PLEASE HELP! vn calais, won't start..

[PUSHIN]

okay, so the details are; i have a 1990 vn calais, 3.8L series 1.. i have recently encountered a serious problem... i performed a great task today, by changing my engine mounts, it actually turned out alot better then i thought it would, went reasonably well, also changed transmission mount, very easy. HOWEVER. when it came time to move my car from the driveway, it wouldn't start..

So what happens is, i turn the key, nothing.. it was like the battery was dead, but then i let a little pressure off it, and it tries to turn over, but very weakly. only once or twice.. and then nothing again, i tried a few times.. wondering what the hell was going on, and then i gave up on it when smoke began to pour out from the bottom left corner of my windscreen, what the hell did i do wrong??? all i did was changed my engine mounts and transmission mounts, and the obvious things required to do so.. but what could the problem be? why was the smoke coming from there..? O.o it wasn't coming from inside the bonnet, the bonnet was up at the time, it was coming from beneath the windscreen.

Any answers/sollutions/help would be great, i'm going to check for the error codes later on i think too..

[Pub247]

possible toasted ecu

[PUSHIN]

yeah i had a feeling of the same thing.. i have one sitting out the back, its possibly been wet, does this mean its buggered? or would it be fine provided it dried out (And i got the spiders webs out of it..)

[PUSHIN]

okay, i tried my other ecu, which hasn't actually been wet, it appears to be perfectly fine, NOTHING changed at all, further info; my doors still unlock, lights still work, everything seems to function except for the actual starting of the engine..

[PUSHIN]

i've just searched the engine bay, making sure of all connections that i could see actually being connected, and making sure that no wires were broken, i can't see any problems as of yet.. i'm really, really stumped... :/

[PUSHIN]

okay guys, any help would be great.. i've had a quick suss out of my starter motor (Seeing as i couldn't actually LOOK at it because of where it is, i had a good feel around for the wires and stuff.. everything appears to be in place..), tried to jump start her, nothing still.. can ANYONE give any help? would this happen if i had blown a fuse or a relay or something? Cheers guys!

[delcowizzid]

did you bolt the earth strap back onto the engine mount bolt if not it will earth through any means possible small ecu sensor wires etc .connect a jumper lead onto the block somewhere and onto battery earth and see if it cranks then

[PUSHIN]

whoa whoa whoa whoa whatttt! theres an earch strap on the engine mount bolt?? everywhere i read about how to change engine mounts, this was never mentioned... where is this strap! is it on drivers/passanger side..? shit mate, thank you VERY bloody much!!! f***ing legend!

Edit; after doing a google on these earth straps, apparently on older cars they're going to the trans mount or something, i also changed my trans mount too, i've checked the connections around there to be sure i didn't bugger anything up too.. but back to the earth thing.. could it be there even? i had a look in the engine bay for this earth strap, i couldn't find it, it's stated that one end connects to the engine mount, where would the other end of it connect..? Thank you very much!

[delcowizzid]

goes to the battery earth terminal and normally is on one of the 3 bolts holding the mount bracket to the block of the engine runs down inside the conduit the power cable is in

[PUSHIN]

okay, so i'm assuming drivers side? cheers mate!

[Pub247]

yeah mate it is thats possibly be the problem .

Now as for the smoke here coems my 2nd theory under your dash above the glovebox is the immobilizer module on the vn calais i suggest this is what went up in smoke if you attach the earth strap and it still dont start.

Disarm your immobilizer with key in glovebox and see if that helps

[PUSHIN]

yeah i figured it woulda been my immobiliser, and i've only just recently replaced the switch (thank god!) so i did try turning it off, but ocassionally before i try to start it it still says "press remote" and then after i press it it goes away, so i think its alright, i just need to find the earth strap, but i dont know which side its on.. :/

[Pub247]

lol when i said yeah amte at the sart of my post i was refering it to your previous that its on the drivers side PITA spot really

[PUSHIN]

oh okay, i just had a good look, couldn't see any O.o hmm.. could i just undo one of the bolts on the engine mount.. and put a wire from that, to somewhere else.. would it work the same? :/ i think i can see the cover over the wire, but i cant see anything that isn't connected or anything.. will i need to get under the car again to see it or is it visible from above? Also, as for the jumper lead on engine to battery earth, where on the engine do you suggest i connect it..? thanks guys!

[delcowizzid]

anywhere metal or alloy will be fine avoid putting it on the water pipes

[PUSHIN]

never mind guys i worked it out.. a very very thing red and yellow wire, connecting to something toward the left of my water pump. gave it a wiggle and then it started, very impressed, going to do something to make this a little more permenant.
Cheers guys!

[PUSHIN]

okay so i'm thinking that this is NOT a permenant fix, i understand soldering where it connects to would be.. but this is in a very difficult place.. if i used some form of glue on it, to make sure that where it connects cannot be tugged at, would this be a good fix or not..? Cheers guys!

[Pub247]

can you trace back where the wire goes too im trying to think of what it is for

[stixiboi]

Hey guys. You 2 seem to have a great idea on VN's My car has been cutting in and out for a while especially around corners, now there is alot of trouble even while im driving straight it seems there is less and less power coming from the engine. then it will completely cut out and then i will have to turn off the car and turn it back on to get any power out of it. Driving along and the next minute it's like someone turned the ignition off. Turn the ignition off and if the revs are high enough (auto) turn the egnition back on and the engine re-starts. If revs are low then you have to select neutral and then switch off ignition then start with the starter motor. I have changed my alternator, my DFI module, my coil pack, my battery, my starter motor, injectors some fuses, fuel pump, oxygen sensor and it still wont run nicely

[Pub247]

Hey guys. You 2 seem to have a great idea on VN's My car has been cutting in and out for a while especially around corners, now there is alot of trouble even while im driving straight it seems there is less and less power coming from the engine. then it will completely cut out and then i will have to turn off the car and turn it back on to get any power out of it. Driving along and the next minute it's like someone turned the ignition off. Turn the ignition off and if the revs are high enough (auto) turn the egnition back on and the engine re-starts. If revs are low then you have to select neutral and then switch off ignition then start with the starter motor. I have changed my alternator, my DFI module, my coil pack, my battery, my starter motor, injectors some fuses, fuel pump, oxygen sensor and it still wont run nicely

Sounds like you have a bad earth most likely engine to battery mine wagon did exact same thing when i did the engine swap and didnt connect the earth mentioned in this properly (ok so i got pissed off and cut it when pulling the motor out and then tried to dodge it back together.

What i did is got a 50cm earth cable 400amp made up with lugs on it and ran it from battery to engine

[PUSHIN]

i had problems with my car cutting out, all of the electrics mainly, it wasn't quite the same as that, but it was the battery earth cable was faulty, i replaced it with a big thick chunky one. and pub; the wire that cause the problem, was at the front of my engine, going into a little round thing, and the the wire went back into the black casing, that im pretty sure lead back to the battery, and every which way around the engine.. lol :P

[vaxx]

if it's on the right of the water pump,it's your cam timing sensor.