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420A 1995 Eagle Talon ESI running / starting issues

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mutiger93gt

Probationary Member
10
0
May 3, 2016
Columbia, Missouri
So here we go! This is my third DSM and you would think I would learn after my first two to never buy another but I digress.

Car: 1995 Eagle Talon ESI, 76k miles, Auto, 420A

Issues: Car sometimes has issues starting and also while driving around 60mph the car will die, rpms on the tach drop to zero and then it will restart about a second later. obviously the car is having issues picking up the rpms intermittently.

Fixes: last night I replaced the cam and crank position sensors. The crank sensor had already been replaced once and someone else had wired in the new connector. I am wondering if I should still redo the wiring? There was a lot of oil down there from the valve cover leaking. It has sense been fixed. I thought last night it was fixed as it ran and drove fine but then this morning I had trouble getting it to start. I have done a lot of searching and wanted to check with you guys on what next to search for?

Any thoughts of what to check next? Maybe ECU?

Thanks,

Joe
 
check ecu, and all parts leading to spark, that is what will cause idle issues along with your tps. have you checked our tps?

one method of checking will be by using a volt meter and checking the ohms on it.

check for the following

coil packs, spark plug wires, and spark plugs.
 
scan for codes. if no codes then look in the throttle body and see if its dirty. if it is then get a shop rag and spray it with some throttle body cleaner then open the throttle and wipe it clean on the blade and housing . what happens is that they get so gummed up that when you let off the gas and the throttle blade closes the engine chokes for air making it stall and it will also make it hard to start . there has to be a slight opening in the throttle body for air . try that and see what happens .
 
Thanks guys for the help.

One other odd thing the car does is when it is in the on position and not started the fans will attempt to kick on for a second and then turn off right away. The car will do this a few times and then stop. Could this point to a bad computer? The temp sensor seemed to be working fine. This problem also has gotten worse time.

Here is a video of what it odes while driving at highway speed.

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The only code that come up was 12, which means I disconnected the battery recently which I did do.
 
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Here is what the inside of the computer looks like. Is this a bad sign?

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I was able to clean the battery connections and then it started and ran great last night. I went out this morning and the car didn't want to start. It turned over but wouldn't fire up. I am thinking it has to be an issue with the spark plugs not getting spark or the fuel pump is crapping out. The plug wires and coil tested fine last night.
 
Yep, time to go ahead and order a new computer. I had 4 or 5 different trouble codes show up at various points last night so I think it is the computer that is toast.
 
Bad sign?!? Dude you have a gaping hole in your ecu. Seriously, nt ecus are a dime a dozen. Swap it out. How do you know your coolant temp sensor is OK? Did you test it? On a 420 the fans are wired into the CTS, and hard cold starts are a classic symptom. The CTS has nothing to do with your temp gauge. And are there any performance problems when the tach cuts out? Prob a speed sensor or short somewhere. Just spend the $40 on a used ecu and take it from there.
 
The temp gauge reads just fine. The needle goes to the middle when it starts and runs for a bit and stays put. Eariler when it wouldn't run I tried to check the codes and it would fire relays and even made the tach move a little.
 
Well it is warm today, 70 and 80s and the car is running great. Still have a computer on the way.
 
Id still replace the coolant temp sensor. Its the TOP sensor attached to your tstat housing. The sensor underneath is for the dummy gauge on the dash and has nothing to do with your car's performance. A bad CTS makes your car start and run like s**t cold and fine warm. $20 part from auto zone.
You still need to replace that corroded turd as well.
 
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Yup. Drain the coolant a little first, and wrap some Teflon tape on the new sensor. Some coolant will leak out so be quick with it. These things are known to fail on DSMs, but for some reason a bad CTS on my old 420a hindered performance much more so than my 4g. Check the CTS plug wires for corrosion as well.
 
Yup. Drain the coolant a little first, and wrap some Teflon tape on the new sensor. Some coolant will leak out so be quick with it. These things are known to fail on DSMs, but for some reason a bad CTS on my old 420a hindered performance much more so than my 4g. Check the CTS plug wires for corrosion as well.

I had the same issue on my old 420a. Coolant sensor caused a lot of issues when it went bad.
 
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