Please Help Me!!!

[novarioty]

I have a 1991 Eagle Talon Tsi Automatic.... Recently it just stopped starting... it cranks over, i get spark, and it wants to start (it sounds like it is almost going to start but doesnt) i have checked everything i know to check... when i turn the key to "ON" i just hear a couple of clicks that come from the WDO relay and thats all i get now... then when i try to crank it, it turns over then when i stop i can here the fuel pump running, but not when i turn the key on... it just started this alittle while ago... before that i would turn the key to "ON" and sometimes i would get clicking from the ISC and other times i would hear the fuel pump run and then it would start, but now like i said, it doesnt even do that anymore... I really cant figure out what the hell is going on or what to do, so any help would be greatly appreciated... Ive racked my brain, and my dads for about 4 days now, thank you all for your time

 

[mitsutuner]

You can try this first to rule it out--pull out the metal apple sized box that is mounted behind your radio, inside the console--on the floor, RH side. Pop the cover & check the contacts on the relay--clean shiny metal is good.
It sounds like your ECU is the culprit, 99% certain. The clicking you heard came from behind the radio, where your ECU is located. The clicking is a classic tell-tale sign. You are not getting spark because the ECU fires the coils. Your car may even start & run intermittently for awhile, but you are further damaging the ECU.
The original factory ECU has some heat sensitve components, so naturally mitsu mounted the ECU next to the heater. Running the windshield defroster on high heat with the fan turned off was the last straw for my ECU, but shouldn't be a problem now with replacement higher temp rated components.

The best thing to do is remove it, it's the small book sized metal box directly behind the relay box. pop the covers & look inside for chemical leakage & heat damage, then have your ECU checked & repaired by a pro-shop that will warranty--I used ZDR electronics in Orlando Fla with excellent results--they have a website, but first read this at this link;
http://www.avproecm.com/process1.htm

 

[novarioty]

i checked the relay, there was shiny metal and i cleaned them anyway, the problem is that i know the clicking is not comming from the ecu because you can feel it in the relay that talked about before, the WDO. and you cant feel it in the ecu. I also know that i am getting spark, i checked that, also i am getting fuel pressure because i have cracked the banjo bolt on the fuel filter and there is fuel that comes out... however i dont know how much pressure because i dont have a fuel pressure gauge. i havent taken the injectors out to see if they spray when i am cranking but i pretty much have done everything but. and the problem with the engine running intermittantly is that it will run longer unless by intermittant you mean a 10 min test drive. because at one point i had done something just by moving the negative terminal of the battery and it started right up and kept starting, so i took it out for a drive and then came back and turned it off and a moment later i tried starting and it started up so i shut it off and came back out like 2 hours later and it wouldnt start again. Also i did take out the ECU just to make sure and i checked it and my friend replaced the capaciters (he has done it many times on many dsms) and then we put it back in and it does the same thing. But what i really cant figure out is why it stopped doing what it did before, which was: when you turn key to "ON" it would eithor run the fuel pump or it would click in the ISC, but now it just gets a click in the WDO relay.

 

[mitsutuner]

Check at your diagnostic port for error codes,
but I think there is a high probability that your ECU is the culprit, symptoms vary wildy & most of the time it's more than caps that need to be replaced--that may have only fixed some of your problems.
Did you read at the link I posted in my last reply?
I'm sure you & your dad covered all the basic stuff, ECU problems can drive you nuts, seems to defy all automotive logic until you look at the ECU schematic in the back of the Chiltons & see everything it is connected to.

 

[novarioty]

yeah i read the link, turns out i had already read it but its cool. So you think its the ECU huh? hmmm i sure as hell know that it definately defies all automotive logic alright thank you for your help, so do you suggest i get a new ECU or what? I havent checked the schematics in the back of Chiltons yet cuz i only have Haynes which by the way sucks for any repairs that are anything more complicated than changing the oil but anyway, yeah i guess ill take out the ECU and try something i dont know... i wanna make sure of something tho... my talon is an automatic and behind the stereo there is 2 of those boxes ECU looking, one mounted vertically and one horizontally to the floor. i talked to one of my friends and he said that one is for the Auto tranny and one is for the engine and other components... he said that the bigger one should be for the engine and other componants and the smaller one should be for the tranny... the only one i have taken out is the smaller one that is mounted virtically and it seems to match diagrams of the ECU, and my friends have told me that their ECU is mounted virtically, however none of my friends have automatic dsms, so i just wanted to make sure that first of all i am even looking at the right thing because for all i know at this point i could be looking at the rong thing and the actuall ECU could be completely black i have no idea so anyways, thank you for your help and a suggestion for "what now?" would be great... thanks again

 

[novarioty]

oh another question, sorry forgot to ask... how do i check for error codes at the diagnostic port... sorry to seem stupid, not too familiar with dsms so much, this is the first major problem i have run across since i have had the car (since April this year).

 

[cwbroncos]

We can try my spare ecu even though mine's a manual. It should at least tell us if it is the ecu. Might run a little shitty since I think the fuel maps are different but we'll see.

 

[mitsutuner]

The 1000 FAQ has good info,
you can find a fairly good "how to check error codes" near the bottom of the page at the link below.
Also there is a wiring schematic for 1990, not the same as for your car--but you can get the big idea.
(There are many similar webpages on the net, use google to find)


http://www.ecanfix.com/~mdhamilton/index.shtml

 

[mitsutuner]

Your car sounds identical to mine & based on my experience, here is what I would do to minimize downtime & torturing aggravation.
Ship the ECU to ZDR electronics--they can bench check it & tell you if your ECU has a problem & if something on your car damaged it. (it is remotely possible that your car could damage your friend's ECU if you install it for testing, although. Most likely your ECU malfunction is age & heat related).
They will fix it if needed & warranty it, friendly on the phone too.
here is the link to ZDR,
http://www.mitsubishiecu.com/home.htm