Puzzling Car Probem. Any Mechanics? Help?

S

Scott Free

Joined
Sep 15, 1999
Messages
3,319
My 1992 Eagle Summit (Mitsubishi) has almost 90,000 on it and has always run great. A week ago, it failed to start on the first try. After a few more, it started up and ran fine. I put some dry gas in it and brought it home, then let it cool down. When I went to start it, it started right up. The next morning, nothing would start it, so it was towed to the mechanic. He said the engine wasn't getting spark and that it needed a new/used distributor. Today he put a used (but definitely working) distributor on the car, but its still not getting any spark. Now he wants to replace the computer. (He thinks its under the dash.) Would a 1992 car even have a computer? Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this problem? I hate to put much money into such an old car.

Desparately,

Scott
 
I would double check plug wires next. ALso, I'd very carefull double the the "new" old distributor cap. I'd also check the fuel pump and/or injection relay.
 
I don't know how much I would trust a mechanic who THINKS the computer is under the dash. He better know what he is doing before he starts charging me money to replace parts, and mess around with my car.
 
First things first... Make sure you are getting power to the distributor. The computer should be in control of advance but... Considering you are probably using a mag (or other) pickup for 'points', even if your advance were wacked, you should be getting a sputter or some spark at the plug end of things. See if you are hot at the distributor, then look at the computer. Turning it over w/ignition on and a continuity checker should tell you what's going on there. Check at the coil pak. It could be bad too...
 
Bad Ignition module, or pick up coil inside the distributor.

Ignition module should be very near the distributor, possibly attached to it. Find the wires that lead into the distributor (electrical wires, NOT plug wires!), and follow back to the module.

Check the cap and rotor first, then make sure the wires are intact. Check the wires with an ohm meter.

Oh yeah. As stated above, you need to find a real mechanic. If the one you are using now doesn't know where the computer is, he should have a Mitchell manual telling him where it is, and how long to remove and replace. Also, if he's arbitrarily replacing parts without testing them first, thats another sign he isn't competent.

Since he replaced the distributor, with no results, I'm betting the ignition module went south.

Good luck.
 
any good mechanic should be able to plug into the computer with a trouble code reader and read the trouble codes and it will prob tell ya exactly whats wrong, really unless ya do this ya are just gonna keep replacing modules/switches/etc untill ya get lucky (if ya do) i would get a someone to diagnose the problem ( i would think it would cost $50 or so) and then if ya can save money by all means replace the parts yourself, used to work at an auto parts and people would buy rotors/modules/pick ups/condensers/etc/etc and sometimes it would be a bad wire/connection lol, so imho i would find out exactly whats wrong THEN get parts unless ya feel lucky .

one guy had a '89 ford truck, wouldnt start, replaced all the ignition parts and it still got no spark, took it to a dealership for diagnosis, the module we sold him was defective, he wasnt happy, :p
 
The problem was indeed the computer. A used one only set me back $40!

It seems this is a very common problem for this particular car for this particular year.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions!

Scott
 
you lucked out, bro. glad to hear it got fixed.
 
Hotrod - I guess that it's so common to go to a mechanic and hear "replace the computer" that we've become jaded to reject that as a fix....

Personally, my first thought was to start with the plugs and work your way backwards, checking all systems as you go.

Maybe the mech did that and that's how he arrived at the solution?


I had assumed, like others, that he wanted to replace the ECU because he wanted to guarantee he was getting proper diagnostics before proceeding any farther. Of course, this is partially because it happened to me a few times too......maybe to a few others as well?


Like we said - you lucked out Scott. The first ECU I had replaced set me back $420. :eek:
 
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