Testing Solenoids
Testing Solenoids I have a question for you guys. I recently installed a nitrous kit on my car with a window switch and wide open throttle switch. I want to test to see if my solenoids are firing before actually even using nitrous, but I want to do it in my garage. The problem is, I hooked up the window switch before testing to see if the solenoids fired. The only way I could think of doing it is to turn the bottle off, increase the throttle to the rpm window I have it set for, and hold the wot switch button in. Now this will fire the fuel solenoid, and nitrous solenoid, but I wont have any nitrous in the line. I will only have actual fuel firing for a split second into the intake manifold, will this work? Thanks
I taped my wot switch down and put the 3000 pill in my window switch. Dont fire fuel or nitrous into the intake. Put the hose in a plastic bag and duct tape it shut. I did this for both solenoids to test them.
Maybe try to put the smallest jets in so theres not as much/nitrous spraying.
Maybe try to put the smallest jets in so theres not as much/nitrous spraying.
Much easier way...
I take it you used a relay with the system, correct? Arm the system, and use a small wire to jumper the low current side of the circuit to a ground - that usually where you wire in all of your safety systems. Doing so will activate the high current side, ie fire the solenoids. Have the bottle closed, and hold a soda bottle over the end of the fuel line to catch what comes out. That's how I tested my noids.
I take it you used a relay with the system, correct? Arm the system, and use a small wire to jumper the low current side of the circuit to a ground - that usually where you wire in all of your safety systems. Doing so will activate the high current side, ie fire the solenoids. Have the bottle closed, and hold a soda bottle over the end of the fuel line to catch what comes out. That's how I tested my noids.
My purge is working fine. But nothing is happening when hitting 3k rpms and holding down the wot switch. Nothing is spraying in the bags. Problem with my rpm signal? I tapped into my pcms rpm signal wire.
Last edited by Greekey; Feb 19, 2010 at 11:31 PM.
Damn, that metro is going to be SICK with nitrous, lol, j/k.
Check the grounds on the solenoids and make sure they are good. Instead of testing it with the wot/rpm window switch, make sure they are just firing when power is going to them first. I have a push button switch i carry around with wire on it, i just do what NHRATA01 does, put power to the trigger from the battery and check the solenoids fire. Start from small and work your way up, there are too many things that can go wrong when you test from wot/rpm window switch, so just start from the beginning. GL!
Check the grounds on the solenoids and make sure they are good. Instead of testing it with the wot/rpm window switch, make sure they are just firing when power is going to them first. I have a push button switch i carry around with wire on it, i just do what NHRATA01 does, put power to the trigger from the battery and check the solenoids fire. Start from small and work your way up, there are too many things that can go wrong when you test from wot/rpm window switch, so just start from the beginning. GL!
Trending Topics
are you getting a response from your signal side of your relay or are you lacking current to fuel your solenoid coils? these are the first steps. get a volt meter or a 12v test light.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Topdon ONE vs. Artidiag 800 BT2: Which is the Diagnostic Tablet For You?
Pouria Savadkouei
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo Damn, that metro is going to be SICK with nitrous, lol, j/k.
Check the grounds on the solenoids and make sure they are good. Instead of testing it with the wot/rpm window switch, make sure they are just firing when power is going to them first. I have a push button switch i carry around with wire on it, i just do what NHRATA01 does, put power to the trigger from the battery and check the solenoids fire. Start from small and work your way up, there are too many things that can go wrong when you test from wot/rpm window switch, so just start from the beginning. GL!
Check the grounds on the solenoids and make sure they are good. Instead of testing it with the wot/rpm window switch, make sure they are just firing when power is going to them first. I have a push button switch i carry around with wire on it, i just do what NHRATA01 does, put power to the trigger from the battery and check the solenoids fire. Start from small and work your way up, there are too many things that can go wrong when you test from wot/rpm window switch, so just start from the beginning. GL!
Testing solenoids. All I did was have them grounded and run the postive over the POS battery terminal. If you hear clicking, its working. Also what happened to me the very first time, was my 12v relay was shot. Basically disassembled my entire wiring, because it was either that or the window switch. But it was the relay.
To actually make sure the fuel solenoid is working (as in spray fuel) I'd set my window switch to read WOT at a low voltage. Instead of 4.6-.7 i'd have it at 2.5 or something like that. Hold the line to a bucket and push on the throttle body, and if it sprays i am good lol.
To actually make sure the fuel solenoid is working (as in spray fuel) I'd set my window switch to read WOT at a low voltage. Instead of 4.6-.7 i'd have it at 2.5 or something like that. Hold the line to a bucket and push on the throttle body, and if it sprays i am good lol.
I went to my fuse box for a switched 12-volt. And yes, my grounds coming of my solenoids are all connected to the same ground I used. Under the hood, on top on of the passenger side wheel well, there's a ground from the factory, I just used that.
Troubleshooting. If you put 12V to the noids and they click, then you know they are ok and wired correctly. If not, either bad noids or bad choice of ground. From there you can start testing the other components. The easiest thing to do is use a multimeter on the ohms setting, and look for a closed circuit on the WOT switch when activated, and then on the window switch when in the correct rpm range. Ohm out your grounds while you're at it too.
You start from the basics, if the solenoids aren't firing AT ALL, why go through the trouble to figure out if its your wot switch, rpm signal, wiring, and go through all that trouble, if the solenoids don't fire directly? If they fire from the start, great, then you know it isn't the solenoid, then you go to the next thing that it could be. Ultimately, you want everything to work, but he is troubleshooting right now. Think of it as a flow chart. Start from the basics.
I used that as one of my grounds too, so its good. I have read on here somewhere of someone using the same ground for everything and it didnt work.
Okay guys, I did some troubleshooting and I think I found my culprit. I bypassed window switch, then hit my wot switch, and guess what? My solenoids fired. Whys my window switch not letting my solenoids fire when its hooked up to the system?
I also read somewhere that in order for the window switch to work I have to cut both loops to put in switch in 4 cylinder mode, is this correct? Because I left mine in 8 cylinder mode by not cutting any wires.
I finally figured it out. Thought I had an electrical error. Turned out to be, the loops on the window switch needed cut. After hours on trouble shooting, checking every wire, thats all that needed done. 
Thanks guys
Thanks guys 
Apparently, you didn't know to cut the two wires, but it's good you found the problem.
Every performance part I consider buying for the Z, I do a search to get info on it. That being said, doing a search would've saved you the headache. The search engine is your friend.
Every performance part I consider buying for the Z, I do a search to get info on it. That being said, doing a search would've saved you the headache. The search engine is your friend.