QuestionThank you for your response
Yes, it is fuel injected and yes it is an import (Mitsubisi engine). My engine does not seem to be running hot.
I tried the trick for the computer readout and got nothing, so it must not work with my engine.
A couple of additional questions:
1) Would the Hall sensor be automatically replace with the new distributor?
2) Could a problem with the control computer cause the distributor or sensor to go bad? Would that be detected on the diagnostic computer?
3) Most importantly, I had another "expert" suggest that if my new cylinder head was incorrectly installed it could cause this problem. What do you think about that?
Thanks Again
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Followup To
Question -
1993 Plymouth Colt GL, 1.8L Engine
From the beginning:
In March I broke my timing belt, which resulted in an expensive cylinder head and valve job.
Everything was fine until July when my engine just died, would turn over but not start. The same mechanic then replaced my coil, distributor, cap, wires etc.
Three months later, I started having problems where the engine would run fine for about an hour. Then the engine would hesitate, stall, restart, run for a few minutes, then die and not restart until it cooled down completely. I took it back in to the shop and it was diagnosed with a faulty distributor (again) and replaced free of charge.
Now two months later I experience a familiar symptom. I had been driving on the freeway for about an hour, when my engine died briefly (tach went to 0) then resumed, then died again and resumed. I made it home (another 20 minutes)though with no more problems.
This seems very similar to my previous problem. Could I have another defective coil & distrubtor, or could there be something else causing it to go bad?
Thanks
Answer -
Hi Tim,
Unfortunately I don't have experience or a shop manual for the 1.8L engine. But if it is fuel injected then I would suspect that the distributor has a solid state sensor that detects the position of the rotor of the distributor (usually called a Hall effect sensor). These sensors tend to fail when they overheat and then they revive after they cool down. (Is your car running really hot which might raise the internal temp of the distributor (because it is downwind from the radiator, for example)? I believe you can merely buy a replacement Hall sensor rather than a new entire distributor. The 2.2 and 2.5L Chrysler cars have a engine controller that detects faults such as a failed Hall sensor. You can readout the memory of the controller by simply turning the ignition key as follow: off-on-off-on-off-on, then leave it in the on position (all within an elapsed time of 5 seconds) and watch for the 'check engine' light to begin to flash, pause, flash, pause, etc. If there is 1 flash, pause, 1 flash, pause then you have the fault code for the Hall signal not being 'seen' by the controller. After that, the light may flash 5 times, pause, 5 times, pause which is the code for "end of readout". You can repeat the readout procedure to be sure you count the flashes correctly. So see of the Colt has this feature, and let me know the flash counts you see if it does.
If you do get the Hall signal fault code, then it means that either the sensor has stopped sending a signal or the wire on which the signal is sent to the controller is flakey. So you might want to verify the latter possibility at the controller plug-in before you buy a new sensor. I can't identify which pin on the plug is from the hall sensor because I don't have the wiring diagrams. But the sensors cost about $40 and you merely have to take off the distributor cap, remove the rotor, lift off a protective cover plate and that should give you access to the sensor. It should have the connector plug and pigtail attached to it permanently and the whole sensor assembly should be replaced as a unit.
That is my best guess at this point. Sorry I have less experience with the 1.8 which possibly is an import engine?
Roland
AnswerHi Tim,
Yes, the Hall sensor I believe is usually sold as part of the rebuilt distributor. I don't see how the sensor could be damaged by the controller. I do know that the Mitsubishi system does have a fault code memory and readout capability but I am not sure if there is a self-read technique or that instead you have to have an accessory code reader to find out what is in the memory. Why not go back to the mechanic and ask if he can readout the codes, make the point that this is the third failure of this type, and perhaps it is the sensor's wire to the controller, the signal ground wire, or the voltage supply wire to the sensor that is opening up? Of course there could be a run of sensors that may just be defective, lately.
I would request another free replacement of the sensor because of this history, unless another explanation is found that is unrelated to the previous repairs. I can't understand how this is related to the head replacement without there being some additional symptoms such as loss of coolant (as white smoke out the tail pipe in excess of the usual amount when first starting the car), or as sludge in the engine oil, or pressurization of the radiator beyond the normal level of pressure. But maybe the "expert" can tell you how you might know that was the reason. What you described sounds more like a Hall sensor than anything else and if you could get a code readout that would tell you if that were indeed the case.
Roland
