 20K to 200K. Touching the sensor body and the spade connector finally gave me a reading, just over 20K.

As you have had a suggestion to test at the pin due to the old wiring loom and possibly corroded earth strap/connectors maybe creating extra resistance, test first the resistance between the sensor and its spade, then between pin 13 and earth from engine, between pin 13 and battery negative and finally pin 5(ecu sensor earth) and pin 13 and note the readings and compare, making sure you dig in the points of the ohmmeter's prongs through the grime of the test point surfaces each time.