Forum Replies Created
-
Replies
-
I know this is an old topic but I’ve been unable to log into the forums for the longest time. JnLRacing, the 626/MX-6/Probe’s biggest issue is the distributor failing. Symptoms will show up as the car dying, then letting it sit to cool will be able to start again. This is because the cam sensor inside the distributor gets heat soaked and stops reporting any value. Next time you have this no-start condition check for spark. It’s as simple as that. If you have spark then it’s probably a fuel pump or fuel pump regulator issue which aren’t as common as the distributor failing but do happen as with any vehicle.
I know this is an old topic but I’ve been unable to log into the forums for the longest time. JnLRacing, the 626/MX-6/Probe’s biggest issue is the distributor failing. Symptoms will show up as the car dying, then letting it sit to cool will be able to start again. This is because the cam sensor inside the distributor gets heat soaked and stops reporting any value. Next time you have this no-start condition check for spark. It’s as simple as that. If you have spark then it’s probably a fuel pump or fuel pump regulator issue which aren’t as common as the distributor failing but do happen as with any vehicle.
Luckily I had a bookmark of it. The url was http://www.ericthecarguy.com/forum/topics.aspx?ID=431 So I’m guessing topic 431? 🙂
Oh and I agree with the option to opt-in to receive emails for every topic instead of opting-out. That’s going to be just one more thing for daily contributors to do before every post otherwise their email boxes will get stuffed every day. Seems silly that it would be on by default.
Well I love the new site mainly because I couldn’t login for about 6 months for some reason!!! I emailed Eric a few times over the months and he didn’t have a way of fixing it so I got screwed and had to sit and wait until the site was revamped. My main topic that was about 4 pages long where a lot of people helped me get my car back up and running is GONE. 🙁 I would very much like to make some updates to that topic so if possible please get that one back for me.
Eric has been an inspiration for me in working on my car and I’d really like to get that topic back so everyone can read how Eric has positively affected my life. Beefy and Dreamer were encouraging too so it’s great to hear they are still around and helping more than ever.
It’s great to be back on the site finally. Thank you webmaster whoever you are!
I feel ya on the no garage. I’m in the same situation. Between having free time, dodging the rain, and trying not to get sun burn it’s a real pain. Can only hope that someday you’ll be in a position to have a garage. Keep hope alive. 🙂
+1 Beefy. If there is a problem with the harmonic balancer then running the car will only make it more evident. Check all the pulleys. You can do this in 2 minutes even if it’s snowing and lightning outside. Pop the hood and use your hand to try and wobble each pulley. Check each pulley for wobble. The harmonic balancer is much bigger than the other pulleys though so you’ll need to put extra effort into trying to wobble that one. If the pulleys don’t wobble then your rattle is coming from elsewhere.
Maybe take some video so we can see and hear it too? If a picture is worth a thousand words then video is worth a million.
Check all the fuses under the hood and the joint box near the drivers foot? If all of those are good then check the harness connections under the dash. There is a common ground point for most of the gauge cluster which is run into the back of the joint box aka break out fuse box. The harness running into the back of the gauge cluster would be a good harness specifically to inspect. Most of the gauges then go onto to the ECU directly.
If you have multiple gauge issues it’s either going to be a loose harness or bad ground. A bad ground makes a lot of sense if your gauges and shifting issues are random. I’ve seen that happen quite a lot on other forums and usually has to do with owners in areas that use a lot of salt on the roads. That stuff with corrode away your ground points and then voila you’ve got some wacky electronic stuff happening. If you live in an area with rocky or otherwise harsh road conditions I would suspect a loose wiring harness connector. somewhere either behind the dash or attached to the fuse box or ECU.
If all that checks out good you might need to take a look at the wiring to the ECU which is probably under the center console. In Probes, MX-6, and 626’s it’s rare for a pin to slip out of the ECU or PCM but there are documented cases of that happening so you’ll want to check for that too.
Well if that’s what it takes to improve his life then I say go for it. If you like the guy you’ll want to see him succeed and he’s obviously got the desire to be an instructor. Maybe he should think about doing something like ETCG University along with the Professor persona?
I suggest reading the sticky topic in this forum category… it’s labled as “A Primer, for those wanting to fix their car with internet advice”
It can be easier to inspect it with the belt tension off yes but if it’s obviously bad then you should be able to wobble it with your hand anyway. A good pulley will not wobble in any direction. Did they explain exactly what was wrong with it? $1000 to replace a crankshaft pulley seems a bit extreme. I can get my timing belt and drive belts replaced for less than that and they have to go past the balancer and about 10 other components. That’s my opinion.
So someone put on the cams in the wrong place and then made their own timing marks? How does that even work if the ignition timing is electronically controlled? Sorry I’m not understanding this because I’m so used to working off factory specs. Didn’t even know it was possible to set timing any other way. Would love to see some images and better explanation of it all. Whole thing confused me. B:*)
Yeah I think Eric should be some kind of instructor. Well he is in a way but I’d like to see that happen for him at an automotive college or vocational program. Well FATR ruling is in. FATR is being moved to ETCG and will only appear when he’s got the time and/or desire to produce them. Good for him. That stuff was taking a toll on him. As fun as it was I certainly don’t want to see him get burned out from all of this because we would all lose if that happens. I love his repair videos and at the chance of sounding dumb I’m glad the FATR is gone in favor of Dr./Professor Eric theory based stuff. If the FATR was parasitic to his time, effort, and mental health then so long not gonna miss ya. You know what I mean?
Can’t wait to see what Doctor/Professor Eric videos are going to be like. I LOOOOVE the theory based stuff. He’s obviously thought long and hard about this move so that it makes ETCG even better. I think it’s definitely going to be better for DIY’ers, Gearheads, and Techs… which is basically everyone who really love EricTheCarGuy videos. Definitely another big step in the right direction.
Hate to burst your theory on the rebuild. The 626 did come with a lot of Mitsubishi parts including the distributor, throttle body, and IAC. You’ve got to look real close to find those little symbols but they are all over the car.
The coolant pipe behind the header is a bypass system. That is the only part of the system that is used until the car warms up (the thermostat opens). I have an explanation of that in one of my videos but I have to re-shoot the entire video because I got so many things wrong. I’ve learned quite a lot since then.
Have you tried resetting the ECU? There are 2 things that happen before the car is warmed up. The ECU uses default values for the O2 sensor and the coolant doesn’t fully circulate through the engine. This is so that the car warms up faster. Once it reaches a certain temperature the O2 sensor kicks in and starts feeding live data and the thermostat opens up to allow coolant through the entire engine.
As for the timing it’s exactly like any FS engine. There is an “I” (intake) and “E” (exhaust) stamp on the cam gears. Those marks must be pointing at each other exactly when the engine is at TDC. Being 1 tooth off will cause issues like loping idle. It shouldn’t cause surging though (to my knowledge). Just so happens that a YouTube channel that many of us like (including Eric) called RealFixesRealFast has a video that explains most of it and you’re really in luck because it’s for a 1997. How about them apples? 🙂 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBhNITlXZ6c
You can download the EU (European) version of the factory manual from pmx626.info but there will be differences to look out for. The EU version came with a 1.8L, 2.0L, and 2.5L. The US only has 2.0L and 2.5L. The 1994 manual on that same site would probably be more useful for the engine specs and timing stuff. It’s mostly the same.
Eric, neat tip on plugging the IAC air inlet. I’ve never thought of that. Really interested to give that a try but my engine is still in pieces.
TheArete, what white marks? Guess I’ll wait to see the video. I love watching 626 videos. 😉
The distributor does have an O-ring and it should be oiled before installation. It’s a cheap part, try a dealer or auto parts store.
Yeah I’m pretty impressed with the amount of diagnostics you’ve done so far. Certainly more than I’ve ever done. This is all highly enjoyable to follow. Keep up the excellent work. I’m sure you’ll get it soon. You’re certainly ruling out a lot of things. You’re doing it the right way but I’ll agree it’s better to have an analog voltmeter or oscilloscope to pull MAF and O2 sensor values. Gotta use what you have to work with though. Not everyone has that kind of equipment.
By the way we’re dealing with an MTX not ATX correct? The MTX vs ATX MAF’s output different readings which is why I want to make sure.