I have a 90 base model hatch and I swapped it with a b20b and when I tried to start it it would only just crank at first and not start. then a bit later it doesn't wanna crank anymore just clicks at the main relay. so already I swapped the starter I rewired all my grounds changed out the main relay changed and charged the battery. all my lights and everything turn on but recently I stopped hearing the fuel pump prime and stop hearing the click it just doesn't start anymore. gonna change out the fuel pump this weekend hopefully I hear it prime up but any suggestions as to why it won't start at all????


b20b hydro tranny obd 1 p75

 

Just ruling it out, have you either tested the battery or swapped it for a known good one as a test? A battery can fail in a way that gives enough power for lights, aux items, but not enough to crank.

I would not mess with the fuel pump until you've ruled out simpler issues. If it wasn't showing signs of failure before, it is likely fine.

Which grounds did you rewire?

Best of luck

 

I rewired the battery to chasis ground the starter to battery rewired the value cover to chasis made sure thermostat ground was on tight. Yeah I’ve swapped the battery out for a fresh new costco one and also did a load test on it as well charged it to 100. Previously I was dealing with a battery drain issue but it was the plugs in the driver door that was causing that. For now I have no other ideas besides the ignition switch which imma swap out as well.

 

Good to hear, CostCo is great for batteries. The ignition switch could be suspect, based on what you've said.

If the fuel pump stopped priming after swapping the main relay, you could put the original back in to see if runs again. You can rule out the fuel pump entirely by jumping it at the main relay.

I don't see the transmission -> chassis ground mentioned, you will want to make sure that is good and clean since it would be the primary ground for the starter.

What ECU are you using? Are there any codes displayed?

You can also rule out the starter by connecting the starter signal wire battery manually. (Take it out of gear, and connect a wire w/ a spade connector to the starter signal terminal, and touch it to the positive terminal)

It should crank that way - if you have the ignition on, and the fuel pump is priming/running, it should also start up, or try to.

 

What happens when you jump the starter signal wire directly to the battery positive?

I know this sounds silly but I have this issue with a stock 89HF where the battery always feels dead or dying when I try to start it with the key, MAYBE it will start when it is dead cold, but usually ultra slow starter or even just a clicking relay like the battery is dead, and if it is warmed up there is no chance of it starting with the key. A few years ago I added a button that connects directly from the positive terminal on the battery to the starter signal wire, and when I push that button it cranks the starter over all full speed perfectly every time. Same starter ground, same starter power, but with a clean starter power signal the starter turns faster.

I assume this is a bad relay but I havent chased it down because the starter button has worked perfectly every time for years now. Anyone know which relay this might be? I know if isnt the main relay because you can completely remove that and the car will still crank over with the key.

 

There is a clutch interlock relay, its a 4 wire relay under the dash, somewhere around the main relay.

 

im using a p75 I also before bought another p75 both virgins just in case one doesn’t work and tried both nothing and no cels. I tried jumping the starter but nothing when I pulled out the starter and jumped it with a battery it spins. The tranny ground is clean but I’ll try to rewire it again and how would I jump the fuel pump exactly. I’ve swapped the main relay with two other ones and still no start even with the original one. I’m gonna get a new ignition switch today so when I change it I’ll try to crank it again or listen if the fuel pump primes.

 

Back up and slow down, you are jumping all over the place and "fixing" things you dont even know are broken, take care of one thing at a time. You need the engine turning over, then air, compression, fuel, and spark.

Put the starter in the car correctly, make sure there is power at the large terminal for the starter, and make sure there is a good solid ground going to both the chassis and the engine. If you have the big power wire going to the larger starter terminal, the starter well grounded through the block, a good battery that is charged and you jump the starter signal wire from the positive battery terminal the starter will activate and the engine should turn over, regardless of anything else happening with the electronics, so do that first.

 

the starter is in the car correctly and I’ve jumped the starter with a wire but still no start before it used to crank like that but stopped cranking at all when I try to jump it but when I take off the starter it spins it’s sitting inside correctly. I have air and spark before I was having a leak at the filter but now I fixed it so I have fuel just not sure if the pump is giving it since I don’t hear it anymore

 

Slow down and fix one problem at a time sequentially, and make sure that problem is completely fixed before moving on or you will just keep chasing your tail.

You say you have spark, but the engine isn't turning over, that doesn't make any sense, you can't test the spark if you can't crank the engine.

Get the starter issue figured out and fully resolved first. Why is the starter spinning outside the car but not cranking the engine? Is the starter turning but not turning the engine like the bendix isn't kicking the drive gear out? Or is the starter trying to turn the engine but the engine is locked up or the starter is weak for some reason?

These are sequential steps, don't leap ahead to ripping out the gas tank to change out the fuel pump before you even get the engine consistently cranking over.

 

so before the starter started to act up the car would crank and crank and not start. When it was like this I tested the spark and the distributor and both were good I had spark and voltage. I figured it was a fuel problem not starting it because I sprayed starting fluid in the throttle body and it was slowly wanting to start. then the starter decided the not spin anymore and just started clicking only once and the noise was coming from the main fuel relay. so I decided to change that with 2 other ones I have. tried all 3 none made a difference so I swapped out the starter tested the starter outside the car it spun and when I put it in the car it doesn't want to crank at all. im confused too as to why it isn't spinning inside but its spinning on the outside. im not quite sure if the starter is weak or if its just not kicking out but that's where im at right now. I wanted to change the fuel pump because I want the walbro one imma put it and it stopped priming and fuel was an issue when I first dropped the motor in. I read that sometimes the cause of the fuel pump not priming anymore and the starter not clicking anymore might be because of the ignition switch being bad so I thought id give that a try and see if it changes anything. honestly just open to try anything just trying to get it started for a while.

 

I didn't see you mention the transmission to chassis ground.

 

it’s on and clean I don’t see anything bad on it