Stupid car is broken AGAIN!

[Tim]

Well, I got the stumble problem fixed (thanks Festiva GTX!) and the car ran great all of yesterday. I thought my problems were over until this morning when I left for church.

I was driving along, the car was running fine, and I had no problems. Then it just died. I was going down a long hill that leads into town and the check engine light came on, and the car quit and wouldn't restart. It was just like the car ran out of gas, but I had plenty left in the tank.

I am at a loss as to why this would happen. Yesterday just about anything that could break was replaced - new ignition coil, distributor, TPS, large coolant sensor thing on the intake, and a few other small parts. The fuel pump, which I suspected was the problem, works fine.

Everything seems to be plugged in and there are no obvious problems.

The only thing that I think would do this is a broken timing belt, but that was replaced at 100,000 miles a few years ago. Currently the car has 133k, too few miles to cause the belt to snap.


About the only part not replaced yesterday was the VAF. But if that was defective, wouldn't the car start but not stay running?


Any thoughts? I am getting sick of working on this thing.



Regards,

Tim

[Dave G]

Check the main fuse, and the center wire on the distributor.

[25Horseplay]

Do you have spark? I had a simlar problem and it turned out the distributor went bad.

[SimonTuffGuy]

I'd check the main fuse too... I blew one on my way home from NY on Friday and the car ran, everything worked until I finally shut the car down... My volts gauge was all wacky and my "battery charge" light came on too...

My check engine light has been one since Ohiostiva with a plug that's missing that I need to get a replacement for.

[kzbill]

Also swap the distributor, if the fuses are good. the center fuse on mine went one time and I couldn't find it cause it was touching together inside the insulation, as soon as I bumped it it worked again. Til the Next time. I ordered an optical sensor for mine.
Just waiting for it to come across the country.

[kzbill]

It has to be the distributor now. I ordered a new crank/cam optical sensor, should be here this week.

All is good but the cutting out. when it runs it runs real fine!
I am glad I found the optical sensors they come new from china there is a guy in Austraila that is selling them on ebay for $100 au.
+$27.50 shipping.

For some reason they are available outside the country but not here. I guess the "rebuilders" have the market tied up so the average joe can't just buy them.

they replace them regularly in AU/GB/EU but here you have to buy the whole distibutor for a min of about $175 plus shipping and handling.

[Tim]

Ok, so I went and had another look at the car today and checked a few things out.

The timing belt is not broken and I cleaned/swapped fusibile links, which made no difference. I also checked the wiring in the engine bay and the wire from the ingition coil to the distributor, and found no problems. I also checked the fuses in the car, which are fine as well, and made sure the distributor cap was on tight.

Here is what I did find:


No spark. None at the distributor or at the ignition coil.

The injectors didn't buzz when I turned the ignition on.

There is a black connector on top of the distributor with a 4 pin plug on it. It wiggles like it is loose. Is that normal?

[Festiva GTX]

Sound like your distributor's inside gut black plastic is broke?

[WmWatt]

If there's no current at the ignition coil then it's not likely the distributor. I'd remove the coil wires and clean coil terminals. Wipe down the whole coil as well. If you have a volt/ohm meter check the coil circuitry.

[Tim]

Ok, I am pretty sure I know what is wrong. Check this out:



What I think happened is that when we assembled the new distributor, the 3 screws holding down the optical sensor weren't tightened. They worked loose and jammed the metal rotor thing, mangling it and destroying the eye.

When I took the distributor off the screws were lying in the bottom.

[25Horseplay]

Ewww.........Do you have a spare?

[Festiva GTX]

I just send other nice dist unit in small box out for you TIM!

[fishgoddess]

Aw, that SUCKS! I have one too if the one GTX doesn't work out.

[Tim]

Ok guys, I got the distributor and I put it in. I can get the car to start, but it's really hard and it's acting like I got the firing order wrong. Which is odd because I checked it and the wires are in the correct order (1342).

I think the new distributor is from a 93 Protege that had a B8. Are there any differences in distributors? Does the Protege have a different firing order?

I'd like to get this thing on the road!



Tim

[fishgoddess]

Tim, Call me. I'll drive mine out to you in trade for your assistance. Mine's out of a 93 festiva. I'm not off work until 3 and I left my cell phone at home. Leave a message, I'll call you back. I have to drive into Spokane today anyway what's a few more miles.