88 323 nonturbo wont start
 

I have a 1988 323, non turbo. i was sitting on a hill idling and the car stalled and now it cranks but will not turn over. i have spark, changed the fuel pump and strainer and the fuel filter in the engine compartment, checked the fuel pump relay under the ecu. any other ideas of what it could be? i initially thought it was a fuel problem but now after everything i've done i'm starting to think otherwise.

Thanks!

Is the check engine light on? what's the code?

I believe this model has a Bosch fuel injection. Check the Lamda probe, nowadays known as MAF sensor. They can burn out.

There's no check engine light on, it does have the maf but I'm not sure what to check on it. I saw something about a relay or cutout switch for when you wreck that can trip sometimes, anyone have info on that?

Update: just tried to start it with starting fluid and it still didn't turn over.

Did you ever measure the fuel pressure?

Did you check if the injectors get voltage?

I do not know if these cars are equipped with a fuel shut off. If you have an owner's manual it should be described in there.

Do you have the Haynes manual to this car? It would describe how to test the maf sensor. In any case you can clean it with maf sensor cleaner.

You say you have spark but is the spark strong enough?

Did the timing belt brake or jump?

Is the charging system alright? A bad alternator can throw the computer for a loop.

Just for the heck of it: disconnect the battery negative, then step on the brake or turn on the light. That drains all voltage of the capacitors and resets the computer.

check the timing belt...

Thanks for the suggestions, I'm gonna take it to my buddy who is a mechanic to take a look at it. I'm leaning towards timing belt issues now and that's beyond my capability.

i got the car towed to my buddies house and we went over a bunch of stuff today. replaced spark plugs, wires and distributor cap.

we checked the fuel pressure at the pump and also after the fuel filter and both showed 40psi (not sure if we were using the pressure tester correctly or if it was a good unit) because this was lower than expected i traded in the new fuel pump i had put in for another new unit since i had a warranty and it tested to the same pressure.

checked the timing belt, everything seemed in order, all of the timing marks matched up to where the chilton manual said they should.

definitely running out of ideas on what else to check. is there a way to test the fuel injectors to see if they are working? is there a crash sensor that i dont know about that might be tripped causing the injectors not to fire? would the maf sensor burning out cause a no start situation like i have?

any help would be greatly appreciated!

I don't know exactly how much fuel pressure this particular engine needs but it should be enough to start the engine.
There are several ways to test the injectors. 1st do they operate? Listen to the injectors ticking with a mechanic's stethoscope or a piece of garden hose. Or use a NOID light (google for explanation).
you could also take them out and let them squirt into a container. But you will need new O-rings to put them back on.
You can test the resistance of the injectors. 12-15 Ohms in the '98 Mazda Protege if memory serves.

Are you sure you have not messed up the firing order at some point?

Are you sure the fuel pressure regulator is o.k.?

I think a bad Maf sensor can cause a non start situation.

You see, I am running out of ideas too.

I can't find any fuel pressure regulator, it's a 1988 323 sohc non turbo. We checked resistance on the injectors for cylinders 1 & 2, the book said like 1.2-3 ohms and we were showing 12, once again not sure if using the multimeter correctly though. I've read a few places that there might be a crash sensor or immobilized somewhere but haven't been able to find one, any info on that?