Resolved 420A - New DSM owner help, cranks but not start

[estuardowrld]

Hey everyone just got a 98 Eclipse GST yesterday for 1K and the reason why it was so cheap is because the car cranks but it won’t start. Fuel pump works and the injectors too, ignition coils and spark plugs are clean too but i don’t know what else it could be. Battery and starter are good too.

Also I have a crack on my manifold please help!

 

[estuardowrld]

I believe it runs up to a vacuum source on the throttlebody. If you can find a good picture of a stock 420a it should be fairly obvious.

took me a while but i got it i got all the lines fixed up hopefully it starts now

 

[chrisman287]

Looks like you’re going to need a new exhaust manifold. It’s cracked.

 

[estuardowrld]

Looks like you’re going to need a new exhaust manifold. It’s cracked.

Yeah i know idk if it was worth getting this car bruh i thought it was a turbo but it wasn’t

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

I would just weld the crack. It's not worth trying to find a new one. I've welded countless cracked manifolds and it holds up nicely. If you can't do this yourself just take it to the nearest shop with a welder and have them do it. It should cost much less than a replacement if they're reasonable people.

 

[estuardowrld]

or can i replace it for a aftermarket one???

I would just weld the crack. It's not worth trying to find a new one. I've welded countless cracked manifolds and it holds up nicely. If you can't do this yourself just take it to the nearest shop with a welder and have them do it. It should cost much less than a replacement if they're reasonable peopl

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

or can i replace it for a aftermarket one???

Dorman still makes a replacement for the 420a but it's over 100 bucks for questionable quality. You could also buy an exhaust header, but they're also questionable quality unless you're looking to spend hundreds of dollars. If it's just a budget car then I would weld it closed.

 

[chrisman287]

Yeah i know idk if it was worth getting this car bruh i thought it was a turbo but it wasn’t

Honestly for the $1000 if you can get it to at least run it’s not a terrible deal.

I would only regret not doing my research beforehand and not looking over the car better but what’s done is done.

 

[CKOPOCT]

How many miles are on the car and what are your hopes/plans for it?

 

[estuardowrld]

How many miles are on the car and what are your hopes/plans for it?

180K miles i planned to first just replace parts and make sure it’s driveable but looks like those plans are falling apart thinking of selling it and breaking even or idk hopefully if it’s the crankshaft position sensor and it starts i’ll keep it the previous owners told me they did all the maintenance well it’s got no oil power steering fluid he had replaced the ecu and fuel pump sooooo idk i guess i’ll check the fuel pump and the ignition system praying it works

 

[CKOPOCT]

Given the PO's a liar, would trust nothing about any previous maintenance. If you want to keep the car then you should first figure out how much money you are willing to spend on it just to get it on the road. Set a hard budget. Reason is there are a few things you should do beyond getting the engine running, and you are probably going to find things that need to be taken care of. Plus there are things you'll need to do basic maintenance-wise that are going to cost $$.

Obviously, take care of the exhaust manifold. Also determine why there's no PS fluid. Is the PS pump leaking? Bad rack and pinion seal? Bad PS hose?

You should perform a compression test to get an idea of the health of the engine. The test is free if you do it yourself, and it's not hard to do. If you get low numbers or have a cylinder that measures significantly lower than the others, that points to likely engine issues. You would then do a leak down test to determine what happens next and what needs to be done.

If the compression test comes back good (numbers between 130 and 200ish and consistent across the cylinders) you need to change the timing belt, tensioner, and water pump. Change out any drive belts that need it as well. Even if it starts and runs like a raped ape, at 180k and dubious PO claims, the last thing you want is to have a t-belt fail and end up bending valves. $1,000 out the window minimum if that happens.

Change the engine oil, filter, and coolant. Change the transmission fluid as well. Check the coolant hoses and change any that are cracking or are particularly soft in a spot.

Check all of the vacuum lines and change any that are super stiff, brittle, or are cracking. Make sure all of your vacuum lines are sealing tight at their fittings.

Check your electrical connections, battery cables and terminals, and check your grounds. This is a little over the top, but given the PO(S) lied to you, I am guessing he ran the car into the ground while doing the absolute minimum to keep it rolling... and only sold it because it finally gave up on him. With the after market alarm broken and tied to the firewall with leftover wire, I'm guessing there's some degree of Edward Scissorhands business in the electrical system. After market stereo with the wires twisted and duct taped...? Connectors in the engine bay that are disconnected and left dangling from some previous work?

I would also pull the wheels and check the brakes and suspension to see if anything needs to be addressed or replaced.

All of this is just to put you on a solid footing for driving the car. It doesn't guarantee there won't be problems, but if you do these things you'll likely catch and resolve issues and will know that if something does go wrong it's with a specific component and should be relatively easy to diagnose and fix.

If the idea of doing all of this is off-putting to you, or if your gut gets a knot, or your wallet begins to sweat, consider selling the car. I am guessing that, if by some miracle everything checks out fine and all you need to do is the exhaust manifold, ps leak, t-belt, and fluid changes, you're looking at around $700. But if you find broken stuff......

Also consider why you bought this car. You wanted a turbo DSM. Maybe you should consider selling this car and saving up to get the car you really wanted. If THAT'S what you decide to do, ask about how much $$$ you should look to put away to do the same to that car as you're looking at for this one.

Not trying to be a downer. Rather, I want you to get and have a car that you want and can enjoy it. Hope this helps.

 

[estuardowrld]

Given the PO's a liar, would trust nothing about any previous maintenance. If you want to keep the car then you should first figure out how much money you are willing to spend on it just to get it on the road. Set a hard budget. Reason is there are a few things you should do beyond getting the engine running, and you are probably going to find things that need to be taken care of. Plus there are things you'll need to do basic maintenance-wise that are going to cost $$.

Obviously, take care of the exhaust manifold. Also determine why there's no PS fluid. Is the PS pump leaking? Bad rack and pinion seal? Bad PS hose?

You should perform a compression test to get an idea of the health of the engine. The test is free if you do it yourself, and it's not hard to do. If you get low numbers or have a cylinder that measures significantly lower than the others, that points to likely engine issues. You would then do a leak down test to determine what happens next and what needs to be done.

If the compression test comes back good (numbers between 130 and 200ish and consistent across the cylinders) you need to change the timing belt, tensioner, and water pump. Change out any drive belts that need it as well. Even if it starts and runs like a raped ape, at 180k and dubious PO claims, the last thing you want is to have a t-belt fail and end up bending valves. $1,000 out the window minimum if that happens.

Change the engine oil, filter, and coolant. Change the transmission fluid as well. Check the coolant hoses and change any that are cracking or are particularly soft in a spot.

Check all of the vacuum lines and change any that are super stiff, brittle, or are cracking. Make sure all of your vacuum lines are sealing tight at their fittings.

Check your electrical connections, battery cables and terminals, and check your grounds. This is a little over the top, but given the PO(S) lied to you, I am guessing he ran the car into the ground while doing the absolute minimum to keep it rolling... and only sold it because it finally gave up on him. With the after market alarm broken and tied to the firewall with leftover wire, I'm guessing there's some degree of Edward Scissorhands business in the electrical system. After market stereo with the wires twisted and duct taped...? Connectors in the engine bay that are disconnected and left dangling from some previous work?

I would also pull the wheels and check the brakes and suspension to see if anything needs to be addressed or replaced.

All of this is just to put you on a solid footing for driving the car. It doesn't guarantee there won't be problems, but if you do these things you'll likely catch and resolve issues and will know that if something does go wrong it's with a specific component and should be relatively easy to diagnose and fix.

If the idea of doing all of this is off-putting to you, or if your gut gets a knot, or your wallet begins to sweat, consider selling the car. I am guessing that, if by some miracle everything checks out fine and all you need to do is the exhaust manifold, ps leak, t-belt, and fluid changes, you're looking at around $700. But if you find broken stuff......

Also consider why you bought this car. You wanted a turbo DSM. Maybe you should consider selling this car and saving up to get the car you really wanted. If THAT'S what you decide to do, ask about how much $$$ you should look to put away to do the same to that car as you're looking at for this one.

Not trying to be a downer. Rather, I want you to get and have a car that you want and can enjoy it. Hope this helps.

Thank you so much for the reply i know like basic mechanical skills and it does put me off but at the same time i don’t want to give up on it and junk it or sell it i want to give it life im gonna go to the autozone i work at and buy the spark plug tester and a compression tester then i’ll go from there and yeah it has an aftermarket stereo also he said he changed the ECU could that also cause some problems?

 

[estuardowrld]

Guys is the fuel pump supposed to be like this?

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[pauleyman]

Guys is the fuel pump supposed to be like this?

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That isn't the fuel pump. Just the covers. No that area shouldn't look like that. Looks like something got spilled.

 

[estuardowrld]

Welp i fixed all the vaccum lines checked the cylinder pressure all came back 150-180 the fuel pump does a loud whizz sound fuel is good i tested the spark system it’s all good too idk what else it could be? Also this is the response with the previous owner also i didn’t realize till now it’s missing the exhaust

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[Dericsh]

Welp i fixed all the vaccum lines checked the cylinder pressure all came back 150-180 the fuel pump does a loud whizz sound fuel is good i tested the spark system it’s all good too idk what else it could be? Also this is the response with the previous owner also i didn’t realize till now it’s missing the exhaust

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Unless you’re asking for your money back, I think you should lose contact with the previous owner. I’m not believing this car ever ran in his possession either.

 

[pauleyman]

I agree. there is no point but personally I might try and pursue getting my money back especially if the car was misrepresented as it was.

 

[estuardowrld]

Unless you’re asking for your money back, I think you should lose contact with the previous owner. I’m not believing this car ever ran in his possession either.

Nah i was wondering if he could tell me anything wrong with it but he had sent me videos of him driving it in highschool so i’m like wtf

 

[CKOPOCT]

Welp i fixed all the vaccum lines checked the cylinder pressure all came back 150-180 the fuel pump does a loud whizz sound fuel is good i tested the spark system it’s all good too idk what else it could be? Also this is the response with the previous owner also i didn’t realize till now it’s missing the exhaust

Go back to post #3 where @Dericsh put the link for diagnosing a no-start.

 

[estuardowrld]

Go back to post #3 where @Dericsh put the link for diagnosing a no-start.

GUYS I FIXED HER SHE RUNS AND AHE SOUNDS BEAUTIFUL SHE HAS A ADDED TURBO OH MY GODDDD

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

There is no turbo on this car. It may have a false turbo whistle in the exhaust but I promise you there is no turbo.

 

[estuardowrld]

I know my uncle just laughed at me anyways im here to learn haha im so happy thank you to all of you guys i wish i could thank you guys individually or donate or something

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

Did you drive it yet? Does it seem to run well and have a stable idle?

 

[estuardowrld]

Did you drive it yet? Does it seem to run well and have a stable idle?

Yeah the idles a little bit rough it def needs a f***ing alignment and PSF also the belt is super squeaky gonna remove the belt and the tensioner tmr morning also change all the fluids

 

[Dericsh]

I know my uncle just laughed at me anyways im here to learn haha im so happy thank you to all of you guys i wish i could thank you guys individually or donate or something

What all did you finish fixing or testing today to finally get it running?

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

Some of the squealing noise could be the PS pump damaging itself. Running it dry is not healthy. Fill the reservoir with some Mercon or Dextron ATF variation.