I hit the concrete to asphalt bump on the freeway today. Good thing I didnīt break the towers.

Anyway, it felt like something popped out (an axle?), the RPMīs went to 0 and the engine bogged down....stalled for a bit then picked itself back up again and seemed like everything was fine. Then popped back out and I had to pull into a parking lot. I have no idea whatīs wrong. The axles are ok. Will have to get under to look closer but why would the rpmīs die out? It wonīt start anymore.

Throw some ideas at me so I can check later when I go back with some tools. I think it may be an ignition issue. Maybe the distributor popped out. So going to take that out and look at the cam pickup.

 

spark plug wires?

 

So you think the hit messed up the spark plug wires? Interesting.

It tires to start but then it goes plop plop and dies out.

 

it's conceivable that one of them could have popped off of the spark plug itself.

It's happened to a few people just by itself.

 

Strange but thanks.

 

easy to figure out just push down on them all and make sure they're secure, you're not leaking anything at all? Check your cap/rotor as well...probably unlikely...but it's easy to check.

 

Better solution yet...get under the car and take a good look at everything there and in the engine bay.

Then you'll be able to conclude what it isn't for sure.

 

bogging tach + no throttle response typically means ignition... if it were fuel it'd have probably sputtered for a few....could you smell any gas while this was going on? Any backfires?

Definately take a close look at everything in the distributor and the plugs/wires

 

Well if it wont start, it's not an axle. Why would the rpm's go to 0 ?

It didn't hit the bottom of the car, just bottomed out really bad.

I have an MSD SCI with a blaster 2 coil but I seriously doubt that can break from a hit.

I won't be able to hit HT when I'm under the car at some secluded parking lot

 

No leaks. No smell. Yes, it did backfire once like crazy (VERY loud). So probably ignition....

 

EGT was perfect. This is a turbo car running a tuned Hondata so definitely not an AFR problem. Even if I kill the o2 sensor, I'm still ok.

Something happened from the hit. I hope I didn't break a piston or mess up the crank.

 

backfire = ignition.. what happens is the fuel starts pooling up... because it's not being burned due to lack of spark....spark comes on...sends excess fuel into the exhaust system and BOOM...backfire... at least I'm pretty sure that's how it works.

I've experienced this before, and when you're having ignition problems, often times the tach will just bog..and pushing the pedal wont do ****...so instictively...you start jamming down on the pedal and pushing more fuel..try whacking/tapping your distributor a few times with a rubber mallet or something and see if it starts after that... if so then it's a loose connection. Electrical connections are particularly susceptible to hard jolts, as sometimes the solder connections break.

 

I just had a spark plug wire keep popping off my distributor, zip tie fixed that, but it never did back fire when it poped off, the car would just feel like it had only 50hp and bog really bad and almost die at idle, the engine started really shity too when the wire was off

distributors can be a bitch, I went 3 used ones before I said **** it and bought one from the dealer ($$$), but that one has been working for about a year now

 

just get under there and check it out

 

Thanks guys! I really appreciate the suggestions.

Going to be a pain to work in the parking lot but can't really pull it home because it's so low.

 

Just to follow up, the distributor was the culprit. I kept the old ICM (ignitor), rotor, cap so it was either the magnetic pickups or something with the wire harness.

 

Im going with wires too, that happened to me once. Didnt find it for like a week too