car died and now won't start...no spark

[SilverJester]

Ok so my car died on me the other night just as I was getting on the highway (no symptoms, it just suddenly shut off). But for the past 2-3 months the plastic plug the goes to the ignitor has been vibrating loose (I think the plastic warped a just enought to were it doesn't clip into place). It only vibrates if I am racing, daily driving it stays in place....but when it does come loose the car shuts off. Now my first thought was that maybe disconnecting like that while the car was running might have damaged the ignitor itself...so I replaced it, and the car still doesn't run. Next I tried changing he coils and ignition wires....but I still have no spark.
At this point my only thought is that either the Crank or Cam angle sensors have to be replaced (probably resulting from the ignitor wire commig unplugged while the car was running). This is a 95 4g63t, and because of that, it makes chaning the Cam Angle Sensor a bi***, because I have to take off the timing belt. Is there a way to test these 2 sensors before removing the timing belt and/or is there anything else that could keep my car from getting any spark? thanks for any input.

 

[SilverJester]

I checked the ECU by linking my laptop to it (dsmlink) and that's not my problem. I was looking through a chiltons manual at work and it said that if the Cam angle sensor goes bad while the car is running it should keep running on the last injector pulse...but obviously won't start next time you try to start the car. So I guess that rules out the CAS since it died while I was driving it. At this point I have replaced the plug wires, both coils, ignitor, and tested the ecu and ruled out the CAS. I guess that leaves only one option....the Crank Angle Sensor. But before I attempt to change that I want to test it, my chiltons tells how to do it..I just don't know anything about electricity, so maybe I can get a friend to help me test it.
But in the meantime...I saw (on another dsm forum) someone had posted that they were able to change the Crank Angle Sensor without having to take off the timing belt. Does anyone know how to do this, it would really be great if I didn't have to remove the timing belt.

 

[luv2rallye]

You don't have to remove the TB but you do have to remove the lower TB cover. The sensor is held by 2 bolts. I would suggest testing the coils and power transistor unit first (to make sure they're working before replacing CAS) by briefly touching a ground on each coil's primary negative wire and then briefly touching +1.5V (AA or D battery with negative to ground) on each power transistor's trigger input. All this with ignition key on of course. You should see a spark at a spark plug each time. PM me with email address if you have questions.

 

[SilverJester]

You don't have to remove the TB but you do have to remove the lower TB cover. The sensor is held by 2 bolts. I would suggest testing the coils and power transistor unit first (to make sure they're working before replacing CAS) by briefly touching a ground on each coil's primary negative wire and then briefly touching +1.5V (AA or D battery with negative to ground) on each power transistor's trigger input. All this with ignition key on of course. You should see a spark at a spark plug each time. PM me with email address if you have questions.

Wow that's awsome..for some reason I was under the impression that the TB had to be removed. I've already replaced the coils and power transistor (I work at an auto parts store so I can easily get and return parts) and it didn't solve my problem. So that left me thinking it was either the CAS or Crank angle sensor, until I read in the chiltons the the cam angle sensor will not cause the car to die if it's already running. So tommorow I will try to change the crank sensor...thanks alot

 

[SilverJester]

Well today was my day off so I went to replace the crank angle sensor. Only when I pulled off the timing belt cover I noticed the 1 of the 2 bolts that hold the sensor in place had rattled off and the sensor it's self, was a little sideways (not getting a good reading). I went to the hardware store got a new bolt, but when I went to put it on I noticed that my balance shaft belt had snapped. It must have hit the crank angle sensor causing the bolt the vibrate loose and the car to die.
This is the second time this has happened to me...I guess I should be happy that it has never gotten tangled in the timing belt. But my luck is going to run out sooner or later if I continue to replace it....i'm just going to have to eliminate it. But can this be done while the motor is in the car (2g)?