Trouble shooting the demo derby Van.

I'm prepping a 2000 Toyota Seinna for my local county fairs demolition derby. Childhood dream deserved to be realized right?

The van was a reliable runner. After removing and unplugging lights, speakers, airbags, etc. from the wiring harness, moving the battery to the inside of the van, and removing the fuel pump from the factory tank and installing it in a small inside tank, the van is a non runner. Turns over great, runs fine on starting fluid, fuel pump turns on when you crank it over, or when you hot wire it. Fuel gushes out of the fuel rail when you crack it and turn the key, but no start. I am using the stock fuel pump wiring and fuel lines.

Seems I have spark, and have fuel. Maybe not enough?. Is there the possibility of some electronic nanny keeping it from running due to unplugging things from the wiring harness? Wouldn't that keep the fuel pump from running? 8 days and counting til derby time...

you have fuel at the rail, but there maybe something keeping the injectors from opening.

Yeah i might venture a guess its a body or ABS/SRS computer

The fuel injectors not spraying is a great hypothesis. I had thought if it was some security, no start, error being thrown due to the unplugging of things from the wiring harness it would keep the fuel pump from running, but I've got no logical justification for that! I can try cranking it over and using the ol' long screwdriver as stethoscope trick to see if I can hear them clicking.

It was too noisy with the exhaust cut off to tell if the injectors were clicking using a screwdriver so I bought a stethoscope at the auto parts store this morning and they are definitely clicking away. I also stripped the abs wires away from the fuel pump harness so I could run them back under the car and plug them in, but it didn't change the no start condition. Looking for a new hypothesis...

You opened up the CAN somewhere when you unplugged a bunch of stuff. Find a diagram of the CAN, go to the connector for each module you unplugged, and loop the two wires together.

This might work if you didn't remove the end of the chain, you will have to put that back in if you did. Likewise if you removed any anti-theft modules, those are going to have to go back in since the computer will not allow the fuel injectors to work unless it gets the go-ahead across the CAN.

I don't think the 2000 is running CAN bus, my 03 Toyota 4runner isn't (the 05's do tho)

Definately try to add the security modules back if you can. I don't believe they run an impact fuel cut off.

As far as I've been able to Internet sleuth, Toyota didn't start adding CAN bus until 2004/5. So far as I know I didn't remove or unplug any security modules, although I haven't been able to determine where they are located yet. Everything that's been unplugged was stuff pertaining to gutting the interior. Windows, seats, power mirrors, sunroof, interior lights, etc. Except for removing the two airbags, the dash is still completely intact. The little red security light on the dash flashes with the key out, but once I put the key in there is an audible click from under the hood and it goes out. Double checked that all grounds I can find are secure, fuses are good. It will cough when I crank it over, or fire up on ether still.

Is there an impact sensor switch in the rear like ford has?

Trouble shooting the van? Have you tried a shotgun?

How about plugging in the air bag computer, maybe the PCM thinks the car was in an accident?

I found what I think is the airbag module in the dash, passenger side. Unplugging it, grounding the two wires that went to the airbag(s), looping the wires together, all result in no change. I went looking for an impact sensor in the rear but haven't found anything. I found something behind the front bumper that might be an impact sensor, unplugging it made no change.

Shooting the van with a shotgun doesn't seem like a bad idea about now! 6 days and counting...

You say "gushing"... Does close to 40psi cranking pressure "gush" or is it supposed to be SHOOTING out?

Sounds like if "gushing" is accurate, the fuel pump might not be sending enough fuel?

Maybe?

Back up a sec. Remove a plug and see if it's wet with fuel to be sure of what's what.

I removed the front three plugs. Yuck! Carbon built up, sooty and wet with gas. I treated them to a good scrubbing and threw em back in.

It might not be enough gas. I went and looked at the fuel pressure gauge you can rent at the auto parts store, but didn't see how it would hook up to the van. It doesn't have a test port/valve that I can find. Is there a special banjo bolt that replaces the one on the fuel rail? I did pull the return fuel line from the tank and saw it dribbling fuel back in.

I redid the cables for the battery relocation making sure everything was legit, and tested with the voltmeter at the pump and the main power supply under the hood. Everything looked good. Fuel pump hums, injectors click. I cleaned up every ground I could find that I hadn't hit yet, but to no avail. Thanks for the suggestions and help! I'm bound to learn something...

Taterstein wrote: I removed the front three plugs. Yuck! Carbon built up, sooty and wet with gas.

Weak Spark! Yes, it will fire up on starter fluid but that takes a lot less spark energy than igniting atomized gas.

In reply to Hal:

Yeah. Sounds like it's getting enough fuel to do something.

Sound like not enough of one commodity. I'm thinking that it's lack of good spark.

Clean 'em up and gap 'em and see what happens.