Engine quit (Page 1/5)
stevep914 FEB 10, 05:34 PM
Driving my 86 F40/Fiero today, when it missed, there was a bang, and then the engine quit. ( 86 2.8 V6) initially had ignition lights, then that went off, and no power to the car anywhere now. I thought I blew the engine, but after towing the car home, jacking it up, and wrenching the crank pulley, the engine turns freely with no abnormal noises. Where do I start?
theogre FEB 10, 05:55 PM
Even if you blew the motor, should still have battery keeping power to other things.

Maybe fried a Fusible Link.
See my Cave, Wire Service & Fuse Links notes

Links can die from "old age" as water can get at a link for several reasons but have check everything runs off the link before just replace it/them.
"Cheap" small DC Amp clamp or "Short Detector" kit makes this a lot faster. get both @ amacon and many others.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave

[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 02-10-2023).]

ceverhart FEB 11, 02:50 PM
I vote fusible link...never had anything like that happen to me in a Fiero but that exact same thing happened to me in my 1984 modified Z-28.....poor engineering on my part allowed a bit of harness to bounce around and it hit my header and the link blew. The car was fine, driving down the road and then a loud pop sound and then car was 100% dead.
Spadesluck FEB 11, 02:59 PM
Start with the simple things. Only three things are required to start a motor...air, spark, and fuel. I would start with the spark. Do you have power to anything?
Patrick FEB 11, 05:30 PM

quote
Originally posted by stevep914:

...no power to the car anywhere now. Where do I start?



Steve... I would say start with the battery (duh! ), and work your way from there. See if there's power at the battery junction terminal below the C500 connector.
stevep914 FEB 11, 10:59 PM
Thanks everyone! In answer to one question: no power anywhere. I have a heavy work schedule, but will repost as I have time to explore this. Thx for the picture, Patrick, not sure where that is exactly, but will look for it. Steve
Patrick FEB 11, 11:49 PM

quote
Originally posted by stevep914:

Thx for the picture, Patrick, not sure where that is exactly, but will look for it.



Steve, it's right by the factory location of the battery.
stevep914 FEB 12, 05:40 PM
Ok, a preliminary examination turned up a couple of things.
1) battery and connections fine
2) no visible damage to any of the fusible links ( no burning of the insulation covers anyway)
3) by fiddling around, I got power to the ignition, power windows, but my two auxiliary cooling fans that come on with ignition, didn’t. The fans are powered by a wire that runs into one of the two relays on the driver’s side of the firewall. The three pin connector for this relay is melted. Don’t know what this relay controls, but direct power from the battery runs the fans.
4) with the ignition on, when I try to engage the starter, there is a click, and all power shuts off again. This seems to reset itself after 10 to 15 seconds, and I have ignition again.
That is all I had time for today. Comments?
Patrick FEB 12, 07:39 PM

quote
Originally posted by stevep914:

...my two auxiliary cooling fans that come on with ignition, didn’t. The fans are powered by a wire that runs into one of the two relays on the driver’s side of the firewall. The three pin connector for this relay is melted. Don’t know what this relay controls, but direct power from the battery runs the fans.



Never a good sign!
stevep914 FEB 12, 07:48 PM
As an afterthought- I think this relay where the three port connecter plugs into the relay is burnt, is the fuel pump relay. My two engine cooling fans are powered by a wire that connects to one of the three female ports on the connecter. If they don’t come on when the ignition is turned on, it would be reasonable to assume the fuel pump is not being activated by the relay either. Could it be this simple why the engine quit? If this were so, the only confusion would be why it all unpowers, when I try to engage the starter.