Sr3 won't to start. HELP

[srreck]

Hi everyone,
Few months ago I bought a 2007 fuel inyected 1500 SR3 as part of payment. Now I have decided to put the car ready for trackdays but unfortunately doesn't starts.
I'm in the proccess to check all parts potentially involved . Fuel pressure OK, plugs OK, new coils and spark wires installed OK, battery OK, the spark looks a little bit weak but is present. ........
Engine cranks but doesn't starts. A small pops sometimes but thats all.
Could anybody put a picture of his coils installation to confirm the firing order?
I'm searching on the Radical Manuals but there is no mention to this.
Any other ideas??

Thanks chaps.

[Atom Ant]

Silly I know but have you got any / enough fuel in it, they do like a drink?

[dptdpt]

From memory, minimum 15 litres?

[Blatter]

Is the side-pod battery flat ?

[srreck]

Battery is at 100% and I put around 10 litres of fuel just to check if engine starts. Dptdpt your comment on that 15 litres is something new for me........please tell me more.

Thanks

[tracker11]

I had the same problem a few months ago

-check tps sensor to be set at load size zero
-check that you have enough fuel
-check spark plug or better change it (that was my problem, that looks ok but for some reason it was not. New spark plug and it fired up straight!)
-check that the throttle is slight open

[splitpin]

That's why the K8 RS went to 24V starting ...............

As said, put in another 5 litres - that changes it from 'might not quite be enough fuel' to 'there's definitely enough fuel'.

If the existing not 100% spick and span, new plugs.

Connect a biggish 'plenty of cranking power' car battery with jump leads (use the anderson if it's got one), dry crank to build up a bit of oil pressure, reconnect coil supply leads, ignition toggle on, fire it up (hopefully) ......... you shouldn't need any throttle with FI when cold, but it'll need 'catching' as soon as it fires.

To be fair, every Radical seems to be different to 'fire up', some can be a reet bogger and equally, some people seem to naturally have the knack and some less so.

Your warm climate should if anything help a bit in terms of starting.

HTH

Cheers

Trev

[srreck]

OK mates, thanks for your comments. I will do the "job" tomorrow (fingers crossed) .

Cheers,

[srreck]

Dear friends,
Not banana...... :-/
I filled 20 litres of fuel, added an aditional battery, new spark plugs......and.....nothing.
I'm not sure about how the fuel pump works on this car. Could anybody give me a short explanation?
When I put ON the main switch and the ignition switch I can hear the pump buzzing after the dash display has done the reset but then she stops.
If I push the starter the engine cranks normally but doesn't start and I can hear the pump for a while when I release the button.
I'm completely lost.
I will try a Iridium plugs today looking for some signal of life.

Cheers

[Atom Ant]

It sounds like the fuel pump is making all the same noises as mine. I'm not sure of the technical explanation around the pump but are the plugs getting wet following a good amount of turning over with some throttle applied? if not no fuel is getting through but if they are wet I would say there is little or no spark therefore a check of the ignition components should be carried out. Just using old the fashioned approach. Failing this there is always the Radical technical help to contact. Good luck.

[srreck]

Plugs smell to gasoline but are mostly dry and clean. Thats the reason to ask about the fuel pump. I really hate this kind of "elfs" .
Thanks mate.

[ric355]

I know how you feel as I've been here too last year. I even paid to have the ECU tested as I'd had water ingress previously.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

In my case it was a wiring loom problem - old wires exposed to lots of heat = high resistance. There appeared to be a spark with the spark tester, but it was clearly too weak and somewhat intermittent. In my case it was a +12v feed wire to the coils at fault. If you think you have a spark, trace the wiring from the coil pack backwards.

If you trace the wiring and check the resistance of each wire in turn you may find a weak point. The tricky thing is that any old spark won't do - it has to be a good one otherwise it won't fire up.

Do you have an ECU interface? Not sure which brand ECU (LIFE or MBE) is in the 2007 car but they can be very useful things to have for diagnostics.

Fuel pump behaviour is correct. The pump will pressurise and then switch off before starting. If you listen carefully you'll hear the relay on the firewall click on and off.

There's a wiring diagram on the tilling motorsport website btw.

[XTR2Turbo]

On a busa you need to check that it is actually cranking.

Are you getting rpm when cranking?

If not you have a problem with the starter clutch at the end of the crank. They play up a lot on large cc and higher compression busa engines but easy to change - albeit £250 a pop.

[BertBert]

if it's not cranking you wouldn't get sparks surely?

[srreck]

Thanks chaps for your help.
I will check the loom from the ECU (MBE) to coils and will check the fuel pump and feed lines.
Can't understand why Radical goes for a submerged pump instead a external and more accesible unit. To dismantle all cockpit for inspecting the fuel tank and pump is really a nightmare.
As I posted previously the spark looks a bit weak and I decided to get a set of iridiums but after last attempt I have seen the sparks are mostly dry and clean which makes me to suspect a fuel problem.

Concerning to the Busa starting clutch, well it seems to run pretty well.
If I have no good news next time I'll do a call to RPE.

Have a nice day !!

[tracker11]

Do you know if the fuel filter was replaced the last years?
If you can hear the fuel pump working I don't think the pump is the problem. You can also install a manometer to check the fuel pressur.

As I had the same problem I check first if their is fuel by removing the fuel line at the end of the throttle body and after that I removed all the injection nozzle by disassambling them and check if fuel will be injected when cranking.



Maybe you can make a short video that shows how you try to start.

[BertBert]

[quote=srreck
If I have no good news next time I'll do a call to RPE.

[/quote]
I'd have thought a call to RPE would be the first resort rather than the last resort! They are really friendly and as often as not seem to know stuff. And they aren't even paying me to say that

[Gc285]

Maybe make sure throttle is open enough but not too much. Only has to be slightly open.