Dodge Stealth Problems and Questions

Andrew7dg · 07-12-2009

92 Dodge Stealth Twin Turbo AWD

Ok I am helping someone with their Dodge and did some basic mods to it.

FP rewire

SAFC II install

There is a FMIC and 560 cc injectors
2 255Walbro with big lines and new fuel rails

Battery in the trunk

This car hasn't been running for a couple of years.

I did all of the mods and when we try to crank it over, it won't turn over, I don't think the silinoid is kicking in. Also The fuel pumps aren't getting power. Traced back to the blue and black wire wasn't getting power. Almost like the ECU wasn't activating the fuel pumps.

Is there any trick that I should know about? Any anti theft device that can trigger this problem?

I don't know really where to start with this. Anything I should be looking at? Bad ECU?

Suggestions? I am kind of fustrated of this

niterydr · 07-12-2009

Check your grounds and check your power supply to the ECU. Good battery voltage? Good grounds?

Andrew7dg · 07-13-2009

I thought it was the battery relocation also but we tried 3 things,

First we had the battery in the trunk and tried to start it like that..nothing

Second we pulled his truck up and hooked jumper cables to the connections in front while the battery was still in back... Nothing

Third we moved the battery to the front again and... nothing

It could be that everything was hooked up loosely and grounds weren't tight. I will double and triple check and add more grounds to the car.

We just have a positive cable running from the front to the back. Do we need to run a Ground cable also? My DSM we didn't have to but I don't know about these Stealths

What is a good way of checking that the ECU has power? I hear the relay to the side of the ECU kicking on stuff and the SAFC II is reading the throttle position sensor when the car is turned on so the ECU I would think is activating something...

SnoEclipse · 07-13-2009

Yes, run a ground cable too. Ground the batt in the trunk and again at the engine, preferably directly at the starter motor.

The ground cable needs to be the same thickness as the positive. Never, ever depend on a 'frame ground' alone for starting current.

What size positive cable? If you are going to buy/fab new cables, go to Crystal Welding and get 30 feet of heavy duty 0/0 welding cable. Cheaper than the 'tuner' cables and easier to work with. The cable should come in both red and black.

You did install a 200a 12v marine circuit breaker right at the battery, yes?

All fuses/circuit breakers good?

One at a time, pull the underhood electrical connectors, inspect for water/corrosion, spray them down with an industrial-strength contact cleaner like DeOxit (Caig Labs, available at AEI Electronics, Golden Valley) and reassemble. After each connector you open up, inspect, clean, reassemble, try to start the car.

Andrew7dg · 07-14-2009

Well we are thinking we are having starter problems...

It is rumored that the Stealths don't have the initial priming system like DSMs have when you turn the ignition on. The fuel pumps turn on when the car starts cranking over.

SO... now to get the car to crank over. We are using the good welding wire 0/0 for the positive and now we are going to do that for the negative. It is fused on the positive side.

Hopefully all this is just a grounding issue but from the same rumor told us that there is a starter connection that fails. Any thoughts on this? The Relay for the starter clicks (located in the fuse box) on so if there was a break of a connection it would be from there to the starter right? It is just that the top connection for the silanoid is kind of hard to get to. There is a front mount intercooler installed now and I am wondering if a wire was unplugged for fitment. There is just no sound coming from the starter which is why I suspect something...

SnoEclipse · 07-15-2009

does any voltage appear on the line to the starter? Just disconnect the heavy line and check with a meter while a friend tries to crank the car.

As with everything, safety first. Make sure that if the motor does fire or even turn over you're not in a position to get sucked in or caught up in rotating parts.

MustGoFaster · 07-15-2009

Stock they do not prime the FP at a "key on" event, only while cranking.

There is one potential issue with the starter trigger wire. Mitsu used a wire that is right at it's maximum capacity for the trigger wire. Age+heat can increase the resistance and make it not trigger the starter.

You could also just try hitting it with a hammer, as sitting for a few years it might just be a stuck solinoid.