Hey everyone. I need to do the timing on my 89 spfi wagon, but when I plug the green test mode connectors together the engine dies. What do you think would cause this?

Assuming it was just a timing belt replacment without anything else being done but maybe spark plugs and wire...

I think you either

A. Didn't rotate your crank 360 degrees after putting on the driver side belt before putting on the passenger side belt,

B. your firing order is outta wack,

Passenger side 1-3

Drivers side 2-4

C. Pulled the distributor and are trying to have it align with 1 cylinder, which you cannot it's in nowhere land.. unless you rotate another 360deg.

D. Didn't use the center of the 3 timing marks that are all by themselves when installing timing belts

Last but not least . Perhaps somebody fiddled with the idle adjustment so when it goes to static timing with the connectors I has no idle assist...

Edited September 23, 20196 yr by Len Dawg

This should help ya

be sure to thank Miles!!

 

Edited September 23, 20196 yr by Len Dawg

Nice write up about the belts but I think being as he mentioned the green connectors he is referring to ignition timing. If you don't have one already a copy of the service manual can be found here ;  http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/--Old Models--/. Just to check the timing you don't need to connect them. As to your question have you tried restarting it after it dies?

If you don't connect the green connectors,  the ECU is adjusting the timing, therefor you don't know what the true mechanical setting is.

2 hours ago, Espey16 said:

Hey everyone. I need to do the timing on my 89 spfi wagon, but when I plug the green test mode connectors together the engine dies. What do you think would cause this?

Base timing too far off.

Engine does not need to run to check timing.

Have someone crank the engine w/the connector connected while you check,

Thanks for all the replies you guys. I've had problems with this car since I've had it. I have another thread I can link to in a few minutes that tells about the troubles I've had. Since I replaced multiple sensors and what not, the #3 head gasket went out and was leaking coolant into the cylinder. I had a set of heads cleaned up and given a valve job, installed good used lifters, and got the 2 special o rings from the dealer for the cam tower. Car is running now but it seems to be firing too late. The cylinders getting filled with too much fuel or whatever. And I'm only getting about 22mpg. Before the head gasket went out I tried to check the timing and it would die when the connectors were hooked up also. I just don't know what to do now so i can time it accurately. 

8 hours ago, naru2 said:

 

 

8 hours ago, naru2 said:

Base timing too far off.

Engine does not need to run to check timing.

Have someone crank the engine w/the connector connected while you check,

I pulled the distributor before the gasket blew and noticed the previous owner or the owner before them had pulled it too. There was a mark where the rotor should be when at tdc on #1, same thing with the gear on the bottom of the distributor. That was when I found out the car would die when I tried to hook up the green connectors. I got it as close as I could to where it would run at the time. It runs well around 3k rpms, but it's just drinking the gas.

Here is the thread my struggle has been documented in lol. Specifically page 2 where I tried to time it.

I would do a total do over starting with checking the belt alignment with distributor pulled.

Line up the center III and verify cam pulley marks are as such Drivers up passenger down.

Then bring it around to zero on the timing marks to the pointer and drop the distributor back in and that will set approx mechanical timing and then connect #1 plug to the cap and that will be the starting point towards success... going off what somebody else scribbed is not always good place to start.. they could have used that for a mark for When they pulled it out..  which is indeed ttc for cylinder #1 but not always full proof.. who knows if it even the right distributor/gearing..

Fun fact- after gapping and installing spark plugs cap and rotor... I couldn't get the stupid check engine light to start flashing with the green connectors plugged... it finally came on and started flashing  after driving for 10mins,  I stopped jumped out connected my timing light and timed it 20deg, disconnected unplugged went to drive away spit sputtered and stalled out... turns out I crossed #1&#4 and aMAziNgLy it idled but drivability was a major issue... No matter how Badd rump roast we think we are weird shitt happens!! Lol!!

 

I always thought with the EA82 efi systems, plugs had to be connected before the engine was started. Not start then plug in. 

If it won’t start or run when the plugs are connected then I’m stumped. (Time to EJ?? ) 

Cheers 

Bennie

you can time it staticly with the engine off key on

that will get you vary close

if that dosent fix it look at your timing belts you might be a tooth off on one side dose the engine get warm at all

22mpg isent bad thats better than i get with my loyale its still higher than the epa rating of 18 city 21 hyway if i remember corectly so i dont know how much better your gona get

 

What is the base timing supposed to be on spfi?

The way I set my early turbo static is to get #1 on TDC not#2

Then nudge it to the timing mark

Then pull cap to line up one of four points of star thing on post with the other thing as depicted,and ensure rotor is pointing at #1 terminal post in cap underside

Fires up and drives nice every time

23 hours ago, ferp420 said:

you can time it staticly with the engine off key on

that will get you vary close

if that dosent fix it look at your timing belts you might be a tooth off on one side dose the engine get warm at all

22mpg isent bad thats better than i get with my loyale its still higher than the epa rating of 18 city 21 hyway if i remember corectly so i dont know how much better your gona get

Yeah the engine gets warm pretty quick. I have to hold my foot on the gas in the morning though to keep it from dying. As far as my fuel economy, my last ea82 had a 6" lift and 235/75/15 tires and it got about 19 mpg.

 

11 hours ago, Espey16 said:

Yeah the engine gets warm pretty quick. I have to hold my foot on the gas in the morning though to keep it from dyi ng. As far as my fuel economy, my last ea82 had a 6" lift and 235/75/15 tires and it got about 19 mpg.

it sounds like one of your timing belts is a tooth off

19 sounds about right thats about what my 5" lifted loyale got last time it was on the road it was actualy cheaper to tow it with the diesel to were i wanted to wheel it than drive it there lol

Belts are spot on.

Could it be a faulty distributor that causes it to die when I try to plug the green connectors together? 

The distributor sends the signal to the ecu so it knows when to fire.  So, if the distributor was bad, it wouldn't run either way.

I just pulled the distributor again tonight, making sure #1 was at 0* tdc and placed it back in the cam tower in the middle of its adjustment. I plugged the green connectors in and timed it to 14* btdc. After unplugging the green connectors, there is no change in how it runs.

It is supposed to be at 20 degrees BTDC with the greens connected.

Yeah, I don't know where I got 14 from. I'll get that done when I get off work and I'll report.

Spfi distributors....optical like the hot wire mpfi of the day, or still possibly like the flapper style pic above?

Seems to be running a little better now, still wont idle when it's cold. 

Check the  Coolant Temperature Sensor.   It can cause all sorts of drivability problems, especially that vary or depend on temperature.   And it can do this without causingthe CEL to light.

It's brand new