No spark; car sounds like vacuum cleaner when turning over

[bigbrothajake]

I've searched all the previous posts and have not read a simular situation to my own where a resolution to simular situation was presented. I will post my solution when my problem is fixed.

Background:
I had Steve (Wiseman) replace the capacitors and repair the pins inside the ECU. I replaced the spark plugs about a month and a half ago. They are gapped correctly and not fouled. With the exception of blue smoke during idle, when I am certain is a valve seal leak, it has since run well up until yesterday.

Problem:
The Galant VR4 was smoking unusally more during idle yesterday while I was in the drive-thru at McD's. When I went to drive home, my engine suddenly lost all power and my car shut down. I coasted to the side of the road. I didn't though hear the "click-click-click" you usually hear when your ECU shorts out from capacitor acid, but I had the windows down and the radio turned up.

Preliminary Diagnosis:
I checked all my belts. They are fine. I checked my spark plugs. They are not fouled. I checked compression. That is in specification. I checked for oil leaks, coolant leaks, and oil level. All that was as it should be. I checked my spark. My spark plugs would not spark- none of them. I bought a working coil pack and CAS and plugged in everything. Just to review... on the coil pack from top to bottom, it is 1-4-3-2. I still got no spark! My engine makes the same vacuum sound (like it's turning over but no spark) and blows air out of the spark plug wells as it should.

I want to believe that my ECU has crashed again, because that's an easy fix. Can any of you guys think of anything else to check?

ECU Info: MD165810

 

[luv2rallye]

Not familiar with Galant but if it has the same engine electrical as Eclipse turbo check the MPI fuse (sometimes labeled Engine in engine fusebox) and MPI relay (same) to make sure they are giving power to the ECU.

 

[LunarEclips]

Power Transistor Unit....could have gone bad.

 

[bigbrothajake]

I checked all the fuel injection relay, cam angle sensor, and ecu by installing each part individually on another galant VR4. Each of those parts worked. Up further inspection, I tried turning over the car with the timing belt cover off, and the cam gears did not turn. So that answers the question to why there was no spark. I found that the CAS must register motion for the coil pack to charge a spark (some of you are saying DUH!).

I appreciate your responses and will follow up on Monday. I'm taking my car to a master mitsubishi mechanic this weekend.

 

[jott5555]

your t-belt skipped.. welecome to the life of a dsmer..

 

[bigbrothajake]

You sir, are 100% correct! Damn myself. My timing belt slipped on some oil (see, it doesn't just happen to humans), and did so at 40mph. I bent 8 valves and unseated some rings from smashing my pistons. I will post pictures of it tomorrow.

It's a sad state. I now feel anyone's pain whose ever had a timing belt go on them.

I found a mitsu tech who'd fixed it - $900.00 labor
a JDM Cyclone minus the butterfly intake, complete longblock - $1600.00
complete engine gasket set - $350.00
ACT Clutch as long as I'm in there - $160.00 (helluva deal)

$3000 to fix.

 

[jott5555]

thats a freakin RIP OFF!!!! what makes you think that you unseated rings? i mean i guess tahts possaible but VERY unlikely, you can get new valve's for 100.00 and reseat them.. some arp head studs and a MLS head gasket for 200.00 and your car is fixed.. if you were local ide do it for 500.00 total includeing parts.. your getin a rip! rant over..

 

[RiceKiller_TSi]

$3000 to fix.

I could rebuild your engine and head with half this amount and use the other half to drive down to Panama City for the weekend.

All you REALLY need done is to have the head re-worked and new timing parts. Everything else you're buying is just stuff.

 

[bigbrothajake]

I had to play it safe because I could not know if the pistons were ruined without taking the head off. Taking the head off would cost me even more money. If I had the time I would have taken the head off, the timing belt, etc. myself.

After spending all this money, it has put me in a financial bind. I calculated I would be better off selling the car. The next dsm I get will be a second car that I won't have to rely on to drive daily.

 

[RiceKiller_TSi]

I doubt seriously that you have piston damage bad enough to warrant any worry.
When the timing belt goes your valves usually bend up and you lose all compression so the car no longer runs. Not to mention that the valves are at an angle so a very small area of the piston is struck.
Those pistons are pretty strong too.

 

[jott5555]

brother listin to US!!!! you do not need to repalce your enigne you can fix it all for under 500.00 total..