Hi there, I have a 1989 Dodge Shadow that was running fine until a week ago. There were no indications of anything wrong and last Friday went to start it up in the morning and it will not start. We have had it plugged in all week and never had a problem starting it before. The coil, spark plug wires, ignition disc in the distributer cap have all been replaced. We had the starter tested and it is fine. Tested spark plugs and all have spark. Motor is getting fuel but still won't catch. When we try to start it, it sounds like it wants to catch but hates us. Anyone have any other ideas what it may be. This is getting frustrating. It is a 2.2L fuel injected and the climate is pretty cold. Please help it's cold here and I am tired of walking. Could it possibly be the fuel injectors and if so can it only be one or two of them thats causing this problem or will it be all four? With my luck it will be all four. Maybe we should buy a new car!!!!

When you crank it, can you feel air coming out of the exhaust? I think maybe your catalytic converter is plugged.

When you crank it, can you feel air coming out of the exhaust? I think maybe your catalytic converter is plugged.



Thank you for your reply. I did get it started today, I don't know what I did but it started. Still runs rough but I think I just need to adjust the timing, it is also pushing a lot of black smoke out the exaust. Would that be just the timing? Thanks for your help!

When the cat plugged on my truck, we got it running a couple days afterward, and it was sooting black out of the pipes. I was told it was pieces of the old converter that broke off the catalyst inside and came out. Maybe that's what is happening in your case.

Does it backfire? Does it sound like it's running on all cylinders?

When the cat plugged on my truck, we got it running a couple days afterward, and it was sooting black out of the pipes. I was told it was pieces of the old converter that broke off the catalyst inside and came out. Maybe that's what is happening in your case.

Does it backfire? Does it sound like it's running on all cylinders?


Hey, the black smoke is getting lighter but still idles rough and wants to stall when stopped. There is a strong smell of gas when driving. No it doesn't backfire and sounds like it is running on all cylinders but has a bad misfire when idling, could this be from changing the plug wires, replacing the ignition disc[under the distributer cap] and replacing the rotor could I have screwed up the timing? Also when I took out the spark plugs to clean them one of them won't go all the way back in, almost like it is cross threaded. It only went in about 3/4 of the way. Fought with it for a while but that's all it would do. Thanks for the help!!