# 96 Isuzu hombre 2.2L MFI crank, no start

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** isuzu, hombre\
**Created:** [January 19, 2017, 12:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735 "2017-01-19T00:13:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bbaker9586](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@bbaker9586](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bbaker9586)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 12:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/1 "2017-01-19T00:13:22Z")

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Had hard start for month prior to dying. Died while driving down road. Started 2-3 times for around 20 seconds each time. Bad fuel pump & filter replaced both. Fuel pressure holds at 41 psi. Still no start. Replaced coil packs, plugs, wires, ICM, battery, CKP& FPR. Tested throttle position sensor. It’s good. Still crank with no start. Scanned with no codes coming back.  
96 Isuzu hombre 2.2 MFI

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**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 1:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/2 "2017-01-19T01:24:07Z")

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Since your fuel pressure is ok, it’s pretty much got to be from among

- no spark – check for a good healthy visual spark at the spark plugs during cranking
- fuel injectors not getting pulsed – use a special test gadget called a ‘noid’ light . I think that is short for "solenoid light’, b/c the fuel injector pulses work by the principle of an electrical solenoid.
- engine is flooded. – remove all spark plugs, disable fuel pump & ignition system and crank engine a bit to try to expel the gas, and let it sit for a couple days with the spark plugs out to let any remaining gasoline evaporate. Careful as any gasoline emitted during this is dangerous. I’ve had this flooding problem happen myself, and it can be a bugger to figure out that’s the problem. Wetness on the spark plug electrodes upon removal is a clue.

Faulty injectors, exhaust system clogs, low compression, head gasket problems are less likely, but should be considered too.

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**Author:** ![bbaker9586](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@bbaker9586](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bbaker9586)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 1:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/3 "2017-01-19T01:36:59Z")

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Thanks for that advice. I’m gonna start tomorrow with checking the plugs for spark and if it may be flooded. I’ll work on getting a hold of a noid light in the mean time. Then I’ll check back here and you know what i got.

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**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 4:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/4 "2017-01-19T04:24:41Z")

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Since it died while driving down the road, see if you can peek inside the hole you pour the oil to verify the camshaft is turning freely during cranking. Was it acting up at all before all this happened?

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**Author:** ![bbaker9586](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@bbaker9586](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bbaker9586)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 5:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/5 "2017-01-19T05:00:15Z")

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Hard starts or about a month before it died. It fired up 2-3 times afterwards for about 20 seconds each time. If not turning what would that mean? Broken timing chain/tensioner?

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**Author:** ![bbaker9586](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@bbaker9586](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bbaker9586)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 5:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/6 "2017-01-19T05:01:15Z")

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Also rough idle.

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**Author:** ![bbaker9586](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@bbaker9586](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bbaker9586)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 11:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/7 "2017-01-19T23:11:05Z")

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Yep. Hard start for about a month. The day it died it took about 10 tries to get it to start. Like it was starving for fuel. Was runny really rough too.

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**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2017, 2:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/8 "2017-01-20T02:51:49Z")

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Well, you got some ideas where to start looking anyway. Let us know what turns up.

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**Author:** ![bbaker9586](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@bbaker9586](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bbaker9586)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2017, 12:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/9 "2017-01-23T00:12:07Z")

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So, I did the spark test by hooking a cable from a plug wire with a spark plug in it to the negative battery terminal. After trying to crank it the spark plug had no spark. Where do I go from here?

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**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2017, 2:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/10 "2017-01-23T02:36:27Z")

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Wow . . . !

You should hold the spark tester to an engine ground, NOT directly to the battery negative terminal

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bbaker9586](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@bbaker9586](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bbaker9586)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2017, 5:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/11 "2017-01-23T05:53:01Z")

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Not a spark tester. I put a spark plug into the plug wire. Cable from spark plug to neg battery terminal.

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**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2017, 5:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/12 "2017-01-23T05:57:14Z")

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When you say you replaced the ICM, do you mean the igniter?

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**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2017, 6:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/13 "2017-01-23T06:13:44Z")

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> [@db4690](#):
>
> do you mean the igniter?

Igniter? I don’t think that’s the right terminology. GM calls it an ignition control module.

Anyway, checking for spark on that ignition system needs to be done at the coil and not at the end of a spark plug wire.

Nonetheless, with your inconclusive spark testing, it sounds like a typical failed fuel pump.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2017, 6:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/14 "2017-01-23T06:16:00Z")

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Sorry, didn’t see the part about already replacing the fuel pump and 41psi.

How many miles on the truck? Could be a timing chain slipped.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bbaker9586](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@bbaker9586](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bbaker9586)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 11:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/15 "2017-01-24T23:43:40Z")

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Nope. I mean the ignition control module. Replaced when the truck died. It’s been a few months but the truck hasn’t started since then.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bbaker9586](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@bbaker9586](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bbaker9586)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 11:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/16 "2017-01-24T23:45:33Z")

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I feel like it may have been something I did when I replaced the plugs, wires, ICM and CKP. the initial problem was the bad fuel pump. Though from what I understand the symptoms are pretty much the same. That why I replaced all that stuff.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bbaker9586](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@bbaker9586](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bbaker9586)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2017, 11:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/17 "2017-01-24T23:46:27Z")

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So fuel pump is good. Filter is new. Tested for spark and had no spark.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 2:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/18 "2017-01-25T02:18:02Z")

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One thing is certain, no spark, no start. No Isuzu experience, but I’ve never had an ambiguous result using the same method you did, a spare spark plug connected to a spark plug wire, and holding the body of the plug against an engine ground while cranking. Either I see a nice blue-white spark or I don’t. So I suspect you indeed actually have no spark happening for some reason. You could confirm this by doing the same test with all the plug wires, one at a time. Until you figure out why no spark, no need to bother with any other speculations why it won’t start.

BTW, as a safety note, suggest not to hold the spark plug anywhere near the battery when doing this test, as the spark can ignite gasses emitted from the battery and cause an explosion. Something you definitely don’t want.

So what could cause a cranks ok, but no-spark at the spark plug problem?

- Crank position not being sensed. However that is done on your Hombre, crank position sensor at the flywheel or the camshaft or inside the distributor, that engine phase position sensing function might not be working.
- Bad coil or igniter.
- Bad distributor.
- ECM isn’t sending the “ignite” signal.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 5:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/19 "2017-01-25T05:20:36Z")

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I believe the Isuzu Hombre is a relabeled Chevy S10 . . . ?

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**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2017, 5:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/96-isuzu-hombre-2-2l-mfi-crank-no-start/98735/20 "2017-01-25T05:22:50Z")

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Yes it is.

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