'92 1.8 No Spark

[dubpander]

I'm completely baffled by this car. I drove it home, turned it off and went inside. Came out about 5 minutes later and she wouldn't start, not even a sputter. I test coil according to haynes and it passes. Replace cap and rotor because they were a bit rough looking, no difference. I have 9.25v to the primary on the coil, shouldn't that be 12v? Would this cause no spark? ECM was removed and inspected. Appeared to be fine, although most of the capacitors rated below their posted value. Help Please!

 

[dubpander]

power transistor test proved good also. I showed no continuity when no voltage was there, but apply the 1.5v and had continuity. Like 1700 ohms or something. So, looks like thats good also.

 

[Old Mitsu Tech]

The 1.8 has a distributor. Usually if everything else pans out, you should look more closely at it.

Good Luck

 

[dubpander]

Which part of the distributor? I have checked the ignition coil and it proved good. I only had a 9.25v supply to it thoough. Cap and rotor are both good and rotor is turning when I crank it. I have read about the crankshaft position sensor, I gather I don't have a camshaft sensor ### of the 1.8. Can I test the crankshaft sensor? There is also a little black box on top of my distributor. It has a 3 wire connector. MPI fuse is good, and I think its the MPI relay I hear clicking when I crank it over. Clicks once when I first start to crank it, and clicks again when I stop. I think the ECM is getting powered up, ### the CEL comes on then off again in about 5 seconds. Thanks for the quick response tho.

 

[Old Mitsu Tech]

Sad to say the distributor is replaced as a unit. If you have access to borrow one I would do that first as they can be quite expensive new or remanufactured.

I haven't seen a lot of 1.8's but it's been my experience to be the distributor as a rule. However, electrical being electrical does not always lend itself easy diagnosis. Either in person or in here.

As the good old service manual says. "substitute known good component"

Good Luck

 

[Nt-Eclipse-Dail]

I'm completely baffled by this car. I drove it home, turned it off and went inside. Came out about 5 minutes later and she wouldn't start, not even a sputter. I test coil according to haynes and it passes. Replace cap and rotor because they were a bit rough looking, no difference. I have 9.25v to the primary on the coil, shouldn't that be 12v? Would this cause no spark? ECM was removed and inspected. Appeared to be fine, although most of the capacitors rated below their posted value. Help Please!

Please stop messing with your computer and check for some simple things first...

Check your 'neutral safety switch' if you have a manual tranny... It is very near the clutch pedal.

Behind the clutch pedal there is a little button that the top part of the clutch pedal actually pushes in. This button needs to be pushed in to start the car (neutral safety switch). Look for a little rubber bumper between the pedal arm and the button, If the bumper is gone then this is your problem. (These rubber plugs get old and dryrotted and will fall out)

Have a friend manually push the button for you while you turn the car over.... I bet it will start!

These cars will just go 'click' when these bumpers or the neutral start switch fail.

Hope I helped some, I was trying.

 

[dubpander]

The car turns over, just has no spark. I believe this switch would be in ok condition because it will not turn over when clutch is out, but does when clutch is pressed. At work right now, but will check that anyway when I get home.

 

[dubpander]

Any way to test the CAS when it's an internal part of the distributor?

 

[1.8laser90]

if the ecu checks out good then it has to be the distributer. i would check the ecu again tho all of my dsms did this espially my 1.8.. drove the car home no probs at all then i went back out 15 minutes later and wouldn't start not even a sputter, it ended up being the ecu. it can only be one or the other but since the distributer is testing good then it leads me to belive the ecu died on you.

 

[dubpander]

How do I test the ECU? I've tested the caps and they are all except one well below their listed value. Is that a good enough test? I saw something about sending it out, who and how? This is really ticking me off. I tried today to piggyback 12v onto the primary wires for the ignition coil, still no spark. Thanks for your ideas.

 

[1.8laser90]

if the caps have leaked on the ecu bourd then it has to be repaired. if there not leaking then there fine.. u could of damaged the ecu by testing it, u can't test a ecu like that. if you send your ecu anywhere send it here
http://simon.chi.il.us/ECU/Index.html
hes awesome at rebiulding ecu's. i've sent all mine there and it only cost around 60 bucks to have it rebiult (actual price vary's depending on whats wrong) when other places sell ecu's rebiult for like 200 bucks..
try checking for codes, that will tell u if the ecu is bad.. go to www.vfaq.com to see how to get codes

 

[dubpander]

Right on! Thanks. I will utilize the new info and see what I come up with. Having the board disconnected won't mess with the codes? I work in an appliance shop and have handled boards before and tested them. I didn't think it would be any different. Thanks again.

 

[1.8laser90]

If the ecu is bad it won't give u a code, it will give one solid reading when its bad, but if it had codes from a bad sensor there gone but i doubt it had any since it was fine when u shut the car off. No prolblem

 

[dubpander]

Alright. I put a test light on, and showed constant flash, indicating normal operation. I suppose that leaves the distributor. But I'm still concerned about the supply to the coil only being 9.25v when cranking. Doesn't seem right.

 

[Siral3x]

Ok....nice interesting post!
AGAIN let's start with the basics...1st thing is almost imposible that the ECU is the problem..cause the ECU doesn't make spark and u said u didn't had spark right??
2.You said the car is crancking so...the buton problem behind the clutch gets out of the picture.JUST TO BE SAFE PUSH the clutch and chk if the rubber thing on the pedal asembly is there when u atempt to start the car.
THIS is how I usualy do the TEST, IF U DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH IT THEN DON'T DO IT AND HAVE A SPECIALIZED MECHANIC DO IT! IT's just an advice!
TO chk for spark and if you don't have any special tools get the no1 cyl spark plug out with the spark plug cable attached and wearring rubber gloves have somebody crack the car up for 1 or 2 sec, in the same time easy touch the spark plug on a grounded bolt of the car...if u see a small spark then u have spark ..repeat same thing for all 4.
Some of you will say..OHH that crazy sXXT ...well it never failed for me.
If u have spark then u're good...and u can easy read my post from the "Car won't start (420a) " cause I'm to lazy to write or paste it here again
Try this 1st and let me know the result....it souldn't take you more then ahh 10 min.
If it doesn't work...u gotta chk fuel pump/injectors/timing and at the end the ECU!
have fun!
PS: BTW Primary coil should be close to 12V...but you'll find out when u do the test I described you above.

 

[Siral3x]

PS: OHH..u can also do the test without touching any surface with the spark plug.

 

[Nt-Eclipse-Dail]

Alright. I put a test light on, and showed constant flash, indicating normal operation. I suppose that leaves the distributor. But I'm still concerned about the supply to the coil only being 9.25v when cranking. Doesn't seem right.

Do you mean that the light is on all of the time or that it blinks? Sorry if I misunderstood.

A constant flash (light steadily on) means your test tool is hooked up incorrectly or that you have a 'problem'. The ECU in your car should have a steady on and off blink (like a heartbeat...) to indicate that everything is normal.

The leads for your test light will connect to pins 1 and 12 on the connector under the dash. You should be looking under the dash, below the steering wheel column, far left.

I hope this gets worked out for you, Keep us updated and maybe we can help out.

 

[dubpander]

I have already checked for spark on all 4 cylinders. I have none. Through the plug or the boot. I removed the distributor cap(new) and it doesn't appear to have any spark in there either. It still looks new, no carbon or arc marks. Just looks like the rotor has been turning against it.
The test light was hooked up correctly, my bad for stating the description wrong. The light is a constant blink like a heartbeat.
Have tested the coil and it passes the tests in the Haynes manual, tested the power transistor and it passes also. Are there any other test I can perform on the distributor before I go get another one? Everything is pointing to it, but I'm still concerned about the low voltage to the coil. But even with the piggyback, it still didn't have spark, so don't think that's the problem.

Thanks again for your input!!!

 

[Siral3x]

low voltage to the coil...I bet that's the problem! chk your wire harness going to the coil!
I'm really anxious to find out what's the problem....keep us up to date pls!

 

[1.8laser90]

Ok....nice interesting post!
AGAIN let's start with the basics...1st thing is almost imposible that the ECU is the problem..cause the ECU doesn't make spark

thats fasle information, the ecu sends the signal to create spark. If there is no signal there is no spark. this happens to alot of 1.8's and 2.0's. my 2.0 didn't have any spark and i checked everything, like coils exc and it was the ecu.. so yes the ecu does have a play in your engine getting spark.. just thought id clear that up.
now your ecu test fine which is good, but unless theres some other eletrical prolblems like burnt wires somwhere or somthin like that which i highly doubt since the cars was running fine when u shut it off and you came back 5 minutes later, it has to be is the distributer. go to a junkyard and pick one up for 20 bucks or so.. but it wouldn't hurt to trace your distributer wires but since u tested it you would of already.. keep us updated

 

[Siral3x]

1.8laser90 thanks for corecting me bro it was 3AM when I posted it..BUT
"1st thing is almost imposible that the ECU is the problem" I said that because the crankshaft sensor+camshaft sensor generates voltage pulses that are sent to the ECU/PCM. The PCM supplies 12V to the ignition coil through the ASD on the 2.0s...it's pretty much the same for the 1.8, and yes fubpander said he has 9.25V at the coil.

From the 1st post fubpander said that the primary coil has 9.25v right? So in all your posts except last you said that the ECU is bad, and also in your last post that "the ecu sends the signal to create spark".true, but he started telling us that the coil has voltage...so the ECU test was useless. His ECU was good to start with,and you were pointing him in the wrong direction! A ECU is not cheap You can figure out were i'm gettin'. When I said the ECU has noting to do with it I was trying to convince him to drop the bad ECU theory, and it wasn't a good way to explain it from my part!my bad!
As a result of all posts everything points at the Ignition Coil or Distributor! I'm also assuming that the power transistor test is ok as u mentioned earlier.

 

[dubpander]

I decided I finally had enough pointing against the ECU, so I went to the junkyard and picked me a distributor out of a Laser. Fires right up!!! Thanks!! And how easy of a fix that was, like 5 minutes. I got a killer deal too, paid $40 for it, and it had a brand new cap and rotor. Seeing as how I just replaced mine, figure I got them for free! Now I have spares! .

 

[1.8laser90]

nice job man