# Urgent help needed – auto-manual swap won’t start



## Dan9 (Sep 18, 2004)

My 94 Sentra XE…was auto, put in 92 5speed and motor w/air regulator on to the stock harness (with harness for tranny borrowed from a 94 5speed donor and the speed sensor out of the auto tranny)

All mechanical things are sorted out and bolted in. We had a short from the security system LED wire getting pinched in the steering column and vaporizing when we tried a start.

That aside, which was re-spliced just fine, when the ignition is turned on and cranked, the dash lights come on and then stay on even when the key is removed.

We tried using a ghetto wire to crank the starter and see if it was OK and it cranked.

Problem seems to be the car does not know we are trying to start it or something – fuel pump primes but we pulled a plug after cranking and no gas or flooding.

The auto has an inhibitor relay related to the neutral safety switch on the auto shifter. We tried replugging the auto shifter in again and shutting that switch so the car would see it as safe to start.

We tried removing the relay and doing a simple bridge to get ignition but that didn’t work and seems to only be part of the problem anyways.

So, it is wiring hell. And in the meantime I have no freakin ride to get to work at 3:30 in the morning.

Anyone have suggestions or experiences regarding the wiring on the swap? This really seems to be an inhibitor switch problem of some kind. We just aren’t getting juice down to the starter (we pulled the starter and test-cranked it and it cranks fine).

Thanks a lot!

D


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## 2jzsxDave (Oct 15, 2006)

i would say another wire is pinched...since the light stay on even after the key is removed...i think a constant got pinched against an ign. wire


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## Dan9 (Sep 18, 2004)

BUMP. Thanks Dave I will check for shorts, maybe a relay got fried in the short the other day and is 'stuck' in a position (maybe even the ignition switch itself)...

C'mon guys someone must have done something in auto-manual swappage...I believe that correctly bypassing/splicing for the neutral safety switch, clutch switch or whatever has to be done, right?

Or can they just be left dead?

Does the ECU need an OK signal from some relay in order to send fuel and all?

Anyways in the meantime I picked up a Mazda 323 to get around and beat on this winter, so its less urgent in a sense (although I gotta get that Sentra out of there someday soon!!!)

Thanks for reading my post. Before doing this I accumulated parts and read lots of stuff all summer long. The non-starting is a surprise to me. "Wiring hell" indeed.

D


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## Fosters (Aug 1, 2002)

I posted in your thread on SR20Forum.com.

Josh


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## Dan9 (Sep 18, 2004)

Nice
UPDATE:
OK mechanic got it started finally. We fused the neutral switch shut with tape. I think the ECU was fried; with the auto ECU teh dash lights are normal. Car was starting and revving waaaay high then surging. Also the starter had abad brush.

Rebuilt starter and its OK. Checked for vac leaks and it turns out it was a combo of 2 bad injectors causing a power imbalance (they were pissin') and one of the O-rings that the injectors sit on in the manifold was bent and leaking lots of air. Put old fuel rail from my other motor on.

Before comin home to crash out again, we did get it started fairly normal, idle was low but thats cuz it needs adjustment per FSM procedure.

All thats left is to sort out the ECU (will try and get a good one manual from junkyard) and adjust shifter and clutch cable.

=)

I hope....


Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## sunnysentra (Jul 24, 2002)

you did use the manual sub-harness at the tranny and all? Did you use a manual ECU? I did not have any issues. There is a wire harness that is taped under the dash that plugs into the switch on the clutch pedal. its a tiny harness plug a 2 wire one that activates the switch when you put the clutch to the floor. Since I did not re-wire the automatic relay things that allow the engine to start with the pedal down and car in gear. I have to put the thing in neutral all the time to start it. other than that, I have had no issues. 

Chris


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## Dan9 (Sep 18, 2004)

I dunno if he used that, I did give it to him but he may have just swapped some wires. I didnt notice that clutch wire but I will find it and plug it in. I did not hear from him friday or on the weekend but after work Illl head over and see whats up...I want my car back! Its been over 2 weeks now.

With the manual ECU all those dash lights were staying on. I think it got fried from teh short. With auto ECU back in its fine. I am getting ahold of a good manual ECU to put in.


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## Dan9 (Sep 18, 2004)

Things still dire.

We did use the manual harness, off the 94 donor car. I cannot find a clutch switch conenctor hiding under the dash - I looked today.
sigh....

Car started OK. Short shifter was too short, hard to move rod so he lifted the car and replaced the shifter with teh stock one.

After that the car would not start again. He got a manual ECU from a 94 GXE, replaced fuel pump relays, replaced FPR, no dice. I went today and checked connectors and such. At key turn to ON the fuel pump primes but once you crank thats all it does. He tried disconnecting the fuel line and putting a bottle there and cranking but gas sprays out initially and then stops(!).

We tried bypassing the neutral safety switch relay up front by connecting the 2 big wires (W/B and W/Y) together but still, crank and no turnin over.

He's worried that maybe the stiff shifter caused the neutral switch to break or something in the tranny. Before we could try and bypass that switch the starter solenoid broke GRRRR%RRRR....

....seems to me that something that is supposed to tell the fuel pump to keep sending fuel is not doing that for some reason. It primes fine and that is it.

He is patient. Since I got a winter beater, I am patient too but to a point - this thing is on the verge of working but it doesnt and I really need help. Local help maybe - anyone in Montreal area??? hehe didnt think so. But we will keep trying.

Thanks for listening to my lamentations. In the Haynes manual it does note some differences between manual US cars and Canada ones, I think it is the clutch switch or something. 

D9


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## Dan9 (Sep 18, 2004)

Well I dont have anyone around here yet who can help get this going. It started today and then died after 45 secs, fuel pressure drops to nil (used a tester).

I suspect a bad sending unit or relay, pump is new Walbro 190.

This depressing. I am on the verge of just putting this up on blocks and parting it out, what else can I frigging do!!?! GRAAAAHHHHHHHH


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## Dan9 (Sep 18, 2004)

OK panic Dan has an answer - the Thermoblok spacer install pulled the throttle cable too tight and as a result the plate was open and the TPS not at zero.

With the cable adjusted it seems OK.

D


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