this is one of the most interesting threads ive read on here. i live in vt where it gets pretty damn cold, ive never heard of tuning your car for the cold! i usually related cold starts, block heater and heating pads to diesel issues. thanks for the insight.

So a little update, I tried starting the car yesterday as it was a little warmer. Clutch acted fine and car idling went from 1400-2300, then after 5-10 sat perfectly at 900, no flutter. Everything drove fine, but now it feels like 5th gear is mush and a serious pain in the ass to get into. Seems like ~ -35c is the cars trouble area. I talked to my step dad and he's a fan of the coals said they worked great on the farm for the tractors. I have a garage as of the first so i think the car will make it or ill be busting out the coals and a pic

Thanks i'll give the tests a go. It is a 91 MT trans harness so everything it the same, I also replaced the harness that goes across the dash. I replaced the starter already and the plugs are good, so the starter is definitely good. As for the ECU, I've got 2 so I already changed them around to see if that'd work, which it didn't. I removed the alarm and wiring and connected the wires back up, however, it did have an immobilized function. The wiring under the dash I replaced but not the dash harness itself, is that the harness you are talking about? Thanks everyone for your help! and LUV2Rallye I have pretty much replaced everything on that car but it was running up until my wiring harness replacement, so I am confident in everything but the replacement itself. Cheers.

The trouble with aftermarket alarms is they are not wired the same as factory. You never know how they are wired and they are all different. Example: Are they using their own starter relay bypassing the factory one, or are they interfacing with the factory starter relay, do they still maintain the clutch pedal switch function, or what? And of course you never get their wiring diagram of where and to what they really hooked it up to.

First I would recommend forcing the starter to work to make sure everything there works (ie. (1) you really do have the proper and working starter, and (2) you have no high resistance connections in the main power wire which cause voltage drops preventing the starter from working, and (3) your battery has the power to run the starter.

You can force the starter to engage by putting the car in neutral and connecting a wire to the starters terminal that has the black-yellow wire (unplug the wire first and connect your wire to that terminal on the starter - don't let it touch any other metal). Then momentarily touch the other end of the wire to battery positive. The starter should engage. If that works then proceed with the tests that infamous33 said. But if the signal wire (black-yellow) doesn't turn the light on with key to start, you'll have to repeat test with a voltmeter to see if any voltage is present there (you might have some voltage but not enough to make the light go on).

If the aftermarket alarm is just disabling the factory starter relay the way the factory alarm does (that relay is actually disabled by activating it since it is normally closed) you can just bypass that relay. Chances are however they put in their own starter relay controlling everything. In that case you could just put in your own signal wire from the starter to the ignition switch start position and be done with it and leave the aftermarket alarm disconnected. But if you still want the aftermarket alarm working it will be much more complicated since you will have to figure out exactly what they did.

hi everyone..im new to the site and new to dsm cars. i have a 93 plymouth laser 1.8 non turbo. i know. pretty lame. i got the car from my brother. we thought it had a blown head gasket because the guy my bro got it from just put a new one in. my brother got the car and tryed doing a big ass burnout. he dumped the clutch and tires started spinning then just white smoke. so he didnt want it anymore because he just didnt want to deal with it. so i got it for a steal. i ripped the head off. seemed fine. but i got the head milled anyways because it was a little warped. i think the white smoke was water getting in somehow because the number 2 piston was the prettty clean. taking off the intake we noticed thats probably where it was getting in. so i replaced all gaskets and what not. when putting it back together i made sure everything was correctly put back together. i lined up all the timing marks and everything. when i go to start it, it turns over great but just wont start. all it does it make like popping noises trying to fire up. like somethings out of time. took the plugs out and all were wet but one. looked at all the timing marks again and still perfect. i heard that you could be off a tooth or two and it would still start....im just looking for some insite on what could possibly from preventing to run. if anyone has an idea please! let me know! im 16 and im pretty upset that i cant drive my first car! thanks to everyone who can help

Try going back and checking your spark plug wires to make sure they are not crossed with one another

Edit:^^that too .
Well if you are absolutely sure your timing is correct then first thing to do is make sure you are getting spark to all cylinders. Make sure all cylinders have good compression. Make sure your fuel pressure is good. Clean your plugs off and make sure they are gapped correctly. Do the easiest tests first.

i did that at least 10 times. thats what i thought it was first

i have spark. i have compresion. i have fuel. is it possible that it coudl be on the wrong stroke? bc i think you have to have it on the compression stoke???

Why are all your plugs wet but one? Check that injector and clean it if needed.

Also it wont give completely correct numbers on a cold motor, but you can do a compression test and get an idea if your timing is 180 out or what not from the compression numbers, or lack thereof.

how would i know if my timing is 180?

If you ripped apart the head did you set the timing after reassembly with a timing light?

Check your timing marks. Make double sure all are correct. And make sure you are using the correct marks to time with. I don't know about 1.8s but 2.0s and 2.4s as well have two marks on the exhaust cam gear. Should be dowel pin holes on each gear. Both should be facing up.
"If you ripped apart the head did you set the timing after reassembly with a timing light?" How do you set the timing with a timing light when the car doesn't even start? Just a question.

I just recently starting having the similar issues where my car would not want to start in the morning (or when I was leaving work) it would just keep turning unless I primed it a few times then it would sputter for a few seconds and die again. I could pump the throttle to keep the RPMs up eventually and run it until it warmed up a little then it would run and idle fine.

So, found this post and went and checked my CELs (mine is typically on anyway) and one was coolant temp circuit malfunction. Went and looked at the plug and sure enough, a wire was broken off. Also, I previously had one of the pins push out of the connector when I was messing with the plug, so it could potentially look like the wire is intact but the connect isn't fully seated or intermittent as well.

I have read the other threads but there not helping, so i figured i would ask. I have a 98 Eclipse GS n/t 420a. I bought it about 2 years ago with a blown trans finally got around to fixing it then it died. I found out it was a wire that melted to my exhaust i fixed that it ran fine. So the next day ran it through inspection it passed with flying colors left went to the parts store for tag bolts, left there made it about 800 feet then the car stalled started it back up made it about 20 feet then now it wont start. I'm not getting any spark from my coil pack. I changed the coil pack, computer, crank sensor, and cam sensor. I am getting fuel the fuel pump and filter are fine. I rechecked the burnt wire i repaired it and it's fine even checked the other wires around it there fine. I checked all my fuses there all good changed the relays up on the fire wall the ASD and the other next to it. I'm Stumped and cant figure it out. So far i have blown about 1200-1500 in parts so far in this car. i'm debating on taking the wiring harness off my 99 eclipse rs n/t 420a and try that but not wanting to waste all that time if its something stupid i'm over looking. So if anyone can please HELP thanks.

I have read the other threads but there not helping, so i figured i would ask. I have a 98 Eclipse GS n/t 420a. I bought it about 2 years ago with a blown trans finally got around to fixing it then it died. I found out it was a wire that melted to my exhaust i fixed that it ran fine. So the next day ran it through inspection it passed with flying colors left went to the parts store for tag bolts, left there made it about 800 feet then the car stalled started it back up made it about 20 feet then now it wont start. I'm not getting any spark from my coil pack. I changed the coil pack, computer, crank sensor, and cam sensor. I am getting fuel the fuel pump and filter are fine. I rechecked the burnt wire i repaired it and it's fine even checked the other wires around it there fine. I checked all my fuses there all good changed the relays up on the fire wall the ASD and the other next to it. I'm Stumped and cant figure it out. So far i have blown about 1200-1500 in parts so far in this car. i'm debating on taking the wiring harness off my 99 eclipse rs n/t 420a and try that but not wanting to waste all that time if its something stupid i'm over looking. So if anyone can please HELP thanks.

did the acceleration seem sluggish going to or from the parts store?

Are you sure your ECU is fully functioning? Honestly check everything extremely thoroughly before just buying parts, that's a good way to blow some serious cash and also can cause you to just throw in the towel. I've been there and sometimes you just need to step away and gather your thoughts. Good luck

Check, spark, fuel, and compression.

I am pretty new to the forums here so I may not know as much as others however, I will say take small steps and check the little things.

as stated above check spark first. If you get no spark to 1 or more spark plugs check the coil pack if thats not functioning attached to the car try and manually make it fire or have it tested at a shop.

If you are getting spark make sure your getting fuel. That should be a really easy thing to tell with the spark plug out.

If you are getting spark and fuel the I would check compression and make sure you didnt lose all compression in 1 or more of the cylinders granted I have seen a car run with a dead cylinder before so I think losing compression is not the likely case.

If you have spark, fuel, and compression then the next thing I would check is to make sure your timing did not slip.

Take off the cover and verify the belt is not broken and if you can verify that all the timing marks are lined up right. You can manually spin the crank so the mark is lined up and then check the cams.


I hope my answer helps in some way.

No it seemed fine on the acceleration i really didn't try to run her though cause she was sitting for 2 years. under normal acceleration it felt just like my other eclipse. I have fuel, fuel pump is working. i have no spark. the ecu is good that i know of cause it starts and runs my 99 eclipse no problem same as the one from my 98 will start and run the 99 no problem. my main problem is i have no spark, i have been searching and reading and trying different ideas. i'm stumped and can't figure it out, right now its just sitting on the lift. I keep thinking maybe its a wiring issue but i cant find any burnt or damaged wires. just the one that i replaced and that cause my motor fuse to blow as soon as i turned the key to on before i replaced it.

Jessej1111 said:

I am pretty new to the forums here so I may not know as much as others however, I will say take small steps and check the little things.

as stated above check spark first. If you get no spark to 1 or more spark plugs check the coil pack if thats not functioning attached to the car try and manually make it fire or have it tested at a shop.

If you are getting spark make sure your getting fuel. That should be a really easy thing to tell with the spark plug out.

If you are getting spark and fuel the I would check compression and make sure you didnt lose all compression in 1 or more of the cylinders granted I have seen a car run with a dead cylinder before so I think losing compression is not the likely case.

If you have spark, fuel, and compression then the next thing I would check is to make sure your timing did not slip.

Take off the cover and verify the belt is not broken and if you can verify that all the timing marks are lined up right. You can manually spin the crank so the mark is lined up and then check the cams.


I hope my answer helps in some way.

Click to expand...

that's what i was leaning towards, is the timing belt might have slipped a tooth or more :/ if you are getting S,F & C i would inspect your timing belt closely like he said.

testing wires should be pretty easy here are a video and a website.

Checking Car Wiring Circuits For Continuity with a MultiMeter - YouTube

Testing Wires

I started testing leads to the the crank sensor and cam sensor and coil pack. i have found that im supposed to have according to the haynes book 8 volts to a yellow wire on my cam sensor. i only have 0.054 but if i disconnect my computer i have 9 volts i tried the continuity and it tones so i dont have a broken wire. it has 3 prongs one is supposed to have a constant 5 volts witch it does the middle is a ground and 8 volts on the yellow wire when the key is on. without the ecu i have 9 volts to both ground and key switched leg for some reason and almost nothing on a the constant 5 volt side when i connect to ecu back i get the constant 5 volts but 0.0054 volts on the yellow wire that is supposed to 8 volts and .19 volts on the ground witch is odd cause it shouldnt show anything

I have alldata and here is a screenshot of the pinpoint test for that sensor I hope it helps.




ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting

I have tried that without the computer i get voltage 9 volts on the middle and other side but dead on the 5 volt side. with the computer i get the 5 volt side but its only 0.054 volts on the other side and 0.019 volts in the middle when i should have none. i also have no power to my coil pack. same result with a different know good computer. i did the continuity tests on the wires running form the computer to the cam sensor and it says there good but i'm not getting the right voltages.

I really appreciate the help here guys.