Hi all! This is my first time on here, and I'm hoping somebody knows a LOT more than I do about these motors. Anyhow, I was driving down the highway, the other day, and the motor stalled, the tack blipped and dropped to nothing, and I coasted to a stop. Now the engine will crank but won't start. The fuel pump seems to be working. I pulled a plug and tested for spark and got nothing. I was thinking it's the cranks shaft position sensor, which, from what I understand, is actually a part of the distributor on this car...ugh. Any other ideas? Thanks!

Probably broke a timing belt...no biggy..non-interference motor.. check to make sure your ditsy is spinning..if not..you broke the drivers side belt( common). Its an easy to do repair..lots of write up on it on this board.Just search EA82 timing belts.

Probably broke a timing belt...no biggy..non-interference motor.. check to make sure your ditsy is spinning..if not..you broke the drivers side belt( common). Its an easy to do repair..lots of write up on it on this board.Just search EA82 timing belts.

 

Good advise. I agree.

Not the timing belt. The timing cover is off, so I can see it.

And thanks for the quick responses! Seriously... this rocks.

Could be the coil too.

In that case check the timing marks on the belt to make sure it didn't jump time. Also If you can take out one of the spark plugs and reconnect it to the wire and crank over the engine while grounding it to something and see if you have spark. Before that I would try to pull the cap off of the distributor and crank the engine and verify that it rotates as it is supposed to.

FIRST - check all your fuses.

 

Make sure the timing belt stll has all it's teeth.

 

Check that the screw didn't fall out of the distributor rotor.

 

Beyond that it could be the coil, ignitor (on the coil bracket), the distributor, the ECU, etc. In depth tests will have to begin to determine for sure.

 

GD

I'll test the coil tomorrow morning. Any ideas on the best way to do that? I can test resistence in the coil and voltage to the coil, right?

 

And I already pulled a plug and grounded it... no spark.

Thanks General Disorder! I'll start checkin' it out tomorrow. I'm stuck at work for the evening. Oh, and so you know, my little brother has an older Subaru (he suggested this forum) and he said you know it all...lol... So, thanks for the advise. I'll let you all know what I find out.

Oh, and which fuses should I check? I checked the fuses under the dash, but I'm sure those aren't the engine management fuses. I did check the four fusible links in the engine bay. What/where are the others? Any relays? Thanks, again, for the help!

Make sure your horn works. The ECU is on the same circuit (fuse #5). Rest of the fuses are just over your left knee inside.

 

Also make sure the rotor turns when you crank it. Teeth can strip off the belt, so it looks good, but really isn't (happened to me).

 

-Dave

Make sure your horn works. The ECU is on the same circuit (fuse #5). Rest of the fuses are just over your left knee inside.

 

Also make sure the rotor turns when you crank it. Teeth can strip off the belt, so it looks good, but really isn't (happened to me).

 

-Dave

 

take off the cap and see if the rotor is turning. if it fell out, reinstall the set screw. otherwise if it doesnt't turn your timing belt is broken/stripped.

 

the disty has to be turning for the fuel pump signal since the disty is optical and serves as the crank sensor.

 

the fuel pump, however, will come on for 2 seconds when you turn the key.

 

if the fuel pump is clicking off and on, then the green test plugs are plugged in when thay are not supposed to be, since this is designed to cycle the fuel pump for diagnostic purposes, but is in no way related to the action of the crank sensor.

 

sooner or later someone will post the timing belt article, if you haven't found it already:)

There is an ignition relay, yes. But the failure you had doesn't sound like a relay failure. They generally either refuse to pull-in, or their contacts go bad. For it to just fail like that while you are driving would take a complete failure of the relay's drive coil.... that's almost unheard of at 12v. And you would probably have smelled it as it's under the dash.

 

The 4 fuseable links and the fuse panel under the dash is in fact all the fuses the car has. Did you actually remove each one and check it?

 

You can test the coil by testing resistance across the primary and secondary circuits in the coil. Check from the negative to the positive post, and then check from the positive (or negative) to the tower. On one you should see less than 10 ohms, and on the other around 8,000 to 12,000 ohms...

 

GD

it is possible for the CAS to have died entirely, especially if the tach was jumping around. otherwise if it was the amplifier transistor the car would start up after it sat a while but die once it warmed up.

Ok, so I feel like a dumb A. After looking at it in daylight (not at midnight, when it went out), I've found that y'all were right in the first place... The driver's side timing belt is gone, which also explains the no spark issue. I'll get the belt put on and let y'all know the result!! Thanks, again, for all the info! Y'all rock!

Ok, so I got both timing belts changed and did all my accessory belts while I was at it. It seems to be running pretty well, now! I think it may be a little off, though, as compression braking seems to be a little more abrupt and, while low end torque seems to have improved, high end torque seems to have decreased. I'll have to play with it. Anyhow, thanks again!