1992 MX-3GS 6-cyl, 5-Spd Manual problem with fuel delivery??

[cheartburg]

(uhm) I am a female(boobs2) and I bought this car as a lien sale. I haven't really had any major problems with it until about 3 weeks ago, when a piece of rubber at the end of throttle cable slipped down the cable & held throttle open @ around 7,000rpms. (noticed rising rpms @ 65 mph, could not down shift to resolve & I could not get off hiway for about 2 miles, to shut down. I was able to locate the problem fairly quickly, & then it started & ran fine. Now I was just cruising along @ 55mph & engine just went "quiet" & died. After about an hr, & a few things wiggled & tapped, it started up & I was able to drive the 2 miles back home. Then 2 days later, I started it again & was driving under same conditions, & it went "Puhh" and died again. (It was like a slight backfire) When key is turned on, it "wants" to start, but there is no noise from sending unit or fuel pump, until the key is OUT of the start position. It does not make any sounds before, like in the "on" position. I manually depressed the clutch switch & hit the key, and had also tapped on the fuel filter, & God knows what else I wiggled!(butt) but the underdash sending unit & fuel pump both started clikking, & I was able to start it, but both units kept making noises while the engine (briefly) ran, before dying again! They kept clikking when the key was turned on, but then reverted back to doing so, after the key was taken out of the start/on mode. Any suggestions? The fuel pump & pump sending unit are easily accessed, under the rear seat. If the engine has "died" in this way, has the fuel pressure been relieved? (I don't want to disconnect any fuel lines & have fuel spray all over the back seat.) I am curious to know if the "now" problem may have had to do with the high rpms caused by the previous incident. I love this little car, but this problem is causing difficulties, as I am trying to find work, & live in a remote area, & really need my car! Any feedback from you guys or girls out there would be appreciated! I also have worked on my vehicles before, so I'm not a total car dummy! I forgot to mention that this is a "California" car! (146,000+ miles, good timing belt, Full Tune-Up less than 4,000 miles ago; Plugs-Wires-Cap-Rotor all new.)

 

[kudakev615]

check for a crankshaft position signal

 

[cheartburg]

check for a crankshaft position signal

I had a reply all typed before, & my 'puter dumped me! Now I cannot remember much of what I typed. I believe I had found/wiggled that connector, but is sensor located down in belt area? I had a problem with belts/bracket/pulley(Alt) once before. Bracket was found to be broken, when Mech. went to replace belts. He fixed Bracket, but had neglected to tighten down one bolt, which caused pulley to loosen & belt shredded after 1 week, as pulley had gotten hot & melted rubber, which cooled & made sharp pointy stuff on pulley. I may have to go in & tighten the bolt here, again. I don't have a lift, either, it would be easier to access. I will check that connection again.

 

[cheartburg]

I have never seen another MX-3/GS Model before. It came from NoCal.

 

[cheartburg]

Well, I checked the connector, and all it did was to activate the door/seat belt, (which there has been a recall on, but I have not had time to get back to dealer on this) This, apparently, was one of the noises (Clickking) that I heard, the other day, when I got it to start (briefly) I couldn't place it, then, as it had never made this noise before. The underdash sending unit & fuel pump are still not coming on until after the key away from "On/Start". Also the fan belt bracket "assisting" bracket that was installed sits right next to the oil dipstick tube, and wires run behind this, so I cannot see where they go from above. There are 4 connectors on the left (Pass side) firewall that all have "450" stamped on them. Is one of these possibly a relay for the fuel pump? Book does not mention these at all. When I got it to start, the seat belt thing clikked, but there was also audible noise from the fuel pump, from under the seat. I know there is a sending unit on top of the fuel pump here. My former question about the major fuel surge (from the rubber grommet slipping) was, would this cause too much internal pressure to the fuel pump, that would weaken something there? (I'm sure it was not "good" for it!) It just seemed strange, that it ran just fine, for 3 weeks, then quit. (after the surge) I know I am grasping at straws here, but hoping I can get it fixed at a minimum $$. I am unemployed, and this is not helping matters any, as I live in a remote area, with extremely limited bus service!

 

[cheartburg]

To Kudakev

check for a crankshaft position signal

Hi there! Well, I haven't had a chance to get it up on the jackstand yet, but just wondered if you had had this type of experience before also, which made you think of the CPS? I have replaced both Fuel Filter, & Fuel Pump, and it is still not starting, still same response of "clik" after the key is out of the "Start" position. This car was previously owned my Mexicans who did some heavy wiring for a boombox stereo setup. They had two wires coming directly off the battery, one is ground, and the other runs along under the running board, and came out to under the driver's seat, but is not connected anywhere. It is a "hot" wire, i discovered it when I moved the cluster f**k of wires out from under the seat, and it touched something metal & sparked. They have a "Y" (not blade) connector on it like it would be held down by a screw. I remember disconnecting it from the battery once, and had no dash lites. But it is not a "factory" wire, but is two-tone, either black/white, or Black/lavendar. I cannot see, under the seat, what it could possibly hook in to, although there are some electrical connectors under there? My wiring diagram is not real "clear" about locations of wire connections in relation to the part of the vehicle that they are located.(Chilton manual--My Kingdom for a Mitchell Manual!!) To test the CPS I assume that the car battery has to be connected?? (I have an Ohmmeter)(bang) You have been the only person who has really responded, so I assume you have experienced this little part malfunction before, and it may make sense, if the 'puter is not getting the correct message. And working under a car on a dirt driveway, sucks!

 

[cheartburg]

those cars are notorious for disty problems.. check that out.. its a common prob... went bad on my old mx-3... I was driving down the road and the rpm's plummeted and the car died..

Yeah, but I don't have $1,000 to spend on a distributor! I'm unemployed, and need the car, as I live far out of town, in desert area, California, boyfriend died last yr. and don't know any good mechanics who work for free! (Also, no credit card) It had started up, on three different occasions, first after dying & sitting for about an hr./ 2nd it started & ran about a half mile before dying,/ then got it running one more time, in driveway, for about 45 seconds before it choked & died. This was before I changed any parts, (fuel filter, pump) The sending unit on the pump looked a bit "brownish" in color, but not sure if bad, or just old. seems weird to have an electrical sender down in the gas tank! All plugs are new, I checked them today, wires are new, also Cap & rotor. It tries to turn over, starter is working, just everything seems to "clik" after key is released.

 

[cheartburg]

I was just using that as an imaginary price, as everything has been so expensive for this car, so far! I also looked up the part, but thru Autozone, and the $$ was similar. (The nearest Dealer is about 40 miles away) I am on unemployment, so its once a month I have any $$ to spend on the car, the other check pays the rent! Also, I live in a remote area, and buses only go by 3 times a day, at stupid hours, and I have to walk a mile to/from bus stop. A/zone has delivered to me before. I need the exact part # off it. Without diagnostic equip, I am just grasping at straws, I have already put close to $300 into it, and it still doesn't run. I cannot afford to keep doing this. And I cannot afford to pay someone double (Labor here runs $50+/hr) to do it. I hate "Book" time! Its more like "smoke a cigarette time" or "scratch your Butt" time! The job "Does" look fairly simple, and I have more than enough tools (my boyfriend died last year, and I found no less than 9 toolboxes in the storage shed.) Thank you, by the way, for your input! I hadn't looked at this site for over a week. You give me a little hope, anyway!

 

[cheartburg]

Hey, Ms. McGee! I just took dist. cap off, and rotor is pointing towards Plugwire #3. Shouldn't it be pointing to Plugwire #1?? What does this indicate to you? (The timing belt is good, otherwise I would not be able to turn it over at all--many experiences with these!) Does this seem to go with what you have been telling me about the disty? It now makes sense, that it will not start!