Yesterday on way back from a little roadtrip, I was driving home when all the sudden my RPM just dropped to 0 and I went to a rolling stop (I thought maybe my cable snapped to my gas pedal or something, then I saw the car was off)

Does anyone have any ideas of what it is? I don't wanna go out and spend the big bucks for a distributor - I'm about to sell this car...

Oh, the car does crank - the fuel pump does work, the timing belt is not snapped and does spin on the crank

Any info would be appreciated, need this ASAP

 

Are you getting any spark to your plugs? My car died yesterday on the highway and I couldn't get my car to start. I had just changed my wires, plugs, rotor and cap, so I thought we messed up something. My dad and I later find out that the igintion coil went bad and needs to be replaced.

 

well I did do a check, we took out spark plug 1 and put it to a ground and we didn't see a spark (when we cranked it)... just out of curiousity, did your car die similar to mine?

how does your car sound when it cranks? Mine sounds like it isn't grabbing something... it's a really weird sound

 

A similar thing happened to me. Driving down the interstate and the car just shuts off.

Turned out to be the ignition switch.
The fuel pump would pressurize when you turn the key over and all and it would crank. Once the car started and you let off cranking it it would cut off. The mechanic who fixed it was able to start the car and still holding onto the key, let it back after it cranked, and as long as he held it in there with some pressure, the car would stay on. The second he let go, it would cut back off. It must have been a bad connection in the electrical portion of the ignition switch. For the part and install, $411.

 

wait, so your saying that your car was starting up, then it would cut off? Mine just cranks, it won't start for the life of it

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Steve90HB &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">well I did do a check, we took out spark plug 1 and put it to a ground and we didn't see a spark (when we cranked it)... just out of curiousity, did your car die similar to mine?

how does your car sound when it cranks? Mine sounds like it isn't grabbing something... it's a really weird sound</TD></TR></TABLE>

I was driving my car on the highway, when all of a sudden the car started to stutter, and then the car just died. I'm not getting any spark either, but I'm not getting a weird sound, as far as I know.

You should check your primary and secondary connection on your ignition coil with an ohmmeter. I don't have my Helms at my desk but I believe the specs should be

Primary: 0.6-0.8 ohm
Secondary: 12,800-19,000 ohm

 

so you're gettin no spark when you crank? sounds like a problem with the distributor.

and check the coil.

 

ok I don't have a helms or anything available... does anyone have an online diagram they can show me a step by step on checking the coil? The distributor has been pulled off, the inside of it still looks fine (from my knowledge)...

 

bump for the morning crew