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Japanese Spi Won't Stay Running


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#1 Davemac80

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Posted 15 February 2017 - 05:05 PM

My newly acquired Kensington was a non running project that had sat for a few years when I bought her a month ago. I have managed to get her running with the aid of a new fuel pump and changed the vac hoses for new ones too. However as soon as I open the throttle she dies with a bit of a backfire from the throttle body?? I've had a look through previous posts but can't see anything like it. The battery won't hold its charge and I need to buy a new one, low voltage maybe?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

#2 xrocketengineer

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Posted 15 February 2017 - 10:00 PM

Are you positive that all vac hoses/pipes are good and tight? Make sure that the pipes or fittings are not too far into the rubber elbows or they will be blocked. Make sure that the fuel trap does not have a vacuum leak or that it is blocked. 

The battery on mine would go flat over several days of no use. This was due to the main relay in the relay box was being maintained active all the time by the ECU after a start attempt. The relay box was warm to the touch even hours after the engine had been shut off. The ECU had to be refurbished.



#3 Davemac80

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Posted 16 February 2017 - 10:34 AM

Thanks for the reply, the fuel trap is new, I thought I may as well start out with all new bits. I'll have a check on the pipes again when I get the new battery. My other thought was maybe it's the relay box as the fuel pp won't run after the first start attempt, but this also makes me think the battery as i had it plugged into a charger at he time. 



#4 xrocketengineer

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Posted 16 February 2017 - 01:21 PM

Check all your earth points to be clean. For the ECU is on the gusset between the brake servo and the inner wing and for the pump is by the left tail light and next to the fuel tank. The next thing to check/replace would be the fuel filter, since you have already replaced the pump.



#5 Alpenflitzer

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Posted 26 February 2017 - 11:57 AM

Original fuel pump?

Vac hoses: When I found hard and split rubber elbowsin the new stuff, I put the stuff in the trash and replaced with 3mm ID Samco silicon hoses which are straight on pushed on the nipples without any elbows. Since that time no trouble.



#6 Screwdriver

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Posted 03 May 2017 - 09:04 PM

To this day it amazes me how susceptible the Spi is to something as simple as a tiny rubber hose.



#7 spiguy

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Posted 21 May 2017 - 12:53 AM

What year? Early ones use a throttle switch to indicate idle position. If the switch fails in the closed position, this can happen. Easy to diagnose - first establish if you have said switch - look for the switch and the wires running from it to a connector . Just unplug it and see if the problem goes away. If it does, renew the switch. I think they deleted the throttle switch around early '93. You can run the car with the switch disconnected, it willl just idle a little high and it would not meet an emmissions check most likely, but will drive fine. Could also be crank sensor  - eg a poor connection. The fuel pump only runs to prime, thereafter it will run once the ECU sees pulse from the crank sensor. So if you get a situation where it primes but the car won't start and the pump isn't running, that suggests no signal from the crank sensor.



#8 FlyingScot

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Posted 21 May 2017 - 07:04 AM

Start with the basics. Low battery voltage will play havoc with the ECU, so as you yourself suggested sort this first.
Then all the points above are valid.

FS




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