QuestionQUESTION: I have a 1998 sebring convertible JXI with no spark - setting in my garage. About 2 years ago replaced the crank senor and just yesterday replaced the entire distributor and cap for the third time - but still no spark?? A last week and then again this week started after I had the charger on it over night but then about an hour later - no spark. The battery is new as well. Very frustrating!
Any ideas?
ANSWER: Hi Keith,
Try the ignition key to get fault codes stored in the computer memory:"on-off-on-off-on and leave on" doing that in 5 seconds or less elapsed time. Then watch the odometer window to see if the mileage reading is replaced by a 4-digit number preceded by a P which would be relevant to finding out what is wrong. Let me know what you find and we'll from there. The fact that you did get some action recently makes me wonder if the problem might be mixture instead of spark. I would check the stem of the egr valve (located below the thermostat housing) to be sure it moves freely and that spring-action closes the valve tightly. There is a slot in the valve stem that you can use with the tip of a screwdriver to move the stem back and forth to test it. Spray some WD-40 on the stem where it enters the valve to free-up the 'action'.
Roland
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Sorry no fault codes - had a mechanic friend look at it yesterday. Just 5 minutes ago it started again - when the charger was on but now not. I'm not sure where the egr valve is?
thanks!!!!!!!
keith
ANSWER: There is a pipe that branches off the front exhaust manifold going toward the throttle body area, and in that pipe you will find the egr valve, mounted sideways. Look for the stem between the round vacuum-operated top piece and the valve body in the pipe. It is hidden by a flange that connects the two parts. It is under the coolant filler pipe/thermostat housing, very near the corner of the valve cover.
Roland
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: I found the egr valve - it's what I thought it was all along. The vacuum piece goes in good and the stem moves free enough. Weird that it started once this morning - now it just cranks. Could it be the crack sensor? I replaced it a few years back with an OEM one.
AnswerSee if you are getting 12V compared to engine ground on the dark green/orange wire (pin 1) of the plug that has 2-pins on it that goes into the distributor, while you are cranking it over. If so, then the ecm is getting signal from both sensors. If not, and you only see 12V for the first 1-2 seconds while cranking it over then I would suspect that the crank or the cam sensor is not putting out any pulses. If that is a possibility, then check for pulsing on the crank sensor signal wire (gray/black) on pin 3 (goes to pcm 32) and the cam signal wire (tan/yellow) on pin 3 of the 6-pin plug at the distributor (goes to pcm 33), comparing both signal wires to sensor ground (black/light blue) on their respective plugs that goes to pcm 43. You would do this by having the ignition 'on' but turning the engine over by hand using the bolt on the crank pulley with a socket and ratchet. You should expect to see the voltage pulse between 5V and 0.3V as you turn it over if the sensor you are measuring is working. If not, then verify that there is 8V on the orange wire (pin 2 of 6 pin at the distibutor)/pin 1 at the crank sensor) just to be sure that is present when the ignition is "on".
Roland
