Car died while driving down the street at 40mph. After checking things out it doesn't have spark. Does anyone know how to go about testing the different components of the ignition system? I don't want to just start swapping out parts and throwing money at it.

Are there any common problems that I should consider first, like the ecm or the coil-pack?

Thanks,
Dan

Thanks. I got a hold of a factor service manual, which I have to say is pretty awesome, and it points to the crank sensor and the ignition module. What could go wrong with the crank sensor besides a broken wire? Isn't it just a magnet?

I may pick up a used ignition module today at lunch just for the hell of it. I'm thinking it has the highest possibility of being bad.

BTW, this particular car has been extremely reliable since new and now has 258k miles on it with no major problems. I'm using used parts only because the car is on borrowed time and I have to pay for everything!! (It'* my brother-in-law'* car)

Dan

Is it possible to have a crank sensor problem and not throw a code. Don, when my car sits for a while the first or second time, the start up never works, then in kicks in the 3rd time.

But if I start it up in a short period of time...its fine, so it can't be fuel system related

got my crank sensor for $2273 with tax at autozone month or two ago, still have the reciept

Thanks Don....I'll check it out. Speaking of gremlins you should see my wonky coolant gage now but thats another story.

I really want to get the ignition fixed.... its embarrasing

Problem solved. Kinda. The dead engine situation turned out to be the ignition module. I was much more confident that it was the module after visiting three auto wrecking yards and finding 20-30 cars that used that coil-pack, THEY WERE ALL GONE except for one!!! Common problem?

The coil-pack on the dead car checked out okay according to the manual, so I seperated the coils from the module I got at the yard and bought the module for $20. It worked!

So now the car is back on the road, but it doesn't run all that great. It cruises very nicely, runs smoothly most of the time, doesn't burn any oil to speak of, no smoke, still a very strong motor at 257k miles, but it hesitates under acceleration and the tach has recently started to "hop". The hesitation problem seems to be worse in the first five minutes or so, but it still does it from time to time after warmup, just not as badly. It feels fuel related, almost like its running to rich, but I've yet to see any black smoke. The tach jumps about 300 rpm every once and awhile but doesn't seem to effect the engine. I would suspect and ignition or ecm problem, but I'm just guessing.

Nothing has been done to try to figure out the hesitation problem.

Dan

Regarding the hesistation....

Are you throwing a code? ie SES light?

this may sound stupid, but did you check the air filter and such? do you have a squirrels nest in the snorkel? (dont ask, i heard about it once on car talk)