# bad ground? start issue
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bad-ground-start-issue/228809
**Category:** SON240sx Automotive
**Created:** [February 19, 2013, 5:43am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bad-ground-start-issue/228809 "2013-02-19T05:43:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@kevbot](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/kevbot)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2013, 5:43am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bad-ground-start-issue/228809/1 "2013-02-19T05:43:44Z")
fuel pump works, sparks, cranks, just doesnt fire.
fuel pump and spark seem weak though.
Thinking bad ground??
only thing that throws me off is that the car started for a minute after resolving a fuel pump wiring issue, and now will not start again.
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### Author:  [@Worditzdoley](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Worditzdoley)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2013, 7:54am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bad-ground-start-issue/228809/2 "2013-02-19T07:54:31Z")
Try throwing some of that fuel cleaner through your system, could have clogged injectors meaning no fuel. No fuel = no fire. Either that or your fuel pump wiring is still messed like you stated above. Don’t think it’d be the ground, as long as you’re getting spark consecutively on cranks you’re good. If some plugs would miss fire sometimes then it’d prob be a bad ground.
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### Author:  [@clarkpark](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/clarkpark)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2013, 8:24am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bad-ground-start-issue/228809/3 "2013-02-19T08:24:54Z")
multimeters are our friends
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### Author:  [@d3boy2002](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/d3boy2002)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2013, 10:24am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bad-ground-start-issue/228809/4 "2013-02-19T10:24:50Z")
lol I had the same problem…
\*\* DON’T use that fuel cleaning stuff!!! \*\* - I think this is what got my car not starting in the first place, I used some of that lucas fuel injector cleaner the week my car died lol. Apparently it’s “not good to
use fuel additives on side-feed injectors” (sr20). \<-- might have been 'cus I had too cold spark plugs though.
If it was a bad ground, I don’t think it would even crank. For me when I had a bad ground, it would do absolutely nothing in the ‘start’ position. when on, the clock, psi guage etc. were all working. It would
just make some kind of clicking sound once at the start position.
If it cranks, and ALMOST starts but doesn’t, I’m pretty sure it would be the spark plugs. If not, IMO check/clean the injectors.
Karkas9 posted this awesome spark plug chart, u should check it out:
[http://www.son240sx.org/showthread.php?237528-Injector-last-days](http://www.son240sx.org/showthread.php?237528-Injector-last-days)
gl!
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### Author:  [@GetARide](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/GetARide)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2013, 12:15pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bad-ground-start-issue/228809/5 "2013-02-19T12:15:13Z")
Buy some cheapie new plugs then borrow / replace the following.
- ECU Temp sensor
- Coil packs
- Ignitor chip
- CAS sensor
- ECU
---------- Post added at 03:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:13 PM ----------
Before that though, check codes on the ECU itself, turn the screw on ecu with ignition on
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### Author:  [@randy240sx](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/randy240sx)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bad-ground-start-issue/228809/6 "2013-02-19T16:16:20Z")
try injector cleaner worked for me, had the same problem when i parked it for a long time, could have a frozen line
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### Author:  [@Cadence](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Cadence)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2013, 4:34pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bad-ground-start-issue/228809/7 "2013-02-19T16:34:51Z")
> [@d3boy2002](#):
>
> lol I had the same problem…
>
> \*\* DON’T use that fuel cleaning stuff!!! \*\* - I think this is what got my car not starting in the first place, I used some of that lucas fuel injector cleaner the week my car died lol. Apparently it’s “not good to
> use fuel additives on side-feed injectors” (sr20). \<– might have been 'cus I had too cold spark plugs though.
>
> If it was a bad ground, I don’t think it would even crank. For me when I had a bad ground, it would do absolutely nothing in the ‘start’ position. when on, the clock, psi guage etc. were all working. It would
> just make some kind of clicking sound once at the start position.
>
> If it cranks, and ALMOST starts but doesn’t, I’m pretty sure it would be the spark plugs. If not, IMO check/clean the injectors.
>
> Karkas9 posted this awesome spark plug chart, u should check it out:
> [http://www.son240sx.org/showthread.php?237528-Injector-last-days](http://www.son240sx.org/showthread.php?237528-Injector-last-days)
>
> gl!
listen to this guy, he’s a bonafide genius mechanic.
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### Author:  [@d3boy2002](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/d3boy2002)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/bad-ground-start-issue/228809/8 "2013-02-19T16:53:32Z")
just thought I’d put my 2c 😉