'92 Plymouth Laser won't start
David Ely
showed up for the first time yesterday. It turned over fine, but it didn't
sound like the engine was firing. I thought it could be an electrical
problem, but I had an appointment so I didn't test that idea for a few
hours. When I got back, I checked to see if the spark plugs were firing. I
pulled a wire off one of the plugs, stuck a screw driver down in the wire,
and had my wife try to start the car while I tried to get a spark between
the screw driver and the engine block. I was very surprised that the car
started, and continued to run on just three cylinders. I stopped the car,
put the wire back on the plug, and had my wife start the car. It started
fine again. She turned off the car while I checked all of the other wires.
We tried to start it again, but it wouldn't start. I played with the spark
plug wires for a while, but it still wouldn't start. So I retried the
original experiment, with the screw driver, and I couldn't get any spark out
of the spark plug wire. I'm not sure what the problem could be. Could it
be an electrical problem: the spark plugs, spark plug wires, or distributor?
Or it could be problem with the fuel pump or fuel filter? Could the engine
have been flooded and letting it sit for a while let enough gas evaporate to
allow the car to start? This might explain why the car wouldn't start a
third time. I can do without the car for a little while, but I would like
to have it working in a few days. I'd like to try to fix it myself, but
I'll take it in if I have to. If anyone has any suggestions about what
could be causing this or any experiments that might narrow down the problem,
I would appreciate hearing them. Thanks.
David Ely
e...@cs.washington.edu
Glenn Beasley
intermittent spark, when the car is running again tap on the distributor
metal housing with a wrench and see if it dies or misfires, if it does
replace the pickup plate, I have also seen rotor buttons get holes burnt
thru them and ground out the spark to the plugs
Glenn Beasley
Chry Tech
David Ely wrote in message ...
sh...@my-dejanews.com
"Glenn Beasley" <gbea...@crosslink.net> wrote:
> You probably have a bad distributor pick up plate that is causing the
> intermittent spark, when the car is running again tap on the
distributor
> metal housing with a wrench and see if it dies or misfires, if it does
> replace the pickup plate, I have also seen rotor buttons get holes
burnt
> thru them and ground out the spark to the plugs
The engine in that 92 Plymouth Laser is a Mitsubishi engine.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that each of the engines
available in that car (the 1.8, the 2.0 and the 2.0 turbo) all have
distributorless ignition. The ECU sends a signal to the coil packs
(2 of them), which in turn fire the spark plugs directly. The ECU
knows when to fire them based on the cam position sensor and crank
angle sensor, with feedback from the knock sensor (on the turbo
engine) to retard or advance the timing as the RPMs increase.
As a last resort to hearing knock, the ECU will cut the turbo
boost down to 9psi (again on the turbo engine) by closing the
boost control solenoid.
No rotor involved. No buttons involved. No distributor pickup
plate.
>Glenn Beasley
>Chry Tech
Again, correct me if I am wrong, I am not a "Chrysler Tech" :-)
I am not sure about the 1.8L engine, but I am dead certain about
the 2.0L engines.
Josh Wingell
'97 Eclipse GSX - 13....@99.86 / 1.71 60ft
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sh...@my-dejanews.com
"David Ely" <e...@cs.washington.edu> wrote:
Ok, first things first, which engine do you have in your Plymouth
Laser? Is it the normally aspirated 1.8L, the normally aspirated
2.0L, or the turbocharged 2.0L?
Second, this sounds like it *may* be a fried ECU.
Do you hear any clicking from the center console? Or have you
heard any clicking from the center console? Not the click you
hear after shutting of the car, that is the ECU turning off.
If you have heard clicking, that is electricity arcing to ground,
wreaking all sorts of havoc. Do you smell "rotten fish" (yes,
really) in the area of the center console? That is a leaking
capacitor. The capacitors in DSM ECUs tend to leak after about 7
7 years or so, due to heat or just plain age. The electrolyte
will eat through traces on the ECU motherboard.
If your car won't start now, it may be too late. A new/refurbished
ECU may be your only hope.
Read up on this problem and how to fix it here:
http://www.tmo.com/howto/ecu1g/caps.htm
Other places to get info about your car:
http://www.dsm.org/
http://faqs.dsm.org/
If you need a new ECU, some of the better places to buy one or get
yours repaired are:
http://www.ecmtogo.com/
http://www.msrecycling.com/
or
Leroy's Auto Parts
5430 Washington
Houston, TX 77007 US
Phone: 713-802-1185
mailto:desi...@insync.net
The first 2 are well known in the DSM world. The last one isn't as
well known, I don't think, but they seem to have some good prices
as of late. And NO, $800 from the dealership is NOT a good
deal! Don't let them scam you!
Your car has a Mitsubishi engine, you might as well deal with the
people that know them, not any Plymouth dealer.
Note that it could be some other problem, but even if it isn't and
you don't read up on the ECU capacitor repair, and have it performed
at a TV repair shop for $20, you could end up paying for it big time
later on.
The web page I listed above tells you exactly how to fix the problem.
Glenn Beasley
correct in a way, first of all i was thinking of the 2.2 engine that
chrysler made, not the mitsubishi engine, and the mitsubishi engine does not
have distributor pick up plate problems.
they do have distributors in them.
glenn Beasley
chry tech
sh...@my-dejanews.com wrote in message <7hhbk3$6jb$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>...
sh...@my-dejanews.com
"Glenn Beasley" <gbea...@crosslink.net> wrote:
> I replyed to this on a different news group and i did state that yes
you are
> correct in a way, first of all i was thinking of the 2.2 engine that
> chrysler made, not the mitsubishi engine, and the mitsubishi engine
does not
> have distributor pick up plate problems.
> they do have distributors in them.
I just checked the 1G Diamond Star shop manual. The 1.8L engines
have distributors. The 2.0L engines (both turbo and non) have
coil packs that drive the spark plugs directly.
The only Chrysler engine that has ever been in a DSM is a version
of the DOHC 2.0L Neon engine that has its intake and exhaust ports
reversed. That was in the 95-99 normally aspirated cars (not
including the NA Eclipse Spyder that used a 2.4L Mitsu engine).
All of the other engines were Mitsubishi engines.
The original poster never mentioned what kind of engine was in
the car.
DSM = Diamond Star Motors (Eagle Talon, Mitsubishi Eclipse and
the 90-94 Plymouth Laser).