starter and possible flywheel problem

[snoozin]

I'm not exactly sure whats going on with my car. The tranny/clutch/drivetrain are all stock. I was driving, doing normal stuff, no heavy accel or anything and it died. pull over, pop the hood and check the vitals. No smoke, smells, or anything leaking. Get back in it to try and turn it back on and the starter spins but doesn't engage the flywheel. My first assumption is that my starter went out, gear stripped or broke. But i come back to the whole car dying in the middle of driving and im completly stumped as to what could cause both these issues. I wont be able to tear into it until this weekend and i'm looking for some advice on where to start or what all i should look at. I already plan on pulling the starter but i dont know what else this could be. I dont have shop space either so i wont actually be able to drop the tranny and check the clutch or flywheel. Any advice is greatly appriciated.

1990 laser, fwd turbo, stock drivetrain, NOT any kind of swap and i'm 100% sure i dont have an AWD flywheel as it hasn't been changed in the last 60k and it's worked fine.

 

[r1991_4g63t]

timing belt broke

 

[DSM4me44]

I was wondering about the timing belt as well.

 

[snoozin]

I'm pretty sure the timing belt is fine. i cant get under it but i stopped by the lot this am and pulled the top cover. Luckly enough the cam gears stopped with the notches where they needed to be. The belt is still there, has tension, and it didnt jump teeth. unless something has it bound on the lower side it's fine.

 

[r1991_4g63t]

i'd check the lower timing marks too, ive seen where the cam gears line up but the crank was about 4 off.

 

[snoozin]

will do, i'll start into it on sunday and post back around monday.

 

[ROOKIE1]

I'm pretty sure the timing belt is fine. i cant get under it but i stopped by the lot this am and pulled the top cover. Luckly enough the cam gears stopped with the notches where they needed to be. The belt is still there, has tension, and it didnt jump teeth. unless something has it bound on the lower side it's fine.

I wouldn't try starting it again until I got to look at the timing belt . I mean behind the covers . The entire belt . Did you try cranking it after it died ? What happened ? The starter is only that . Wouldn't make car die , unless it shorted out the electrical somehow .

May want to check out your ECU before pulling the covers to check timing belt . Easier job and older DSM are prone to the capacitors in them leaking over time . 89-94 Capacitor Replacement .

 

[snoozin]

yea i tried turning starting it again after i got it moved into a parking lot. Starter spins freely, doesn't engage anything, doesnt grind at all but you can hear it spinning.

i'm about 99% sure it's got nothing to do with the ecu. I replaced that about a year ago with a motoguys one because my caps broke on the original. Still gonna check that as soon as i get it moved and find my archaic palm.