Need help with check engine light. Newbie

ECU, Wiring, Sensors
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Need help with check engine light. Newbie

By 1jdm948life9
- Tue Sep 10, 2013 4:29 am #336494 I have a 1994 d15 stock eg coupe.
Yesterday I jumped in to my car to start it, it wouldn't start, and showed a check engine light. I looked up how to jump the wire to read my check engine light, and made a tick noise around the steering column, the check engine light went away and it started. Now it will only start if I do that every time I get in my car.

Need help any suggestions will be much appreciated.
Thanks.
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By teal_dx
- Tue Sep 10, 2013 2:16 pm #336509 How many times did the light flash/tick?
Have never had that one happen... you have a security system :thumb:
Serious though... is there anything that you have done to the car recently.... work/maintenance?
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By 1jdm948life9
- Tue Sep 10, 2013 3:38 pm #336513 See that's why I'm stumped the light never flashed. It made one tick noise then the check light went off then i could start it.
and i do not have an alarm. and the only thing i have done to my car is stuck an intake on it.

Do you think it could be a relay?
My car is getting gas, spark, my sensors are okay, it cranks over.
It just wont start unless i fettle with the jumper wire.
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By brandoff88
- Tue Sep 10, 2013 6:53 pm #336519 sounds like maybe a loose wire around that area, if you started fiddling with stuff, and it was able to start maybe a wire worked its way loose from the pin in the connecter, double check the wiring around that area and see what ya come up with. hope that helps
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By suspendedHatch
- Wed Sep 11, 2013 6:33 pm #336584 Jumping that connector puts it in diagnostic mode, but I can't see how that would allow it to start.

There are no wires in that immediate bundle that could affect starting except perhaps the ECU harness wires. I doubt that putting a jumper in is affecting the ECU harness at all. You'd have to yank pretty hard.

Is the car an auto / manual conversion or something? Is it auto?

"Click" indicates a relay activating. Can you look at your ignition harness and see if it has an aftermarket relay spliced in?

Hold your hand against the main relay and see if that's what's clicking. There is another relay above that that affects starting but it's very hard to get to.
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By 1jdm948life9
- Thu Sep 12, 2013 4:36 am #336603 @brandoff88 I double checked it and I could not find any loose wires, the wire colors are black with silver dash, brown with silver dash and every time i connect the black one to the ground it makes the click and I can start.


@suspendedhatch That is something that i don't understand either, why jumping it would make it click. My eg is manual there was never a swap done. I will check my relays and keep you updated.

If my relay is clicking does that mean I have a bad ground somewhere or that it needs replace?




Image


Thanks for the info guys.
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By suspendedHatch
- Mon Sep 16, 2013 7:21 pm #336777 No... relays click when they activate and again when they deactivate. It's a little electromagnet inside. You can put your hand on the main relay and turn the key forward w/out cranking as a good way to check if it's working.
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