Car Engine no start condition

1990 BGmazda 323. 1.6LX. No start. 

I have a 1990 BGmazda 323. 1.6LX. Wouldn't start. Replaced the coil. Then engine showed it would start then died again. The PTC unit in the box under the hood clicks when I turn on the key. Is this normal?

There are many things that can cause a no start condition. You may be missing spark due to a wiring or sensor issue or incorrect cam timing, you could be missing fuel pressure, or the engine controller may not be awake due to an internal failure or a loss of power or ground.Have you checked for spark?Does the fuel pump run when the key is turned on?

Is there power to the coil while cranking?The fuel pump is electric and in the tank if you have a 1990 323, it's a fuel injected vehicle with an electric pump. Can you see if you can hear the pump in the tank run when the key is turned on?

The car has a carburetor and distributor. The fuel pump is mechanical and pumps fuel when cranking.

There is power to the coil and out as well. The power to the coil remains stable when cranking so the problem is not the ignition switch.

I am not accustomed to hearing the clicking from the PTC unit in the fuse box under the hood and I am wondering if that maybe part of the problem.

What Is Engine Chip Tuning?

Engine Chip Tuning Details

Have you ever worked on a classic car? Even if you personally haven’t done the work, you’ve probably known someone who spent hours and hours making tiny changes to the carburetor valves, tweaking the camshaft position, or adjusting the spark plugs. If everything went correctly, the arrangement of these parts would lead to a dramatic increase in horsepower, fuel efficiency, and other traits.

Back then, these factors were controlled by mechanical means. Today they’re controlled by computers, and those careful tune ups have changed from mechanical to digital, and that’s engine chip tuning.

Electronic Control Units

Usually these are known simply by their acronym: ECU. An electronic control unit is the generic term for any of the electronic modules or systems that are scattered around modern cars. And there are a lot of them. In fact, a modern car can have well over eighty different ECUs scattered around the vehicles that control everything from the engine to the brakes to the dash console.

All of the ECUs can be tweaked or replaced by people with the right knowledge and equipment, which is usually professional mechanics. But when it comes to getting the most out of your engine, you’re only concerned with one kind of ECU.

The Engine Control Module a.k.a. the Engine Control Unit

A quick search of acronyms might confuse you, and with good reason. The computer that controls your vehicle’s engine can be known by both the Engine Control Module (ECM) or the Engine Control Unit (ECU)—the same acronym that’s used for Electronic Control Units.

Whatever you call it, that computer controls how well your engine works. Fuel/air mixture, timing, speed governing systems, and more are all managed by the software in the module. As long as the various engine components, such as the fuel injector, are hooked up correctly, adjustments to the computer change how those components work.

Engine Chip Tuning

Manufacturer installed software is made to run the engine conservatively. This helps give the engine a certain amount of wiggle room to account for infrequent service, poor quality fuel, and the engine variations between various vehicles.

Engine chip tuning adds new software into the mix. Chip tuners are installed into your existing system and allow the settings to be changed. The right adjustments can increase the power, fuel efficiency, produce cleaner emissions, and more. These software tweaks are made to specifically fit your engine and are unique to the vehicle, especially if you’ve customized the engine at all.

As a note, remember that engine chip tuning can cause major changes to how your car runs. While other car customization's can sometimes be done in your own garage, engine chip tuning is best left to the pros. Your engine may also need to be more frequently serviced afterwards, so make sure you take that into account.

Engine Chip Tuning and Your Warranty

Warranty On Engine Chip Tuning 

Engine chip tuning, or adding performance chips, can make a big difference in how the engine in your vehicle runs. However, if your vehicle is under warranty then you probably want to keep it that way, and no amount of improvements are worth having to shell out big money the next time anything goes wrong.
These tips can help you figure out what will happen to your warranty with engine chip tuning. This does not qualify as legal advice, and if you really want to be sure then you should consult a warranty attorney.

The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act

The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is a federal law that was passed back in 1975 to protect consumers. The law specifically covers how warranties are treated by the consumer and the warrantor. There are a wide variety of protections and regulations that are part of it.

But what does this have to do with engine computer unit tuning? The protections of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act mean that a warranty cannot be declared invalid just because you install aftermarket modifications, and that includes performance chips. Since performance chips or engine tuning add-ons leave the original components intact, the warranty is still valid.

Exceptions to the Rule

That being said, there are notable exceptions. The biggest one is Engine Management Systems (EMS). When these are added to your car, they bypass the existing onboard computer. Since this completely changes the OEM systems, it will void you manufacturer’s warranty.

The other exception is when the tuning modification can be proven to have caused the damage. This is true for more than just engine chip tuning. Your warranty simply isn’t going to cover repairs if you installed a radiator that didn’t work and caused the engine to overheat. The same is true if you added a chip that overrode safety standards and made the engine break down.

A perfect example of this is a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) issued by Ford a few years ago. A large number of F series pickups with 6.0 Powerstroke turbo diesel engines were coming in with blown head gaskets. Ford found that almost every single one of them had a power chip installed that boosted engine output and damaged the head gasket. As a result, this specific damage was no longer covered under warranty, and Ford had every legal right to deny the warranty claim.

Do Your Homework

The very best thing you can do before your modify your vehicle is to research all of the data that’s out there. Professional aftermarket mechanics can be an invaluable resource for this. They’ll keep track of the TSBs that are out there for your car. Even if they don’t know the information off the top of their head, they know where to look to find it.

They’ll be able to recommend the best tuning modifications to get more out of your vehicle without harming your warranty.

Engine Chip Tuning: Is it Legal?

Engine Chip Tuning Legalized Or Not

The right performance chip or engine control unit can change the software in your engine’s computer, giving you more horsepower or more efficiency. In theory, it’s your vehicle, so you can do whatever you want to it.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers would like to change that. This group of 12 automobile manufacturers seeks to prohibit car owners from changing the software in their cars. But do they have legal grounds to make that claim?

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act

It all comes down to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Passed in 1998, the DMCA was designed to specifically deal with issues of copyright and intellectual property in the digital age. At the time, it dealt with music, movies, software, and other digital products.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is petitioning to have the software within the car’s computer covered under the DMCA. They claim that they have a copyright on the software. Like software companies, they’d like to limit the ability of the consumer to copy or modify the software. If the petition is approved, then it could prevent car owners from performing any modification that changes the software.

The Argument for Limiting ECU Tuning

At first glance this push against chip tuning might seem like it’s out of left field, but there is logic behind the Alliance’s case. Early engine computers might have only determined one thing, such as the fuel/air ratio in the fuel injector. Modern cars can have over 80 different computers or chips scattered around the vehicle. They can control everything from the engine to the anti-lock brake system to the steering to emissions.

When a car leaves the factory, the software is carefully set to very specific parameters. Some of these ensure that the car meets emission standards. Others ensure that the car meets safety standards, efficiency standards, and more. If someone changes these settings without knowing what they’re doing, the results can be damage the vehicle, and may even lead to accidents.

The Argument Against Limiting ECU Tuning

Opponents and car enthusiasts are aware that there are risks to any customization, but contend that these risks are actually very minor. To put things in perspective, they’ll point to classic cars. For example, a car from the 1950s will not be up to modern standards, no matter how well maintained it is. Even if adding performance chips to modern cars makes them slightly less safe, they’ll still be safer, cleaner, and in more compliance with standards than older cars.

But the biggest argument they have against limitations is the infringement of ownership rights. Placing remapping or other software modifications under the DMCA means that car owners only have a license to the software, rather than full ownership. This would mean that the car companies would own part of your car, and have a direct say in what you do with it. Opponents are also concerned about it being a slippery slope. For example, a different set of rims changes the parameters the software works with, and could then no longer be allowed.

Before you get any performance chip, chip tuning, engine remapping, or other software work done, it’s a good idea to check with a pro. They’ll be able to give you the most recent updates on the progression of the debate to help you make your decision.