1981 fiat spider 2000 fuel injection trouble

[macawlover70]

Ok, I have a spider with 71000 miles. Fuel injected that I just got from a friend who knows little about it. I have traced the "not starting" problem to the fuel injectors not getting a signal with a noid tester light. I ran through the checklist for the combo relay and the ecu from the diagnostic manual and found wire 85 which I think is a ground is not grounded but found the whole thing a bit confusing. I opened up the combo relay and found alot of rust in it and the ecu connector has some bent contacts but not so bad that I think they are affecting the connection. I'm going to replace the combo relay and if that is not it, the ECU. Any advice and help would be appreciated. Also, Where is the inline fuse located?
Robert

[kristoj]

The inline fuse is buried in a bunch of wires under the dash adjacent to the steering column. It may take some rooting around under there, but you will find it eventually. Are you getting power to the double relay?

[macawlover70]

Thank you. yes, I am getting power to the relay but, I don't think I am getting ground so I am going to clean all the pods and ground contacts this weekend. I bought a new relay and we'll see if that does it.

[rlux4]

There are three lines of power going to the dual relay. The pink wire from the ignition switch, the 16 ga. brown with white stripe wire coming from the inline fuse, and the 10 ga. brown wire direct from the battery. Have you check all three? Did you check the two grounds on the intake plenum?
Ron

[mbouse]

Well, Robert!

i see that you made it to the site where you can get some real answers! glad that you discovered that the other forum is not a great one for Spiders. you can ignore my suggestions there, cuz here is where i wanted to direct you!

Ron's a great guy with the F.I. issues. best of luck to you

[macawlover70]

There are three lines of power going to the dual relay. The pink wire from the ignition switch, the 16 ga. brown with white stripe wire coming from the inline fuse, and the 10 ga. brown wire direct from the battery. Have you check all three? Did you check the two grounds on the intake plenum?
Ron

Not yet, I'm waiting on a new ignition switch. I'll be working on it more this weekend. I think I have a ground problem. I checked the temp sensor and cold start valve with a tester from under the dash and got no ready and resistance, but when I tested them directly from the engine to a good dround I got the right readings so this weekend I am going to clean all my grounds on the pods, put in an ignition (did not have one), and replace the combo relay. I'll let you know how it goes. Also, What is and where is the intake plenum?
Thanks Mike for the advice and thanks ron I appreciate your help.
Robert

[rlux4]

It's the valve cover looking thing that sits on top of the intake manifold. The air intake boot goes to it. On the ouboard side at the rear two hold down bolts, there should be two black plastic covered wires attached. Sometimes when some work is done these are not reconnected and the car won't start because they are ground for the injectors. Don't ask me who, but I know someone who did this during a valve adjustment.
BTW, did you find the inline fuse yet?
Ron

[macawlover70]

not yet. here's where I am at. I am getting power to all the relay connections except the inline fuse line(brown and white) so I am trying to find it and have taken the whole dash,steering, and console out looking for it. I did find three brown and white wires. One is connected to a connector by the fuse panel and is getting power but I can find no fuse. The other two are cut and exposed and one of those has power to it. I have pics but How do I post a picture here?http://www.flickr.com/photos/45781551@N08/4197143989/

Robert

[pope]

do a search on how to post pics. There is a concise post on the subject

[racydave]

Best guess is that the fuse is above the gas pedal...

[rlux4]

Is the wire between your index and middle fingers brown with a white stripe? It looks like it's spliced onto another wire at the fuse box. If it is, it has been cobbed by a PO. You'd need to check continuity between this wire and the other end going into the dual relay. Then you'd need to follow the complete path to see if the fuse holder has been taken out of the circuit. Because of the problem I had with my original fuse holder making good, consistent contact, I suspect a PO might have done this on your car. I'd put a fuse back the circuit if that's what has happened. If you don't get continuity between this wire and the end at the dual relay, it's either a blown fuse (in the hard to find inline fuse holder) or it's the wrong wire. Dave, you'll see the suspect wire over the gas pedal as it goes across behind the dash to the dual relay alright, but the fuse holder will be in, or above the mass of wires behind the fuse panel. The wire makes a loop out of a major wire loom to the inline fuse and back into the wire loom. The fuse holder may be hidden above or behind something, but loop (which would show as two identical wires) will lead to it. The two original fuse holders on my car are both red, about 2-1/2" long.
Ron

[macawlover70]

Yea, I am going to go check on it now. I have checked continuity on it and still nothing. I'm gonna go mess with it some more. Thanks for alll the help guys. I appreciate it.

[racydave]

Ohm meters can be tricky. Its not like checking a circut while it has a load. You may want to check voltages...

[macawlover70]

Ok, Good news. I had checked it once and no results but I tested it again by just connecting the hot b/w to the "cold" b/w and tested the voltage and wahlah, power. So I just got back from getting an inline fuse holder and i'm gonna put it in and clean up some of the mess i made. Last night I tried a straight 12 volt to the b/w in the relay set and tried to start it, no luck but, now I can at least continue the diagnostic checks.

[macawlover70]

Man, I hate electrical. Ok, the next step on my diagnostic was the temperature sensor. So i checked for continuity on 13 of the ecu plug to ground and got nothing. So I checked the sensor and got a good reading but could get nothing for the wire. Then I noticed that there were two sensors and wires going into the head by the spark plugs, not one. I tested the other sensor, nothing. The other wire, nothing. After a while I got to thinking, maybe these are the wrong sensors because the wires go into the dash console not the ecu. But the picture in the diagnostic manual shows the sensor in the head and these are the only ones but anyway i looked around the forum and noticed someone saying that the sensor was in the T of the hose. So I checked that sensor, correct reading. I checked the continuity of #13 and the connector to the sensor and got a reading of about 250, alas right wire, but when the switch is connected to the sensor I get nothing on 13 and ground, no reading. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate electrical. I'm close to taking it in and having them tell me whats wrong with it but allready I have learned so much about my car, I don't want to give up either. I can fix anything if I don't quit, so any help, Much appreciated. Thanks in advance guys.......
Update, I connected one side to the sensor and the other side to ground then tested 13 and ground and got the correct reading so unless I am mistaken I have a bad ground to the temp sensor. I redid all my ground pods, cleaned, tightened, and applied dielectric silicone so I am at a loss as to where the ground for the sensor even is. What a nightmare of ignorance. Slow and steady they say. So now I have to find the ground and fix it. Next weeken maybe. I sure will be glad when she runs.

Robert