1987 420 SEL Distributor Cap and Rotor

[JonathanM]

I have a 1987 420 SEL that recently (last october) recieved a new power module, ignition coil, distributor cap and rotor. Just last week, I started having trouble with starting the car. It would turn over, but wouldn't fire right away. It would take 3 or 4 turns of the key, sometimes aided by some starter fluid to get the car started, and sometimes it wouldn't start at all. I took it to a shop, and they told me that the rotor had shattered, and the apparent electrical arcing between the rotor pieces destroyed the distributor cap. Any ideas about what might cause a fairly new rotor to shatter? Seems odd to me. Nevertheless, the front fuel pump wire was also discovered to be disconnected. Seems to me like this could have caused the car not to start so easily. Have I been lied to? Could a car start with a shattered rotor and a destroyed distributor cap?