Background: I was leaving work and tried to start my car. I turned the key and the starter starts turning the engine over. I hear the engine chugging and puffing, but it wouldn't start. Every now and then the engine would puff and the RPMs would slightly increase, meaning the engine seems to be getting fuel.
Diagnosis: I could smell fuel after a while and verified the fuel pump is working by jumping the B+ and Fp? (can't remember if those are correct without looking at them, but I assure you I did the right ones) connection in the diagnostic connector. I tested the spark between wires and plugs with a spark tester and everything is getting spark. I tested the Cam position sensor and got around 175 ohms for all connections, which is good per the TSRM. Even though those resistances checked out okay, can the air gap between the pickup coils and the mechanical lobe inside the CPS be bad? Then, I checked the engine codes as well and got the infamous 51. Therefore, I immediately thought TPS, but I initially thought Cam position sensor because I didn't think the TPS would cause my engine not to start, correct me if I am wrong please. I looked up the electrical schematics on the TSRM for the TPS and saw the water temperature sensor was in this circuit as well. I fixed the water temp sensor wire and code 51 was corrected, so I never checked my TPS. Can the water temp sensor cause my car to not start because now my car starts and idles just fine, but after about 30mins of running and varying RPMs, the car will die and shut off? That is my reason for this writeup. I need to know if the water temp sensor would cause my car to not start. If this is not the case, then what, if anything, am I possibly overlooking? I have faith in my CPS testing skills, but electronics get squirrely sometimes and maybe the CPS is working sometimes and not working other times, can this be the case? Thank you in advance for reading this long writeup and answering.
Diagnosis: I could smell fuel after a while and verified the fuel pump is working by jumping the B+ and Fp? (can't remember if those are correct without looking at them, but I assure you I did the right ones) connection in the diagnostic connector. I tested the spark between wires and plugs with a spark tester and everything is getting spark. I tested the Cam position sensor and got around 175 ohms for all connections, which is good per the TSRM. Even though those resistances checked out okay, can the air gap between the pickup coils and the mechanical lobe inside the CPS be bad? Then, I checked the engine codes as well and got the infamous 51. Therefore, I immediately thought TPS, but I initially thought Cam position sensor because I didn't think the TPS would cause my engine not to start, correct me if I am wrong please. I looked up the electrical schematics on the TSRM for the TPS and saw the water temperature sensor was in this circuit as well. I fixed the water temp sensor wire and code 51 was corrected, so I never checked my TPS. Can the water temp sensor cause my car to not start because now my car starts and idles just fine, but after about 30mins of running and varying RPMs, the car will die and shut off? That is my reason for this writeup. I need to know if the water temp sensor would cause my car to not start. If this is not the case, then what, if anything, am I possibly overlooking? I have faith in my CPS testing skills, but electronics get squirrely sometimes and maybe the CPS is working sometimes and not working other times, can this be the case? Thank you in advance for reading this long writeup and answering.
