96 Probe turns over but will not start...

[tmarsh]

This morning the car would not start. worked fine last night. Checked for spark at plug, and from wire between starter and dist. - nothing. Not sure what to check next. Any ideas? I am trying to find the Ignition coil, ignition module on there, but can't seem to have any luck.

Your help is appreciated.

Aaron

[94PROBEGTR]

Originally Posted by tmarsh

This morning the car would not start. worked fine last night. Checked for spark at plug, and from wire between starter and dist. - nothing. Not sure what to check next. Any ideas? I am trying to find the Ignition coil, ignition module on there, but can't seem to have any luck.

Your help is appreciated.

Aaron

check battery to see if good?
have starter checked out also

[KimMG]

Look to see if the valves are opening and closing while the motor is turning over. Maybe the timing belt broke.

[tmarsh]

So after fiddling with it, checking for spark (was getting it, then seemed not to) unplugged relays, unplugged those two little boxes close to the windshield on the driver's side above the strut and cleaned the contacts (these seemed corroded and the connector on one was kind of weathered looking), also took off the distributor cap and checked for anything unusual - after all that I gave up and gave it one last shot, once - nothing; twice - nothing; third time - started up. What the hell?

So now it is intermittent - great. Regarding a starter, would it turn over but not ignite? also, would it go out slowly, i.e. intermittently fail before breaking?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks -
Aaron

[94PROBEGTR]

Originally Posted by tmarsh

So now it is intermittent - great. Regarding a starter, would it turn over but not ignite? also, would it go out slowly, i.e. intermittently fail before breaking?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks -
Aaron

my starter has been intermittently f@#$king up for a long . i changed he terminal contacts on the battery cable that helped to, but it still has the 2 - 3 turns of the key to crank to motor. also did you check to see if the battery cables are ok?. try cleaning the post on the battery with that grenade looking thing that has the sharp pointy things. i've also seen people smash a penny into the terminal so it gets a good contact to the post. it also can be a bad ignitor see [ http://forums.probetalk.com/showthread.php?t=1701081990 ]

to me it maybee a bad starter but i could be wrong. if you can remove it take it somewhere to have it checked out

[octagon]

My car did the same thing as your's exactly, with the exeption that I gave up and replaced what a lot of us have to and that is the distributor. These cars don't have a coil, they have and ignitor inside the distributor, and it is very common for that peice to fail, usually without warning, sometimes completely and other times intermitantly. There is a workaround on probetalk.com for replaceing it, but time and a somewhat confusing thread necessatated I just replace the distributor. You might try a wrecker, but it is usually the first thing gone. Someone said the distributor from Partsource has a lifetime warranty. Good thing, in Canada the part is around $600. Good luck

[tmarsh]

I found that workaround thread, but it appears to be for a 6 cylinder. Mine is four. How would I test the ignitor on a 4 cyl.?

Thanks for your help.

[94PROBEGTR]

Originally Posted by tmarsh

I found that workaround thread, but it appears to be for a 6 cylinder. Mine is four. How would I test the ignitor on a 4 cyl.?

Thanks for your help.

sorry, didnt know you had a I-4. you could ask in the 4 cylinder section if their is a similar workaround.

when was the last time the cap&rotor been replaced?
or when was the last time the car had a tune-up?