QuestionQUESTION: I was driving for about 10 minutes one morning when the car suddenly turned off. all the lights stayed on. i tried to re-start it, it would start and then shut down, as if it were out of gas or some thing, but off coarse it wasn't. I cant get it started since, i have never had starting problems what so ever. checked all fuses, removed and tested fuel pump, changed spark plugs. checked air intake. it continues to turn on, run for about a second, and then shut off. if i pump the gas, it back fires, tried banging on the gas tank, nothing. don't know what it could be. PGM FI relay? if you can help, please let me know.
ANSWER: You should check the distributor first. Ignition coils & ignitors are common to fail in this engine. If you are pumping the gas & it is trying to backfire could be a timing issue. You need to figure out if you are losing fuel to the engine, ignition to the spark plugs & you have proper compression. Try this first & let me know. Need more info
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QUESTION: I checked ignition coils,, spark is good, the fuel is good. i dont know how to check for compresion, but it starts up strong, sounds good for that one second. how do i check for compresion exactly? and if that fails what then? i changed the timing belt and water pump about 2 months ago. dont know if that helps, thanks.
AnswerYou need a compression gauge to check engine compression. It is a process of taking out the spark plugs & screwing the gauge into the hole & spinning the engine over & looking at what reading each cylinder is getting. This engine should have at least 175 psi of compression on each cylinder. Also, does the engine start up & then shut off as soon as you let go of the key? If so, you could have a worn out ignition switch. If the contact points in the ignition switch get worn out & you try starting the car, as soon as you release the key from start position the engine will die. This can be fixed by replacing the ignition switch contact points.
