[95wgn]

Hi,
Yesterday my trusty 95 wagon died a mile from home.
It was a very sudden death too, with no advance warnings.
I will try to fix it myself by following advice I find on this forum.
One question though, as I plan on tackling this alone, is there a way to crank the engine while I am outside say checking the spark?
I saw some youtube postings where they jump the starting relay in the fusebox under the hood. I did not see a relay marked for starter in the fuse box.

As a side, the car already has 382K miles. It's a crank but no start type issue. I checked the fuel line by the injectors by loosening the bolt, and it sprays gas. I also pried open the timing belt cover, that one is intact as well.
From what I read on this forum, it may be distributor / cap /rotor/coil type issue.
Looks like the ones on the car are the ones it came with from the factory.
I will see if I can fix it as such and post back as I progress.
Cheers!

 

[DannoXYZ]

Hi! Welcome to TN. Good to see a fellow Wagon owner!

You may need something like this to activate the starter-solenoid Amazon - remote start switch
However, I'm not sure of ECU's functionality if key is not physically turned to START position from ON.

Yes, most likely distributor/sensors and/or ignitor/ignition-coil issue. My bet is on the coil.

Easier to just pull a plug-wire. Stick a spark-plug in and lay on top of valve-cover so it's grounded. Then have it rotated and positioned so that you can see the spark-plug gap from driver's seat. I've even laid all four plugs on top in order to verify correct firing-order.

 

[DrZ]

The starter relay is way up under the driver side kick panel fuse box, but there are other ways to test things.

You don't even need to remove the spark plug to test for spark. Just disconnect the spark plug wire and you will hear the spark as you crank.

Have you checked all the fuses? Start simple.

 

[95wgn]

It sure good to be among toy enthusiasts

 

[95wgn]

Yep, checked the fuses, the ones I pulled EFI, IGN etc, they all looked good. I haven't tested the relays though. I just did spark test as "DannoXYZ" suggested, using an old plug and number two wire. I saw sparks but not sure if they were strong enough or in right firing frequency. I sure was hoping that I don't see any sparks ... I already ordered a plug wire set from amazon, getting ready to order sparkplugs, coil, cap and rotor from patznet. Thanks.

 

[Pete Suhman]

Don't throw away your old coil unless it's truly toasted. The generic replacement might not work well straight out of the box.
One other thing you need to check is the injectors, to see if they're firing. Loosening that bolt only told us that you have fuel pressure.
I think I remember reading here that the ignition can be the problem, but still provide spark to the plugs. IIRC the ignition module (ignitor?) can cause the injectors to not fire, but not stop the coil from firing.

 

[95wgn]

Don't throw away your old coil unless it's truly toasted. The generic replacement might not work well straight out of the box.
One other thing you need to check is the injectors, to see if they're firing. Loosening that bolt only told us that you have fuel pressure.
I think I remember reading here that the ignition can be the problem, but still provide spark to the plugs. IIRC the ignition module (ignitor?) can cause the injectors to not fire, but not stop the coil from firing.

I just placed an order for OEM plugs, coil, cap and rotor, ~$130 via an online Toy parts dealer. Also bought the wires from amazon.
I figure I neglected replacing them (except coil, did not think they were replaceable maintenance item) for quite a while, so I just threw some money, hope will fix it.
I will refer to other posts on how to check injectors; but if I have to guess remove them and crank the car. (Note to self, keep fire extinguisher handy)

Thank you.

 

[95wgn]

you all know your stuff

Gurus,
That did it.
I was not all that hopeful but I cranked it and it came alive.
So it was a sudden death with no prior warnings.
Per your recommendation, I replaced distributor coil, cap, rotor, wires and spark plugs.
$80 for tow, ~$170 for parts later, I think she is back in business.

Thank you.

 

[DrZ]

Chalk one up for the throw parts at it approach! :thumbsup:

It would be nice if you check the primary and secondary resistance on the old coil to verify that was the actual problem.