Won't start, no spark... any thoughts?

[GregW]

Hello all,

My K11 won't fire and there is no spark.

I realise that is the vaguest bit of diagnostics that you'll hear all day... but do you have any thoughts on where to start?

G.

 

[Belly93]

have you done anything with it ? recently?

 

[frank]

chains intact ? and cams turning ok ?

 

[McMicra]

Battery, Plugs, HT Leads, Fuse could be anything haha

 

[GregW]

Yes, timing chain is in one bit. Car always used to be a bit slow to start, which I put down to the throttle body... but I've swapped it for a known good one on another K11 and it still won't start.

Cam still turning - good point though.

There is no spark at all, so not leads or battery etc - which in any case are in good condition. I suspect wiring or an immobiliser fault, but really don't know where to start?

Do the dizzys ever randomly pack up on these?

 

[frank]

immobiliser cuts the injector signals, and yes dizzy,s do fail greg

 

[Dragonclaw]

I just bought another micra the other day which one day worked and the next day no spark. I got some moisture repellent spray and went around the engine bay unplugging and spraying all visible plugs, this included the HT leads and dizzy cap. Started first turn of the key. Could be as simple as moisture somewhere as i found out.

 

[Enuo]

Removing and replacing a plug working coukd also suggest a plug come loose, corrosion forming between co tacts in plug or even a damaged/loose wire going into the plug.

 

[GregW]

Thanks for the advice. I've tested them and there are no problems with the plugs or HT leads - or as I have just discovered - with the distributor. There is simply no spark though...

 

[GregW]

Sorry to kee hassling the group with this, but it is most frustrating! Is it possible the problem could be with the inhibitor switch? If so, do you know where this is
located?

 

[frank]

Sorry to kee hassling the group with this, but it is most frustrating! Is it possible the problem could be with the inhibitor switch? If so, do you know where this is
located?

cvt inhibitor switch greg ? usually wired to the starter circuit eh

 

[r-reg-sr]

ignition switch wares out too,making nothing work.

 

[GregW]

Yes, the starter is spinning the car over though. I'll get back outside and 'play' with it again once the weather has cooled a bit!

 

[frank]

there are some dizzy diagnosis threads on here somewhere greg, (multimeter checks)

 

[GregW]

Cheers Frank, I've now taken readings from everything I can think of and am coming to the conclusion that it must be an ECU fault. If I swap one out of the other car I take it I'll have to swap the ignition barrel as well... Are there any other problems with swapping the ECU? Thanks.

 

[frank]

what year k11 greg ?

 

[GregW]

My car was registered late 1997 and the donor which I've been swapping bits from is a 1996 P-reg. Both are 1.0 Shape Autos.

 

[frank]

My car was registered late 1997 and the donor which I've been swapping bits from is a 1996 P-reg. Both are 1.0 Shape Autos.

you will need to swap the ecu, the nats box (tucked behind the heater/A pillar) the antenna around the ign, and the keychip mate

 

[GregW]

Cheers Frank, will give it a go.

 

[GregW]

Sorry for yet another dumb newbie question, but I'm having trouble physically locating the NATS unit! I can find several relays, but nothing that is obviously a control module. I take it it is on the driver's side? Does it have anything written on it? Thanks,

 

[frank]

passenger side greg, inside the A pillar/behind the heater (but the later nats 2 has 7 or 8 wires on the antenna and no nats box i believe)

 

[GregW]

Wow, that took some finding! Fault resolved, car running - just need to put it back together now. Thanks for your help.