QuestionQUESTION: i have a 95 sebring lxi with over 103,000 miles on it. i few days ago it wouldnt start. after my cousin, who is a mechanic, looked at it, he found that there was no spark. he replaced the distributor yesterday and when we tried to start it, there was still no spark. he also checked the relays and fuses. he doesnt know what else to do. do you have any suggestions on what we could try?
ANSWER: Hi Becky,
Was your decision to replace the distributor based upon a fault code readout? If not I would do that by means of the ignition key:"on-off-on-off-on and leave on" doing that in 5 seconds or less elapsed time. Then watch the check engine light that remains "on" to begin to flash, pause, flash, etc. Count the number of flashes before each pause. Then repeat the process to assure an accurate count. Then group the counts in pairs in the order of appearance to form the 2-digit fault codes. The last code is always 55 which means "end of readout". If you get a code 11 then that would be the crankshaft sensor which if not working will cause a loss of spark, just as did the camshaft sensor in the distributor (that is a code 54). The distributor is the one that usually fails, but you may have also a bad crankshaft sensor which when replaced should get you a spark.
Other code numbers can be read at www.allpar.com/fix/code.html
You may also write me back with any other codes or questions that may come up. There are some wiring possibilities as an alternative in case it isn't revealed by the code readout as to what is wrong. It is also possible to verify the signals from the cam and crank sensors even if you don't get a code...but lets do the code readout first. Then go from there.
Roland
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: my cousin did check the codes by doing the on-off-on-off-on thing but he didnt tell me the codes. i can ask him tomorrow if he remembers them. my cousin doesnt work with chryslers all that often so when he couldnt figure out what was going on, he asked some people that work with them. they all said that when there was no spark its usually the distributor thats the problem. so he replaced it. i will let him know about the crankshaft sensor and i well get back to you with the codes.
thank you so much
becky
AnswerHi Becky,
You are welcome. I suspected that what you tell me was the case. You don't have to wait to ask him, if the car is nearby. The codes will still be in the memory of the computer unless the battery was disconnected, but even if that were the case you would still be able to read currently applicable codes (which could of course include the 11 code). So give it a try if you want. Fortunately the crank sensor is much less expensive than the distributor, and the distributor might have failed anyway if not now then sooner or later. If it didn't fail then save it for when the new one fails:)
Roland
