just bought a 92 2.2l automatic w 184K miles a few weeks ago, ran like a champ! 4 days ago, I get off the highway and it dies! wont start back up! Ive replaced: plugs, wires, cap, button, igniter, dist(6th one from parts houses), coil (i know, just in case though the one w the dist got damaged) ecu, redid the timing belt and IM STILL LOSING SPARK! heres the funny part, when it wants to run, you have to advance the dist all the way to get it to catch, then you can bring it back to norm, car runs for a minute or two then dies. Check the plugs and yep, lost spark again. Im going crazy!! ive tested the grounds, fuses, relays, even took the main one and put it in the fridge incase it got too hot and cut the car off, no fix! Is there something im missing? ive gone over the timing, totally redid it and still nothing. Im a Ford truck person, have been for years but need a cheap car for school and my 351 windsor will kill me! Ive had 5 different mechanics on this car and still nothing!!! PLEASE!!!! This has to be something stupid that Im missing!!

 

What does losing spark mean? Does the ign have spark?

Is the coil and ign still getting 12V even when no spark?

Check for bad wiring.

You checked the timing belt installation by rotating crank 2 times cw and rechecking cam/crank pulley alignment.

 

Yep, got everything to TDC, went 2 rounds and it was all good. Loosing spark-weak like its orange or yellow or just not there at all. Checked this morning and the dist is grounded, but no, when it loses spark its reading bad and it's coming from the bundle of wires that run behind the vavle cover even though the ecu is giving it out right. Today is day 5 and I can't figure it out. It's like the dist is breaking down or something but 6 from parts houses?

 

Check wiring between the distributor, computer and igniter.

How do you know the distributor is breaking down, are you checking the distributor pickup sensor ohm readings at the distributor?

What about the wires behind the valve cover?

What is the ECU giving out?

 

STUPID FIX! The rotor button was bad that I got from auto zone. Used the auto zone dist w the junk yard cap and button and haven't had an issue yet. Still can't believe it -_-

 

1. main relay
2. ignition switch
3. bad ground somewhere between engine and chassis
4. alternator is not giving enough power, check belt(-s) and output
5. it prolly had ignition relay somewhere
6. had Honda with bad ground between fuses assy and mounting plate.

 

I fixed it, it was the rotor bitton

 

distributor rotor? ain't it funny, how often it goes down to some real simple piece?

 

Yep! It was only 1500 miles old but I guess it failed and caused the problems. Mad me madder than hell when it actually started where the dist needed to be and ram for an hour. Thanks for all the help though!!

 

You have my sympathies!!

Good job on sticking it out and getting the engine running.

Having had similar issues (fortunately less frustrating) concluding not all aftermarket parts are the same quality these days. This could be one reason some store chains offer free or paid lifetime warranties. This varying quality has changed where I buy parts and what brands I buy. Too many premature failures.