ignition problems

belucky

Registered User
i just purchased a 90 supercoupe that seemed to be the deal of a lifetime but ofcourse murphys law had to play its role i was ddrivin it today 12/19/03 and all of a sudden it started runnin on 3 or 4 cylinders whatever like crap just so happened there was an auto garage right were it started doing it so i limped it in there i called the place i bought it from knowin they knew somim was wrong with it but they had thought thyey fixed it with a tune up well we both decided it was either the coil pack or the ignition module so i asked the people were i was if they could help me out somehow well they just happened to have another coil pack assumim that was the problem especially after takin the wires off the coil and checkin for spark there was a dead hole in the coil (not sure if the was more than one not workin at that time)we stopped checkin after the one so i put the other used coil on and it did the same thing so i ended up leavin it there to try to find a ignition module well i would have to order one so i went back up to see if there was more than one hole on the coil not workin cause i was told that ignition module has 2 sides and if the coil is not firin in 3 holes then its the module when i went to check it out it started like crap and while my girlfriend was holdin her foot on the gas to keep it runnin i was chechin for spark again and it started firrin on all 6 again by the time i got done so we let it run for a minute it seemed fine so i drove it home before i got there it did it again i limped it home and started pullin off the wires on the coil checkin it again and once again by the time i got done it started runnin fine again now obviously somim is cuttin in and out but i dont know what i kinda wonder if there is a major wirin problem with it cause there is some othere things not workin wright the stereo only works on the drivers side and i have played with the head unit and the amp being its got the jbl sound system i figured either there is a channel burned out of the head or the amp well sometimes the stereo will cut out completly and it is related to hittin bumps and what not the door chime only chimes sometimes when i leave the keys in the ignition and the firm ride switch activates on and off on its own anyway i would be kinda suprised if the interior electronic problems are related to the ignition problems but it is posible i know i need to put a coder on it but any help at this point would be greatly appreciated oh yea when the girlfriend was revin it to keep it runnin and i was under the hood it also has a knock in it didnt investigate enough to know wheather it was comin from the upper end or the lower end but assumin it might be common maybe you guys would have an idea i bought the car for a grand even and it has less than 100,000 miles on it so i can afford to spend some money on it but by the same tocken i dont need to be gettin crazy with it either thanks
 
This sounds most likely to be the Ignition Module (or DIS). The coil fires in 2s not 3s. So, if you could catch it screwing up you would see 2 holes not firing.

I had this problem last spring. Aren't you getting a CE light when it screws up? Mine did and pointed to the DIS.

Jon
 
yea the check engine light is turnin on when it does this but havent had a chance to run a code checker but will do next week it doesnt seem to wanna screw up now its been runnin fine since last thursday so i dont know its weird will run the code checker though
 
belucky,

When you run the codes make sure you get the stored in memory codes. The bad DIS code will be there. Your car does not have to be screwing up at the time you do the codes. It will have recorded the problem when it happened. You will get a code (like my 212) that indicates a primary circuit failure on coil pack 1, 2, or 3. This means DIS failure to drive one of the 3 coil packs.

Good luck.

Jon
 
i caught it

thanks for the reply that was very helpful it is missfirin on 2 and 6 indicating one bad cell in the coil
 
i caught it

thanks for the reply that was very helpful it is missfirin on 2 and 6 indicating one bad cell in the coil
 
Do you mean you think it is a bad 1/3 of the coil or that you think it is a bad ignition module failing to fire that 1/3 of the coil. I'm willing to be it's the DIS not firing your coil rather than a bad coil.

Jon
 
sorry im not real clear sometimes anyway yea i been kinda thinkin its the dis (ignition module)all along since i tried a different used coil and it did the same thing didnt fire in the same cylinder well i went and bought a code checker today and this is what i got 21 ect sensor probably cause engine wasnt runnin (edis)fault problems with cps crankshaft positioning sensor 24, (edis) fault failure in coil one primary circut 95, thermactor air system problem-right passenger sideairflow always upstream or feul pump monitor signal indicates circut problem 41, exhaust gas oxegen sensor (ego)voltage signal always lean (low value)does not switch 48,vaf sensor voltage signal to high or(dis)problemscoil 3 circut failure or loss loss of left side tach signal or exhaust gas oxegen sensor signal indicates opposite from feul 91, ego sensor again assumin it keeps showin oxegen sensor cause engine was not runnin omong others by process of elimination i would say im back to were i started coil or dis not to happy with my new code reader bout redy to give it my own code 187 deep sea error in the bottom of the river this really does piss me off
 
she runs again

yea replaced the dis module good to go but to be honest i really dont trust the car it seems to be actin weird still sometimes it doesnt wanna start right up and doesnt wanna idle real well like everyone else on the site i like the car i wanna keep it but the ones that seem to have electrical problems like some of the ones on this site really seem to be a headache i am mechanically inclined to say the lest but i like my money to so i will be buying another vehicle (need somim tow my boat anyway)and will give it a shoot but might not be my restore car it is a fun car though.
 
Can you describe the hard start condition? How many times do you have to try before it starts?

I always recommend to start by checking the bolt in the crankshaft that you'll find inside the lower pulley/harmonic balancer assembly. Make sure it's there and it's tight. When the engine is running notice if that lower pulley is running true or wobbling.

The hard start and odd behavior makes me think of a Cam sensor. But maybe not, depending on how it behaves in a hard start condition.

have you been able to pull any codes?
 
yea,what i was talkin about with the hard start condition was it turns over a lot before it starts.it actually seems to be worse when its warm and definitely idles worse when its warm.funny you should ask about the codes,i just checked them again last night12\28\03 first time since its been runnin again.this is what i got 72-insufficent manifold vacum change 73-insufficient throttle position change.25-knock sensor signal not detected.(assumin the hummdinger i bought the car from unplugged it because it does knock some)especially when the engine freewheels at a higher idle.and last but not least,74-brake on\off switch not detected. all this while engine was runnin. thanks
 
Those codes are because you didn't do some things during the tests. Like tap the block, press the brake pedal, crack the throttle.. and some other stuff I don't recall.

You should check fuel pressure after key on. (before you try turning it over) and make sure you are building sufficient fuel pressure. Then I would use a timing light or a spark detector to validate that you have spark when you first crank.

Then I'd make sure i check that bolt on the crank pulley.
 
10-4

thanks for the reply ya know sometimes i forget what im dealin with here.obviously when yer runnin a blower turbo or nitrious the feul pressure plays a major role in the enigine holdin together goood call! anyway sounds like i got nothin to worry about ha,cool
i will check the crank pully dont have direct access to a timing light but could check it if i had to wouldnt the computer code if the timing was off though? anyway i know it needs a tune up its got 90,000 miles on it and i may have never had one.well the only thing standing in my way right now is the knock it makes sometimes, its not hammerin but the knock is there,from what i have been reading on the site it probably aint good like probably in the lower end not sure if its in the top or lower need to investigate more but it actually seems to be rapid so thinking it might be in the cam somewhere,hopefully,is there a way to check feul pressure on these without buying a guage? thanks,oh yea just fer giggles bout how much fer a cheap lower rebuild? if i do the work myself ,crank bearings, rod bearings, and pistons n hone maybe bore
 
Inductive timing lights can be used to verify spark. That would be the only point.

And no, a code may or may not be thrown due to poor timing. It depends on the root cause.
 
the crank pulley is true

everthing therre looks good still need to check timing and fuel pressure.and now looks like blower rebuild.all in the name of fun.i dont really mind gettin familiar with the car i know i can work on it just dont wanna get stuck payin ou the gaass
 
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