Hello Everyone,

I could sure use some help troubleshooting a crank no start on a 93 Del Sol (S model, automatic transmission) that I just picked up. The guy I bought the car from said it was a daily driver that just died on him. The engine cranks but there is no fuel and no spark. He stated that he replaced the ECM, main relay, and the fuel pump to no avail. The car had been sitting for 8 months when I bought it.

I have the 93 Del Sol factory service manual and went through the PGM-FI troubleshooting flowchart for engine will not start. Here is what I’ve done so far:

- New battery. Verified good crank but no fuel and no spark. The fuel pump does not prime for 2 seconds in the on position.
- The check engine light is on solid and jumping the service connector for codes does nothing, light remains solid.
- Fuses check good. I get constant power to the main relay on pin 7, power in on/start positions on pin 5, and power in start position on pin 2.
- I jumped pins on the main relay plug to power the fuel pump and verified the fuel pumps runs.
- Swapped in known good master relay from my other Del Sol, no change.
- Disconnecting MAP and TPS didn’t turn out light.
- Continuity and voltage checks on ECU were all good. Cleaned the thermostat ground.

The factory service manual ends by telling me to substitute a known good ECM but that’s already been changed with a “by vin number” refurbished one. I swapped the original back in, no change. I'd hate want to spend the money to buy yet another ECM and end up at this same dead end, but it seems that’s where I’m headed.

Can you think of something the flowchart fails to address before I go buy another ECM? As far as I can tell based on troubleshooting, the ECM isn’t providing control to the master relay. Is there something else that might cause the computer not to run the fuel pump and keep the check engine light on?

What do you think? Any help is much appreciated!

 

Try and crank the car with your '94 Del Sol ECU. Yes, you will have codes for VTEC, but if the ECU is the problem (and this is what it sounds like based on your statements above), you will be able to rule out the ECU one way or the other.

 

Thank you for your suggestion, I don't know why I didn't think to do that. My 94 is an SI manual and this new one is an automatic, my mind just discarded that option. I swapped it in and the car started right up. Amazing how this car can sit for 8 months and start at the click of the key.

The previous owner spent $400 on a refurbished computer made based on VIN number. Pretty unfortunate. I think I'm going to go the used eBay route.

Thanks for you help!