Let me first start off by saying that I have utilized the search function numerous times in trying to find an answer to my queries. I have used the cygnus TSRM as well as have an actual copy of the Repair manual for the car.
So I bought the car a little over a month ago with a blown head gasket. When I bought the car I started it up for a couple minutes and everything ran smooth while me and a friend who has the same car did an inspection before paying for it. I replaced the Felpro HG with a metal HKS one and new head bolts and put everything back together carefully and thoroughly. I also replaced most other gaskets along the way. It's in time just enough to run. (I haven't dialed in the timing to the exact specs yet). I only did this so I could spot leaks and check for any noises etc. Everything was fine on my initial test drive around the block other than I couldn't step on it nor did I really want to. The idle has been really jumpy as well. Would stall occasionally. A little over a week ago I fired up the car again and this time the battery, rear tail light, and brake light were on. I drove around for less than a mile and realized I had ZERO power. Came back and looked the car over and found that there was a metal disc that was glued to the aftermarket cone filter the previous owner had installed that had come unglued and was clogging the AFM. I'm glad that thing is honeycomb like because that disc would've ended up in the impeller wheel. So anyways I removed that and reconnected everything and let the car sit until I was driving home.. That's when the fun began.
I was literally a half mile from my house when the lights started getting really dim. At first I thought it was just the knob so as I start adjusting it, the realization that it's not that sets in and right after that, the car starts sputtering and it dies. I pull over in the neighborhood across from mine and walk to my house to get my other car. I come back with a friend and jump the car thinking it was just the battery died. had 20 minutes later I finally have enough juice to start the car and I get home as quickly as possible. I let the car sit for a few days and go out when I actually have some daylight and start looking things over. Nothing is disconnected and everything looks good until i find one of the wires in the ignition coil plug is broken and disconnected from the connector. If memory serves me correctly I remember that wire being flimsy when I was doing the rebuild. I bring a car battery tester/charger home from work and test the battery. 100% charged... Take the alternator out and have it tested. PASSED. The previous owner had told me that he had it replaced but I just wanted to test for my own piece of mind. The bizarre thing to me is with the charged battery and alternator in, the lights are ridiculously dim and I can't crank the engine over even though it cranked over obviously for me to get it home. When I try and jump it, everything gets bright, but it still will not crank over. Idk if I read it right but doesn't the engine have to be on for me to check codes? Or does it just have to be in the on position so that the ecu has power to read codes? And i'm not sure what could've happened on that particular day since I had started just fine at least 10-15 times prior to that. My next point of interest is to check through the fuses again. I checked before, but it isn't going to kill me to go through one more time.
I know this is a long post but I just wanted to lay it all out there and give you veterans an idea of exactly what i'm seeing. Am I missing some steps? Is there any tell tale signs in what I described that would be preventing the car from cranking over? I plan on trying to repair the broken wire connection one of these nights after work. Could that be a cause of my idling issue? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you
Here is a picture of the damaged connector.
So I bought the car a little over a month ago with a blown head gasket. When I bought the car I started it up for a couple minutes and everything ran smooth while me and a friend who has the same car did an inspection before paying for it. I replaced the Felpro HG with a metal HKS one and new head bolts and put everything back together carefully and thoroughly. I also replaced most other gaskets along the way. It's in time just enough to run. (I haven't dialed in the timing to the exact specs yet). I only did this so I could spot leaks and check for any noises etc. Everything was fine on my initial test drive around the block other than I couldn't step on it nor did I really want to. The idle has been really jumpy as well. Would stall occasionally. A little over a week ago I fired up the car again and this time the battery, rear tail light, and brake light were on. I drove around for less than a mile and realized I had ZERO power. Came back and looked the car over and found that there was a metal disc that was glued to the aftermarket cone filter the previous owner had installed that had come unglued and was clogging the AFM. I'm glad that thing is honeycomb like because that disc would've ended up in the impeller wheel. So anyways I removed that and reconnected everything and let the car sit until I was driving home.. That's when the fun began.
I was literally a half mile from my house when the lights started getting really dim. At first I thought it was just the knob so as I start adjusting it, the realization that it's not that sets in and right after that, the car starts sputtering and it dies. I pull over in the neighborhood across from mine and walk to my house to get my other car. I come back with a friend and jump the car thinking it was just the battery died. had 20 minutes later I finally have enough juice to start the car and I get home as quickly as possible. I let the car sit for a few days and go out when I actually have some daylight and start looking things over. Nothing is disconnected and everything looks good until i find one of the wires in the ignition coil plug is broken and disconnected from the connector. If memory serves me correctly I remember that wire being flimsy when I was doing the rebuild. I bring a car battery tester/charger home from work and test the battery. 100% charged... Take the alternator out and have it tested. PASSED. The previous owner had told me that he had it replaced but I just wanted to test for my own piece of mind. The bizarre thing to me is with the charged battery and alternator in, the lights are ridiculously dim and I can't crank the engine over even though it cranked over obviously for me to get it home. When I try and jump it, everything gets bright, but it still will not crank over. Idk if I read it right but doesn't the engine have to be on for me to check codes? Or does it just have to be in the on position so that the ecu has power to read codes? And i'm not sure what could've happened on that particular day since I had started just fine at least 10-15 times prior to that. My next point of interest is to check through the fuses again. I checked before, but it isn't going to kill me to go through one more time.
I know this is a long post but I just wanted to lay it all out there and give you veterans an idea of exactly what i'm seeing. Am I missing some steps? Is there any tell tale signs in what I described that would be preventing the car from cranking over? I plan on trying to repair the broken wire connection one of these nights after work. Could that be a cause of my idling issue? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you
Here is a picture of the damaged connector.
