I just tested the fuel pressure and it was dead on 39 and holding. That's not it. BUT I did check the coil to distributor and it was sparking, but a weak yellow spark, and the same for the plugs. Seems like the coil is producing too weak a spark to me. Probably replace it and see what happens. I have effectively ruled out the fuel delivery system.

 

I have not fully read this thread, but if you have not removed and drained the fuel tank, do so

 

I did that as part of putting a new fuel pump in. I ordered a new ignition coil bc, like I said, the spark was a weak yellow one definitely not a bright blue one. Same with the plugs when I checked a couple. I'm hoping she'll finally fire up after I put the new coil in. Fingers crossed! What a long, strange trip it's been.

 

Got the new ignition coil in and I'm getting a big, fat blue spark now. Waiting on my battery to fully trickle charge and I'm gonna try to fire it up. I need info on the EVFAP system. the vent hose from the tank was clogged pretty bad and I just disconnected it. Is that right? If not, how should I go about dealing with that? The charcoal canister is probably waterlogged as crap. I plugged the air hose coming from to the cold air intake. I don't want to get rid of it, but rather rule it out as causing my engine to choke. So I've got spark and good fuel pressure. I just don't see how it could not start now. My buddy that came over with his 92 said he had a no-start for months and he replaced the ballast resistor and it fired right up. Mine was removed by the previous owner, but they are cheap, so should I get one and put it in?

 

slightly left field, but one of our dudes had a issue with starts, and it turned out to be the solenoid in the Evap system was not working right, he just got lucky in the end, but it is in the diagnostic in the FSM
he had to replace it, so the system must be start critical

 

I hate to keep jumping around on different things but here goes, the ballast resistor is just for fuel pump noise, if the wires are connected together that is OK since you have fuel pressure. Did you do a compression test of the cylinders, since it could have gotten water in and did some damage. Also did you try some starting fluid in the throttle body when taking to start it, if it starts and runs a little bit then it is a fuel problem (injector not opening). Also did you check the ignition timing to see if the spark plugs are firing at the right time. I last thing is when you are trying to start it are doing any thing with the gas pedal like pushing down on it to see if it makes a difference in how it is trying to start. I know a few years back when 1990 XJ was acting up I was ready to push it off a cliff if one was near me. Took awhile but is was a new part I got was bad. Don't give up it looks like you are close to getting it running.

 

THE THING STARTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!
Holy CRAP ALMIGHTY!!!! ALL I DID WAS CLEAN THE CONTACTS REALLY WELL ON THE CAM SENSOR!!!!!!! It started so readily it scared me and all my housemates thought we were in the twilight zone. Now it won't start again. I don't even care. LOL No, but really, I know there has to be some SERIOUS routine maintenance that needs to be done. Any pointers and I'm all ears. I'm gonna start by changing all the fluids again. Man, I appreciate you guys help,. too. i'm Kind of a half-assed mechanic now.

 

In that case I would get a pack of pipe cleaners and a can of Deoxit. I bend a little of the pipe cleaner double at the tip to fit connectors better. Shoot a little deoxit in the connector and then F it with the pipe cleaner. After a couple cut off the tip of the cleaner and redo the bend double bit. Unfortunately I would do this on the cam and crank position sensor connectors, anything going to the distributor and the injectors, any connector moving away from all of these toward the computer working all the way through until you get to the computer. That can be a lot of connectors. It's relatively cheap, but it will take a deal of time.

Once you get it running you can check if other things are acting weird and do the same for those connectors, like coolant temp and such, but the above list should help get all the critical data to the computer so it will start.

 

Dude it cranked instantly, too. I had went in and cleaned the cam sensor wires really well down in the connectors deep with acetone and embalming fluid and whatever else was lying around. But it cranked so instantly it was insane. It just went VROOM!!! Sounds like total ****e and the oil has water in it. It didn't before I had changed it and the whole eight months it wouldn't start I was constantly looking at it. The oil smelled like gas and starter fluid, too, but that probably because of the many times i tried to start it and fuel was delivered but not burnt so it seeped down past the oil rings into the block. Am I making any sorta sense?

 

Yes, trying to start and getting no spark can put fuel into the oil. The water in it is another matter. How much water? Could it have been water in the fuel system that got pushed into the cylinders and then down into the oil?

 

It might just be gas. It doesn't look milky it just looks thin and a little lighter color. I could smell starter fluid in it, too. My cam sensor has a short in it. I'm gonna clean the pulse ring really well with some 600 grit sandpaper. When I messed with that wire it fired up instantly. Startled me. My roomates freaked out bc they wrote that thing off months ago. I'm gonna drain the oil and get a new filter in the next couple of days. The oil looked completely normal when I would look at it periodically over the last few months and I was trying to start it a couple of times a week. Yesterday was the first time anything has really circulated through the block in a very long time. I'm getting rid of that stupid C101 connector, too. I can solder my butt off. Hell, I would consider getting an entirely new wire harness at this point. I love this thing. I might leave my wife for it...

 

Oh yeah, one more thing that I am CLUELESS about: I just unplugged the EVAP hose at the tank. Is that cool for now or should I plug it?I couldn't blow through the hose going to the canister. And I'm assuming, at the least, the oil has lost its viscosity, so I'm not gonna try to crank it until I change it.

 

Good on the oil. If you think it is contaminated or out of spec, don't run it, change it.

Normally I think that vent line would be a vacuum leak, but if it is plugged maybe not. Or it might be that there is an electrically controlled valve in that line and when the ECU says it is time it opens. Either way that would give you maybe idle troubles and maybe driveability troubles. You can solve that after it starts and runs if you have to.

 

Thanks man.

 

Thanks for keeping us up dated on your progress. Sometimes people fix the problem and we do not get to hear about how they fixed it.