GTA not running

Hi all

Many on this site have experienced similar problems and I have read through and printed out all the suggested solutions. Had my 1987 Renault Alpine GTA V6 Turbo at Bathurst for the V8 races early October. Ran beautifully on the way up from Canberra but would not start when packing up to come home. Road assistance people put a new battery in and found no spark from one of the plug leads. So had to tilt tray it home. Have since replaced the TDC sensor which was faulty and found a loose wire to the coil now fixed but still no start.

Am working through checking all the earths but cannot find earths on front right hand and left hand pillars. Can see ones on the struts on the front left hand side for the battery and on the right rear strut for the coil. Are the ones on the pillars on the A or B door pillars and how do you access them - from under the car, removing interior panels etc ? Any photos would be handy - emailed to [email protected] as I cannot access them on this website for some reason.

Just as well I took delivery of my new Premier Edition Alpine A110 early this month!! Absolute pleasure to drive and all the rage at car shows here in Oz and plenty of looks on the road.

Cheers

Barry in Australia

Oh I forgot to mention that my mechanic thought that the fact it is not running may be due to the car alarm system. I bought the car off Steven Rodgers in Stock on Trent in September 2005 (original number plate was D25200M) and he was good enough to provide all the previous documentation on the car. From this, I found that Tracker Network (UK) Ltd had installed a system on 29 September 1993 that would enable the owner to track the car if it was stolen and the plate number was etched into the glass as well. Presumably this included a car alarm. What I have been able to find is wiring and a small battery (since expired) under the passenger side footwell with wiring going to various places and an alarm in the engine bay near the left hand rear strut.

I intend to remove the whole system but problem is I don't have a wiring diagram for it although I do for the car itself.

Can anyone help me here.

Is the TDC sensor an original part with correct plug or have you rewired it with aftermarket version?
Trick is the wires have to go red to white as the cars loom is wired wrongly. Just a quick check.

I tried the TDC both ways and still didn't work. It has been renewed and has voltage. Actually used one from a Renault Fuego. I had a TDC problem a few years ago and installed a new one. It didn't work when I connected white to red and red to white which seems counterintuitive but then I switched it around so it was white on white and red on red and bingo it worked. I think the later ones sold e.g. from Simons Auto have now got it right so to speak. I think my problem is elsewhere. I have already found a loose wire from the plug to the coil, fixed it but still no go. So the search goes on....and on...

Auto electrician get the problem sorted you will spend ages trying to find where the problem is and will probably brake something else which will cost you even more money, he will get it done in about 30 minutes and it will probably be something really simple.

I will be taking it to an auto electrician once he returns from Thailand. In the meantime, have not had a response from Tracker Systems who I asked for a wiring diagram on the system it installed on my car so wondering if anyone here has any ideas or info. Also no response from anyone on where the earths are on the front door pillars??

[mettersl]

spam....

Spam for Cat and Dogs

[stephendell]

Deleted

Surely there are some GTA gurus out there that can answer my queries? While I am waiting, have cleaned up the engine bay, installed new plugs and new distributor cap/rotor button and new water pump belt. Have since found that the pipe from the crank case emissions plastic canister to the sump was full of oil and the pipe to the sum had been blocked off!! Not easy to replace but will get there.

[mettersl]

I don't have a turbo so cant help much at the rear, so any suggestions from me are going to be pretty standard stuff (Apologies for the obviousness)
Assuming HT leads and distributor cap/rotor arm are ok, and you have checked all the rear earths already?
Have you tried another coil pack?
Have you opened and cleaned all the connectors on the engine loom and onto the ecu (between rear seats).
Is it definitely no spark from any cylinders or the king lead??
At the front, from memory the earths on the front pillars are low down behind the interior footwell trim panels. I don't have any pictures with me...
However the factory alarm is pre-wired and even if not fitted there is a multi plug in the passenger foot well (lift the carpet and unscrew the toe board) it should have a blanking plug like this...make sure that you have the same bridge as this can disable the car. If you have an aftermarket alarm, start with disconnecting that completely.
[url] https://photos.app.goo.gl/aV5GHhGYnNYJSMba6 [url/]

Link corrected..
The attached plug is the original factory fit alarm socket, the others are left overs from an alarm I removed...you need to replicate the bypass wire.

Good luck...when does the auto electrician return??

The crank position sensor or connection would be my first port of call, after that check the fuel pumps are working fuse/relay.

Thanks Metters and Custard for your responses. Can Metters email the photo as I cannot access them off the site. My email is [email protected]

My mate is back from Thailand next week. In the meantime, have cleaned up the engine bay, installed new plugs, new distributor cap/rotor button, new belt and about to instal new fuel hoses just received from Simon Auto. Discovered pipe from crankcase emissions to sump has been blocked off and now fixing that. Have checked all the earths except the door pillars so next on list.
Have a spare coil and ecu to do testing. Found yellow wire to coil was disconnected but after fixing that it made no difference. TDC has been replaced but still no difference. Have checked car alarm wiring under the passenger footwell and found small battery is obviously dead with corroded terminals. After wiring diagram for it from installers or someone here but so far no luck.

[mettersl]

Unless it’s a factory fit alarm, I doubt anyone here can help with that wiring diagram for the alarm.
Here are the closest wiring diagrams that I have...I think you car is 88 so this is the 1989 wiring diagram so should be close. Sorry they are in French...I don’t have an English version for this year.
The blanking plug for the alarm is item 427. Assuming your alarm is factory, unplugging this connection. (In left hand foot well in rhd car) and putting in the blanking bridge should remove the alarm from the car.
The a pillar door earth is m9. You can see it’s location on the diagram...behind the trim. One on each side of the car from memory,
Good luck
Lee

Wiring diagrams here
[url] https://photos.app.goo.gl/QA5cYwiRhUhyUq559/ [url]

Thanks to everyone for their advice to date especially to Lee Metters who sent info to me via email. Have not made much progress so far on electrical issues and concentrated on refurbishing the engine bay - now complete. Now to concentrate on electrical issues. So far checked all the earths, replaced plugs and distributor/rotor button, renewed exhaust gaskets, replaced TDC sensor (original not working) and replacement tested and worked on my Fuego Turbo. Also carefully removed car tracking alarm. Still no luck in starting. Will now check all other sensors and continuity of wiring.

Does anyone have an A4 size schematic diagram identifying all the pins (numbers and function) on the Renix ecu for my Alpine GTA 6 Turbo? Have one downloaded for a JEEP from the web and also a copy of one for a R21 Turbo but not sure they are the same for my Alpine. There was no such diagram in the blue workshop manual purchased from Stephen Dell when I imported from the UK some time ago. If so can you email to me at [email protected]

Cheers

Barry McAdie
Canberra
Land of Oz