died and wont start

[Menacing talon]

I have a 90 Talon Tsi thats pretty much stock except for an exhaust and a boost controller. So I was driving home yesterday after replacing the shifter cables and about 2 minutes from my house I was coming down the hill and I heard kind of a pop and then everything just died. The tach went to 0,all the gauges shut down, but the radio was still playing. I tried popping the clutch seeing as I was doing about 55 MPH,no such luck. Tried turning the key and still no luck. I rolled onto the shoulder and checked distributor wires etc. No problems there, what could make a car die when youre doing 50+ MPH and then not want to restart. When I try to restart the car it will crank but it wont actually catch and turn over,Its like when you do a compression test and unplug the ignition wire and the car will just crank all day. it snowed for the first time here today and my Talon broke last night,Im stuck driving my 73 Nova through the snow so I kind of need to fix this fast if at all possible. I was thinking maybe a timing belt,but I wont be able to check until later today. Sorry for long post

 

[tqmx1]

Remove your timing cover and check the belt .

 

[Menacing talon]

Just fiddled with the car a little bit. fuel pump primes and I checked the timing belt and its still in tact and when you try to turn the car over the cams are turning so I guess that isnt it. Im leaning towards something electrical

 

[1LE]

Check the ignitor/power transistor. When that fails it produces those exact results, and it can fail without warning (happened to me this summer).

 

[02HtownSubie]

Sounds familiar. I am strongly you do a compresson test. That is one mistake I didn't do for my car. The harmonic balancer pulley broke into two pieces somehow causing it to jump timing and all 16 valves bent as well as pistons damaged.
Instead I was checkin electrical from iginition, fuel, to sensors. My car kept cranking but don't start. I thought the timing belt broke but it is still intact however when I try to get TDC i couldn't line up all the timnig markings weird. I should have done the compression test as suggested by others but instead I was wasting time and money on replacing the good function parts.
If you look at my post, you'll se pictures of my car head and valves bent beyong repair.

 

[Menacing talon]

I took one of the spark plug wires off today and put a screwdriver in the hole and tried to arc a spark off the wire to the screwdriver and there was no spark at all,think the coil pack is bad? Is there something before the coil pack that would prevent me from getting spark? Ill check the harmonic balancer pulley tomorrow as well,thanks for the input

 

[02HtownSubie]

My car initially crank but no start because no spark and no fuel. As I have mention I found harmonic balancer broken into two pieces that damaged lower timing cover which ripped it off and broke the crankshaft sensor which explain why there's no fuel or spark. I really thought that is all the problem. So I replace the harmonic balancer and the crankshaft sensor, I try to crank again, this time I have fuel and spark but still no start. Now I'm puzzle so I decided to do compression, it was zero compression. Of coure I pull the head and found all 16 valves bented. That is what happen to me. Remember no cam sensor/no crankshaft sensor =no fuel no spark. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

 

[gsttuner22]

I took one of the spark plug wires off today and put a screwdriver in the hole and tried to arc a spark off the wire to the screwdriver and there was no spark at all,think the coil pack is bad? Is there something before the coil pack that would prevent me from getting spark? Ill check the harmonic balancer pulley tomorrow as well,thanks for the input

Yo. Talon the same thing happen to me last night.

I doubt i could have bent anything or damaged anything because i just rebuilt my engine. I have no spark. But the car turns over, but just like you. It doesn't completely turn on. One of my friends told me to check my distributor. Well, If you fixed your car please tell me what was wrong so I can go ahead and fix the problem ASAP..

 

[2gtalonman]

Yo. Talon the same thing happen to me last night.

I doubt i could have bent anything or damaged anything because i just rebuilt my engine. I have no spark. But the car turns over, but just like you. It doesn't completely turn on. One of my friends told me to check my distributor. Well, If you fixed your car please tell me what was wrong so I can go ahead and fix the problem ASAP..

Ok, first off you have coil packs not a dizzy, I suggest both of you first check your ecu's 4 screws on the case and it comes apart check for the caps in the ECU see if there leaking. If not try changing out your coil packs, and transistor back. remember, 90 coil packs are different than 91-94.

 

[VETTE_50_TH]

Check you ecu. If you checked your timing, more than likely its electrical. Which would point to the coilpack or ecu. I bet your ecu died. Had the same thing happen to me in the summer. Was driving down the road and the car just shut off. Wouldnt do anything after. Had to buy a new one with the caps replaced.

James

 

[vinnio]

Back to the basics guys! Three things make a car run. Spark, fuel and air. You should be able to rule out air... Get a real spark tester (the kind you actually have to plug in, NOT a screwdriver) If you have no spark, check your ignition components.
Next check fuel. Just because the pump primes, doesn’t mean the injectors are firing. OR that they are even getting fuel.
Noid lights are cheap... Get access to a volt meter to check the injectors.

When you turn koeo does the instrument panel do anything? (i.e. do you have ignition?)

Then let us know from there. Good luck.

 

[Menacing talon]

Back to the basics guys! Three things make a car run. Spark, fuel and air. You should be able to rule out air... Get a real spark tester (the kind you actually have to plug in, NOT a screwdriver) If you have no spark, check your ignition components.
Next check fuel. Just because the pump primes, doesn’t mean the injectors are firing. OR that they are even getting fuel.
Noid lights are cheap... Get access to a volt meter to check the injectors.

When you turn koeo does the instrument panel do anything? (i.e. do you have ignition?)

Then let us know from there. Good luck.

I just used the screwdriver as a last ditch effort before the night was over. When I turn the key the idiot lights all come on etc like normal,car just wont turn over

 

[vinnio]

...When I try to restart the car it will crank but it wont actually catch and turn over...

Ohh I see. I missed that part. I thought the engine was turning. Well that narrows it down... a lot! My guess is bad starter. But if you want to check the solenoid wire just in case, it might be fried as well.

As far as it dying at 55. Accidental?? Before you will know anything, you need to get the engine to turn over (and hopefully start!)

I know NAPA (and other places) checks starters for free. It’s not hard to get out. (If you have ever taken the starter out of an old style Honda Accord, this is a cake walk ) I think all you need is a 14mm deep well.

#1 get it to turn over. Then we can figure out any other issues from there!

 

[90gsx16g]

If your ECU was fried it would start to smell like rotten fish, usually about 2-5 minutes before total ECU failure( this happened to me). As for the *pop* sound you heard... i'm gonna guess you blew something off. Just take a peek around your engine bay for anything unusual or anything dangling. My guess is something mechanical that relates to something electrical, because you said you tried popping the clutch and it didn't start( which is very odd) considering even if you had a really low battery you could still compression start it and drive( done that before too). Are you leaking anything?

 

[gsttuner22]

Not leaking anything. Tried popping the clutch and I get nothing, just a bunch of turbulence. Lol

Everyone i know has been telling me its the Coil packs. How do i go about changing them ?

My car also turns over but doesn't initially turn on.

 

[Menacing talon]

If your ECU was fried it would start to smell like rotten fish, usually about 2-5 minutes before total ECU failure( this happened to me). As for the *pop* sound you heard... i'm gonna guess you blew something off. Just take a peek around your engine bay for anything unusual or anything dangling. My guess is something mechanical that relates to something electrical, because you said you tried popping the clutch and it didn't start( which is very odd) considering even if you had a really low battery you could still compression start it and drive( done that before too). Are you leaking anything?

It doesnt smell bad in the car so I ruled out ECU going to all hell. I looked around and all the belts are still in tact and the IC pipes are still attached and I dont see anything else missing. I was looking around at sensors etc. Im thinking maybe the CAS went bad and now the injectors wont fire because of it?

 

[gsttuner22]

It doesnt smell bad in the car so I ruled out ECU going to all hell. I looked around and all the belts are still in tact and the IC pipes are still attached and I dont see anything else missing. I was looking around at sensors etc. Im thinking maybe the CAS went bad and now the injectors wont fire because of it?

Same as Menacing. Except i dont know what the CAS is......All my car isnt doing is giving me spark

 

[Menacing talon]

Crank angle sensor. I was talking to a friend of mine whos a mechanic and he said the CAS might have gone bad which could possibly cause the injectors not to fire

 

[gsttuner22]

Crank angle sensor. I was talking to a friend of mine whos a mechanic and he said the CAS might have gone bad which could possibly cause the injectors not to fire

Naw homie....My CAS is brand spanking new.

Everything in my car is fine except, No spark

 

[Menacing talon]

Maybe your coil packs are shot,have you tested them?

 

[92awddsm]

Crank angle sensor. I was talking to a friend of mine whos a mechanic and he said the CAS might have gone bad which could possibly cause the injectors not to fire

CAS is cam angle sensor. CPS is crank position sensor. And this is a 1g we are talking about which has both integrated into one.

To the original poster, check compression, power transistor, and cas. The coils and ecu rarely go all of a sudden without any warning.

 

[vinnio]

...When I try to restart the car it will crank but it wont actually catch and turn over...

You need to be clearer. NOTHING ELSE MATTERS unless the engine internals are turning. From what I read, the starter isn’t engaging. Is this true? Or is it locking in and turning the engine like it should?

 

[Menacing talon]

You need to be clearer. NOTHING ELSE MATTERS unless the engine internals are turning. From what I read, the starter isn’t engaging. Is this true? Or is it locking in and turning the engine like it should?

Have you ever done a compression test before? You know when you unplug the coil pack and the car will just crank but it wont actually start?

 

[vinnio]

Okay, so it’s turning over, just not stating.
Did you figure out if you actually have spark?
Do you have fuel?

Its one of the two, and once you figure out which, it becomes a process of elimination for that individual system.

 

[VETTE_50_TH]

Well, not to be rude in any way, 92awddsm, that my car did the same thing as his. Driving down the road no boost and car jsut shuts off. Car did not smell bad, took the ecu out, and it was burned. So it can happen. But, if you have not taken it out, take a look at it. They seem to go right about now, im on my third. Please, end your search now, and look at the ecu. Check the caps that are close to the part of the ecu where you plug in the there plugs. If not that, start to unbolt you fuel rail from your manifold, NOT THE SAFEST WAY and remove slowly the injectors to see if fuel comes out. If so you have fuel. Put it back together, do not want fuel everywhere. LASTLY, pull of the coil pack and test the coil pack. Search the forums for what readings your coil pack has. If not that, test the transistor which is right below the coil pack. If not that, well, check you ISC on the battery. IF ALL CHECKS OUT, buy a new car. >>>>

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James