died and wont start

[Menacing talon]

I have a 90 Talon Tsi thats pretty much stock except for an exhaust and a boost controller. So I was driving home yesterday after replacing the shifter cables and about 2 minutes from my house I was coming down the hill and I heard kind of a pop and then everything just died. The tach went to 0,all the gauges shut down, but the radio was still playing. I tried popping the clutch seeing as I was doing about 55 MPH,no such luck. Tried turning the key and still no luck. I rolled onto the shoulder and checked distributor wires etc. No problems there, what could make a car die when youre doing 50+ MPH and then not want to restart. When I try to restart the car it will crank but it wont actually catch and turn over,Its like when you do a compression test and unplug the ignition wire and the car will just crank all day. it snowed for the first time here today and my Talon broke last night,Im stuck driving my 73 Nova through the snow so I kind of need to fix this fast if at all possible. I was thinking maybe a timing belt,but I wont be able to check until later today. Sorry for long post

 

[turbosax2]

For some reason or another i think it's my spark plugs, starter relay, and alternator fuse....

Spark plugs = ancient......

What plugs should i go to next ?

Starter relay - Because the same night that the car turned off. There was like a buzzing noise coming from from that box which i know now was the starter relay.

Alternator fuse - I used to have battery problems, and alternator problems...And never bothered to check the fuse.

NGK BPR6ES gapped at .028".

 

[snowborder714]

For some reason or another i think it's my spark plugs, starter relay, and alternator fuse....

Spark plugs = ancient......

What plugs should i go to next ?

Starter relay - Because the same night that the car turned off. There was like a buzzing noise coming from from that box which i know now was the starter relay.

Alternator fuse - I used to have battery problems, and alternator problems...And never bothered to check the fuse.

Spark plugs - buy some NGK BRP6ES and gap them to .028"

Might as well check all fuses while you're in there. And if you heard a noise from the relay, I'd check it as well.

 

[turbosax2]

Here's the location of and how to check the starter relay. Still check for spark though using the method I stated earlier.

 

[gsttuner22]

Spark plugs - buy some NGK BRP6ES and gap them to .028"

Might as well check all fuses while you're in there. And if you heard a noise from the relay, I'd check it as well.

What do you mean by gap them by .028", yeah im going to check the fuses as well =]]

Here's the location of and how to check the starter relay. Still check for spark though using the method I stated earlier.

I found it .... the 95 and 96 years are diff.. My friends is a '96 GST a/t..also that can be a diff. ...

 

[turbosax2]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/articles-engine-fuel/174130-how-gap-your-spark-plugs.html

 

[gsttuner22]

I'm guessing at my job i can find one...Advanced auto parts....i never noticed. But are those things fat at one side and then wide at another ?

 

[turbosax2]

I'm guessing at my job i can find one...Advanced auto parts....i never noticed. But are those things fat at one side and then wide at another ?

Ya, Advanced will have them. Should be right at the counter .

The rings are skinny at one part, then as you around the ring they get wider and wider.

 

[gsttuner22]

Hey thanks everyone for the help and input on the situation...I will keep you guys posted up on information as i go through it...

 

[Menacing talon]

My ECU was fried,So now I have to find an ECU for a 90 TSi,thanks for all the help everyone

 

[gsttuner22]

Are you guys sure I will get that nasty smell in my car ? If the ECU is fried ?

 

[VETTE_50_TH]

Yes, open up the ecu and it will smell like a bad vag. Menacing talon, i thought that was your problem. Glad you found it.

James

 

[Menacing talon]

Are you guys sure I will get that nasty smell in my car ? If the ECU is fried ?

yeah dude if the ECU is fried,Youll get the smell

 

[gsttuner22]

yeah dude if the ECU is fried,Youll get the smell

Lol...okay...im going to see if my ECU has that horrible stench..hahaha

 

[gsttuner22]

Ok. So my ECU isn't fried. I'm guessing it would be my CAS ?

 

[gsttuner22]

Hey guys where can i find a picture of a CAS ??... I would think its that because everything else checks out ok...

 

[gsttuner22]

Damn thanks for the help ...

 

[BUCK]

gstuner22 I'm not seeing where you verified your Timing Marks are all correct - Did I miss that?

 

[Calan]

ummm... the lack of a smell in the ECU is no guarantee that it isn't fried. All sorts of things can fail in an electrical circuit that don't smell like leaking electrolytic caps (which is the most common failure in our ECUs, and what causes the smell).

Aside from that...

Based on the fact that you were cruising down the road, heard a "pop", and it just died... I would say it's probably a fuse or relay, or the ECU... since you ruled out the coil pack and PT. Also maybe the CAS/CPS (did you check that? I forget )

 

[VETTE_50_TH]

gstuner22 I'm not seeing where you verified your Timing Marks are all correct - Did I miss that?

I agree with BUCK on this one, the fact that your car turned off AND made a pop noise is more along the lines of something internally breaking, or backfire, or something along those lines. When my ecu died, it seemed like as if i shut the car off while it was moving. Hearing a pop could have been a valve hitting the piston or something like that. Take the VC off and check your valves, springs, cams and all the jazz. Or take your spark plug out and verify that theres nothing in each chamber. After that, i have to say something electrical is causing it. Check and recheck. Hope that helps.

James

 

[gsttuner22]

ummm... the lack of a smell in the ECU is no guarantee that it isn't fried. All sorts of things can fail in an electrical circuit that don't smell like leaking electrolytic caps (which is the most common failure in our ECUs, and what causes the smell).

Aside from that...

Based on the fact that you were cruising down the road, heard a "pop", and it just died... I would say it's probably a fuse or relay, or the ECU... since you ruled out the coil pack and PT. Also maybe the CAS/CPS (did you check that? I forget )

I don't recall saying heard a popping noise but ok....I took the car to the mechanic.....
My friend told me it was most likely the CAS or ECU...We don't have OBD1 at my job anymore so i had to take it to my usual mech....thank you for the last 3 ppl that posted answering me in thread...appreciated it..=]

 

[Calan]

I don't recall saying heard a popping noise but ok....

Well... the OP did:

I have a 90 Talon Tsi thats pretty much stock except for an exhaust and a boost controller. So I was driving home yesterday after replacing the shifter cables and about 2 minutes from my house I was coming down the hill and I heard kind of a pop and then everything just died...

I didn't realize the thread had been hijacked... my bad.. sort of

 

[vinnio]

...We don't have OBD1 at my job anymore so i had to take it to my usual mech...

Your car should have obd2.

In 1996 all of the car companies were forced to use obd2. But Mitsubishi was ahead of the times and all of the 2nd gen dsm's had it. Look for a rectangular connector on the shifter side above the peddles.

 

[gsttuner22]

Your car should have obd2.

In 1996 all of the car companies were forced to use obd2. But Mitsubishi was ahead of the times and all of the 2nd gen dsm's had it. Look for a rectangular connector on the shifter side above the peddles.

Weird.....i was told i have OBD1...never one ... =/

 

[gsttuner22]

Ok guys. I'm back again....

So i got the new ECU along with a new toy ( apexi n1 exhuast kit )

But now the car still doesn't have spark, What else can i be ?.... OH ! At one point in time after i put in the new ECU the car had spark but didn't turn on. *THAT ONLY HAPPEN ONCE* Very strange.

Please help again...And remember I put my Coil Pack, and transistor on my friends car and it work perfectly. About the relay. I'm not too sure because he was '96 and i'm a 95, and I'm m/t and he is a/t..

 

[BUCK]

Check your MPI Fuse at the Battery Fuse Block.