bought a SHO, help me make it run

I'm still more probable to a bad ground or wiring in the engine bay.....these things sometimes have "biodegradable" wiring harnesses.

Also, if you can view this, it seems to be the exact same issue you have

http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=108758&highlight=injector+pulse

if you cannot, this was the best thing stated.

offroadsho@shoforum said: The injectors are commanded to fire by the PCM; which uses pulses of "ground". So, you've verified that you have 12 volts at the injectors by back probing the red wire at each injector with a grounded test light? You've also verified that you have at least 32 psi of fuel pressure at the Schrader valve on the fuel rail behind the throttle body? You've checked to make sure that all the original grounds of the wiring harness in the engine compartment are still grounded? You've checked to make sure the PCM's pin 20, 40 and 60 are still grounded?

The closest issue I have had was the fuel pump, and I've never encountered your particular issue personally.

yamaha wrote: I'm still more probable to a bad ground or wiring in the engine bay.....these things sometimes have "biodegradable" wiring harnesses.

you know in the movies when they find an ancient corpse while navigating an underground tunnel, and somebody has cause to move one of it's arms to get at a treasure of some kind? that's the sound i hear every time i disturb this car's wiring harness.

just confirmed:

good fuel pressure.

12volts at the red wire for all injectors.

In reply to belteshazzar:

did you check the eec codes?

i haven't yet. by virtue of trying to start it with lots of stuff unplugged during all this, am i gonna get a bunch of false problems at this point?

Leave the battery unplugged 10-20min, then reconnect and check codes.

116, 636, 551

engine coolant temp out of range, transmission oil temp out of range, & problem in intake manifold runner control.

that last one makes sense, as the solenoid is missing. i have an extra at home, but hadn't figured it for the reason the engine doesn't run.

In reply to belteshazzar:

IMRC, hmm.......do you happen to have a spare CCRM?(sits under the black plastic on the core support top, drivers side)

i can probably get one. i have power at the fuel pump, and good fuel pressure, if that matters.

In reply to belteshazzar:

I would have figured if you had a broken wire or something else bad, it would have thrown a code. If you didn't have an automatic, I'd send you a different ecu to try out(they're different)

Are you sure the engine computer is seeing RPM? Im not very familiar with the engine controls on old fords but it's possible that if the ignition system is sort of self-contained and will still spark without getting a 'timing modifier' signal from the ECU or something like that, than the ecu could not be pulsing the injectors simply because it doesnt know that the engine is turning.

Is this car supposed to fire the injectors briefly when you turn the key on ('priming shot')? If so, is it doing that?

In reply to Vigo:

If it has spark, the ecu knows what rpms are at.

yamaha wrote: In reply to belteshazzar: I would have figured if you had a broken wire or something else bad, it would have thrown a code. If you didn't have an automatic, I'd send you a different ecu to try out(they're different)

the previous owner had already swapped ecu's to test that theory.

sergio wrote: Unplug the coolant level sensor in the overflow bottle and see if it fires up. I know it sounds stupid and I don't remember exactly how, but if it shorts out somehow it's wired into the ignition or injectors. It's been a half life since I fixed on those.

belteshazzar wrote: 116, 636, 551 engine coolant temp out of range,

I've never worked on a SHO, but I enjoy reading a good diagnostic. I have no idea why you are flashing noids at one another, but that code could be related to what sergio wrote. Couldn't hurt to try what he said.

If it has spark, the ecu knows what rpms are at.

Gotcha. I know some of the older ford stuff had an almost self-contained spark system but i didnt know if it would spark without the ECM telling it to. Thanks for the clarification.

A lot of the Fords of that vintage have a pretty important ground that plugs in to a cable near the battery, and grounds to the rad support. Maybe have a dig around that area.

In reply to belteshazzar:

hmmm, so you don't have any power to the injectors and no code saying otherwise? Have you double checked all of your grounds yet? These things truly are infuriating sometimes.

Well... he has power to the injectors, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're getting a signal, which is probably what's happening here.

I'd start with a continuity test between the ECU and each injector, personally.

Alternatively, i'd see if the friend would take the car back. Nice new parts aside, $900 for a non-running Taurus doesn't seem like a great deal.

[edit] Ah E36 M3, you already tested for continuity. Me culpa.

belteshazzar wrote: just confirmed: good fuel pressure. 12volts at the red wire for all injectors.

Has power to injectors but no ground.

Unplug all the sensor wires but the cam, crank, DIS module, and MAF. It should run with just those unplugged in, it won't idle with the IAC unplugged but will start.

There is a 5v reference wire that is grounded and robbing power to everything else. That wire could be pinched between the engine and bellhousing or somewhere. If it is then unplugging sensors won't do E36 M3.

Basically you have to retrace all the steps your friend did for the engine swap cause he messed up somewhere.

In reply to sergio:

Ahh, the ground is what pulses the injectors. Reading comprehension > me.

I agree sergio, something along the line was fubar'd when it went back in. it could be as simple as a pinched wire, it could be as simple as an obscure ground being off.....I've seen a car not run right due to a powder coated intake, but thats because the intake carries a ground through it for the DIS.

tachometer moves while engine cranks over, whatever that means.

That means the crank sensor is good.

Yep, thats good info.

How about this: Get out your test light, find out what pin/wire coming out of the ECU is supposed to ground an injector, any injector, and stab it! If it's flashing there, you still have (at least one) functional injector driver, and the problem is in the actual wiring between that and the injector.

If it DOESNT flash you either have a bad computer or it is missing some input that tells it to start sparking (and it's getting rpm so i dont know what else it needs besides switched ignition voltage).

This one is beyond my experiences with these cars, as I've parted/scrapped them for less......

at this point i just want to win. due to the circumstances involved it will be more satisfying than normal.