Hi everyone. I'm new to the dsm world. Anyway, I bought the car about 2 months ago, car wasn't drivable since the clutch pedal had no pressure. Changed the slave and master cylinder but nothing. In the end it ended up being a bad clutch pedal assembly.

Now on to the issue at hand. The car was at my mechanics for a while. He did the pedal assembly, oil change, stainless steel lines and exhaust. I drove it home Sunday and the car was driving fine. Sputtering a bit between 1-3000 rpm and nothing in the higher rpms. The car was sitting for like 3-4 years when I got it. Monday I went to start the car and nothing, it keeps cranking and after like 15 tries starts and stays on maybe for 5 secs and sputters and dies. If I try giving it gas it dies right away. I have since changed the coolant temp sensor and changed the spark plugs to BPR6ES from BPR7ES. The plugs are black like the night and I think the rings in the valve cover are leaking a bit cuz there was oil on the spark plug wires (taylor 8mm). I have taken out the ecu and opened it up. The caps are not leaking however I don't have a spare to plug in and see if it's the ecu that's gone bad. Please help me out this car is driving me crazy

MORE INFO: it's a 92 talon tsi awd. 4g63t. Magnus intake. Turbo xs manual boost controller. Auto meter boost gauge.

It's tough to know for sure but my guess would be a fuel related issue from the symptoms that you're describing. We'll need more details about the car, including the year and information on any aftermarket mods that it has.

ECU

Well I just mentioned the mods. It's pretty stock other then the Magnus intake manifold. The previous owner ran nitrous on it. So all the lines and solenoids are there.

When turning it over if I let go off the key the engine sputters, seems like it wants to start. And when it does start the engine runs smooth at times and sometimes is rough but either way it shuts off. I tried giving it gas slowly and the rpms crept up to 3000, it was sputtering the whole time.

I will take the ecu to this shop I found and they can test it see if it's good for $50. To get it fixed or repaired it's $200. They change/upgrade the capacitors. But I already got some from Rtm racing but don't have the skills or nerve to embark on that mission.

In the odd time that it does start, what does your exhaust look like? Not the metal.. the actual smoke.

Lol I haven't checked it to be honest cuz I am the one cranking it. The battery dies quick after maybe 2 or 3 tries so I have to hook up my other car to boost it. I'll get my brother to crank it and I'll check the exhaust smoke. But what can you tell from the exhaust?

I'm leaning towards Corte's suggestion of the ECU, due to the intermittency (you say it runs normally at times before stalling).

The smoke is just a good way to tell what's going on. If it's a fuel issue, you can generally see it in the exhaust. If it's a "my brain isn't telling my engine to run" issue, the exhaust tends to look normal when it does run.

Edit: I wouldn't go out just for the purpose of checking what your exhaust looks like. I was just asking in case you noticed.

You changed the CTS.... how was the wiring to it. Brittle/cracked?

No I didn't notice anything the reason cuz I was in the car the whole time. Even if there was anything wrong I wudnt b able to tell. The car was running beautifully before, start at first turn of the key.

Where is the fuel pump anyway? And how can I access it?

The wiring to coolant temp sensor was fine. Not brittle or cracking. But if I want to check or test the sensor what's the best way of doing it?

So the ecu cud be bad even if the caps didn't leak?

If the caps break down and leak, they generally fry the ECU. They are a cause, not a symptom. The ECU can fail with intact caps.

The fuel pump is in the tank. There is a plethora of information on removing it, as it is one of the most hated jobs for 1G owners. I doubt your issue is in there, but it wouldn't hurt to throw some penetrating oil on the sending unit studs while you're thinking about it.

As far as checking the sensor.. I'll leave you to Mr. Richardson's much more capable hands.

Is the fuel pump accessible from inside the car or does the tank needs to be dropped? I have read horror stories abt the fuel pump. I pray and hope that fuel pump isn't my issue. Waiting for Mr. Richardson to chime in.

I have the ecu disconnected at the moment. Will it hurt anything if it stays disconnected?

The fuel pump is accessible from the cabin; no need to drop the tank. I sincerely doubt your fuel pump is the culprit.

Leaving the ECU disconnected won't hurt anything.

Did you replace the coolant sensor with OEM or aftermarket?

Aftermarket from Rtm racing.

No you can leave the ecu disconnected it wont hurt anything. Yes the fuel pump is accessible from the trunk. I could explain all the testing procedures but if you dont posses all the needed tools or gauges it would be redundant.

First you have to determine why it isnt starting ie no fuel or no spark or is it flooding

I will check it this weekend. I can check spark by taking the spark plug wire out and placing it near the valve cover to see if it sparks. Fuel by seeing if it has any in the fuel rail by disconnecting the fuel line to the rail. How do I know if it's flooding?

And btw the spark plugs I took out we're black and had some oil on the threads.

If it floods the plugs will be wet with fuel after it doesnt start pull a plug if it is wet with fuel its flooding.

You can speculate all day on what it could be, just check basics as Stephen said so you have an idea where to go from there...

Ah alright. Then I think it might b flooding. The spark plugs were wet and did smell like fuel a bit. I just checked the ones I took out and they do smell like gas.

I'm just busy with work and school. Don't have much time to look at the car plus irs freezing outside. Will look at it this weekend. Promised warmer temperatures lets c if they stick to their word. Lol.

I'd also speculate it's the ECU. But is your CAS and plug wires in the right order? Just basic things that could cause it too.

Also, if your ecu IS fried, check your ISC. When faulty, then can cause damage to the ECU.

What's CAS?

Cam angle sensor. It's on the left side of the head.

The car runs smoothly some of the time when it does start, so the plug wire order is fine. Let's not have him chance down impossible causes.

Like Stephen and Roman said: check the basics.

Excessive cranking with no start will cause your plugs to smell like fuel. If it's flooding, when you pull a plug out of the head, there will generally be enough fuel to be able to pour some into your hand from the plug (it gets trapped up around the cathode).

It sounds like you have fuel. Check spark.

Will check spark this weekend. Anything else I can look into while I'm at it?

And thank you everyone for quick replies. I appreciate all the help everyone's given.

What stumps me is that the car was driving fine Sunday and Monday it just wouldn't start. It's like the car forgot how to start lol. It would start so easily before.

That again suggests ECU to me.

After you crank her over to check spark, pop a plug out to see if there's enough fuel to pour into your hand.

Thanks Jeremy. I'm going today to get the ecu tested after work and if it's good I will get the caps upgraded to the new ones I got from Rtm. I will pull the plugs this weekend and see if theyre doused in gas. I just put new plugs in last night. The ones I took out were black like burnt black and reeked of gas.

Could very well be the ECU. But you best figure out what fried it before you plug in a newly repaired one.

No problem!



Agreed. If they find damage on the ECU, I would take Stephan's suggestion above to check your ISC; it's a known culprit for taking out the ECU.

Yeah I was going to say the same Jeremy, but his ISC driver would usually be toasty. Either way if there is a metal one in there I would try and find the plastic black ones, lots of updates were done to prevent frying the ecu.

My black talon had the CAS 180* out and would do the same. Sometimes start, othertimes it would flood the engine. Idle and low rpm would sputter, then sound fine up top.

That's very different from the wires being in the wrong order, and that's very different from running perfectly fine at idle

I think the isc could be the culprit. The car did idle really high at around 1500 rpm. When the car warms up it would stay the same until I drive it then the rpms would drop to around 1000. Give it has again at idle and the rpms would go to 1500 again and then drop below 500 (car sputters and stalling but not shutting off) then rpms back to around 1000 or sometimes 1500. I've only had the car for a month or so and driven it maybe 60 kms total. One long drive from scarbourgh to Mississauga and the rest just test drives after mechanic fixed the clutch pedal issue.

I was gonna take the ecu today but changed my mind due to weather and will go Monday instead. It's a place in Mississauga Called Danmax Electronics. Anyone been there before? When I spoke to them they said they have fixed hundreds of Mitsubishi ecu's and say they usually go bad.