Car won't start - dealer guessing it's the Coil Pack

[pseudomarine]

I've had the car for 5 years...the timing belt has definitely been changed in that time. last year the water pump was replaced and the mechanic who did it said the timing belt & tension was fine - that's prob in the last 10-14 months. i was a bit disappointed he hadn't changed it anyway - is it much more work to change the timing belt when the water pump is being changed, too?

i was just checking the online manual to see how the camshaft sensor would be affected by the timing belt alignment. this certainly looks like another possible cause of the problem.

i kind of wish the car was back at my house now so i could visually check these things.

[pseudomarine]

ok - mazda dealer just phoned me back.

he is now saying it is definitely the ignition module. he says the spark plugs are now receiving the charge at the same time and this has fried the module. last friday, he said that this was not the case and that the plugs were receiving the charge individually and in order.

i asked him how this could change over the weekend. he says the faulty ignition module can be erratic when it's failing.

i'm a bit p*ssed off to say the least. i think i'll just turn up at the dealership and get the car towed back here.

[jschrauwen]

Sounds like the mechanics are grabbing at straws and may, I SAID MAY, have buggered something, ie the module, and now they're hoping you'll be able to swallow this bunk and cough up the $$$. You didn't quite specify as to how long ago the timing belt was changed, only that it had been done in the last 5 years. I don't know how much annual mileage you put on it but they need to be changed every 90,000kms. If your doing the average amount of driving, then I'd say it should have been replaced about 3 years ago (give or take). I can't really see it being a sensor thing. I don't recall that a sensor would prohibit the start of the car to this degree. There is a bit of a back-up / fail safe where the car will go into a limp mode - degraded state of operation. But your's won't even catch, or fart or sputter at all. Your getting fuel, your getting syncronized spark (or were) and I still think that it's a timing/ timing belt thing. The successive spark that's being generated is out of phase with the compression stroke and therefore connot ignite any compressed gasses which are also going to be deliverd to the cylinder at the wrong phase of the 4 stroke cycle. All those yutz's have to do is align the cam timing marks with the timing belt pully mark to verify. I agree with your next possible step and have it towed away from there - hopefully to someone with a better engine diagnostic protocol. I hope your not going to pay those yutz's since it seems they're not doing much of a job let alone being professional. Are you in AU? If so, perhaps Grants could direct you to a reliable shop. Let us know.

[pseudomarine]

I have the car at home now. i really didn't trust this particular dealer. I was suspicious that they'd ruined the module, too. I actually met the mechanic who worked on it - he was mystified. he'd tried unwiring the immobiliser, but it made no difference. apparently only 3 of the spark plugs were getting a good blue spark as of yesterday. this is different from what they told me last week, so the condition has deteriorated since they had it. they'd tried replacing the plugs but it made no difference.

that mazda mechanic also told me that last month they had another mx3 in with similar symptoms. it turned out that the rotor arm in the distributor had come off its axis and carved up the inside of the cap and fried the module. that's the kind of thing they were looking for with my car, but mine wasn't like that.

so, it looks like my module is definitely broken now. I would actually consider the HEI fix - I reckon I could do the wiring myself. I need to figure out which 3rd party module to use - I'm in Northern Ireland and would need to find out which module to use if I can't get, for example, the Niehoff DR400. However, I'm not sure if my ignition coil is in good shape - I will need to verify this with the workshop manual.

If my coil is broken as well as the module, then I have no option but to replace the distributor - is that correct?

thanks for your help

[pseudomarine]

sorry, just rechecked the FAQ

If my coil AND module are broken, then I have the option of fitting the HEI module and the external coil.

I'm really not sure of which parts I would use - are there basic specifications/tolerances,etc that I should look out for in a replacement module and coil?

My other worry is a bit more difficult to predict - in the UK we're subjected to yearly road worthiness tests. I'm not sure how the test guy would react to seeing a modified ignition system in my car. Maybe he wouldn't spot it...

[MX3 GSR for dummies]

Yes indeed, an external coil application is safe and easy to do as long as you get your hands on a seven post disty cap. Any aftermarket coil would be sufficient. Although the coils in our cars are highly unlikely to go. And for your worries regarding the inspection is well warranted! As long as you wrap all wires with existing wiring and harness the components properly, the mod would go unoticed. Now if there is wires sticking up all over the place, you shouldn't have done the mod in the first place, and second, you deserve to have your car pulled off the road. As for the HEI modules, there are particular ones to look for. The part numbers are as follows....GM - #10482820....Niehoff - #DR400....Wells - #DR100.

[JYOUNYA1]

Hey guys, similar problem...I was turning corners, and when I would down shift, and press the acclerator, nothing happened except for the egine stalled, then cut back on...I thought it was temporary and I could make it to where I was going but, then it cut off...for good. I turn the key and the starter turns the engine, but to start. I have checked the vaccum hoses, and found one disconnected, so I reconnected, and still no ignition.
This week I plan on:
Changing the water pump, new timing belt kit, and a tune up with new spark plug wires, and a new fuel filter.

This thing you guys are talking about relating to changing a coil or something in the distributor...how do you do that..., and what is a HEI? And if you could give any additional advice I would greatly appreciate it...Happy New Year

~Jay

[MX3 GSR for dummies]

This thing you guys are talking about relating to changing a coil or something in the distributor...how do you do that..., and what is a HEI? And if you could give any additional advice I would greatly appreciate it...Happy New Year

~Jay

WOW...This is about the 5th person today alone to have Module issues...here you go guys http://www.mx-3.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=48065

[n2ogsze]

Find a klze Disty and go with an external coil and igniter. I've got a write-up somewhere in the v6 section (I think, it was a while ago when I put it together).

[hopispider]

hEY, SORRY YOUR CARS CRAPPING OUT ON YOU. MINE IS DOING TO SAME THINGS YOUR CAR IS GOING THROUGH. ALTHOUGH, i'VE COME TO THE CONCLUSION OF CHANGING MY DISTRIBUTOR. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE SO FAR TOWARD FIXING YOUR RIDE. -- I'M ASSUMING THIS BECASUSE OF ALL THE TALK OF A WEAK DISTY IN ALL MX-3'S. I'M GETTING SPARK, BUT NOT THAT GOOD BLUE. ANY SUGGESTIONS ANYONE?

[hgallegos915]

hey what the hell..dont overpay..do the hei mod dammit :/ i hate seeing mechanics trying to rip people off.

[GrunttleberryJnr]

Got a 92 Eunos 30x K8 V6 and it would start but when the distributor heated up the engine would cutout.
see http://www.mx-3.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=48079

Bloody ignitor and coils will do funny things when they on the way out. Also after talking to mechanics and gorups they tend to go together as one burns out the other epec if using improper leads etc.

okay FYI this is what it cost me in $AUD

I got the genuine mazda parts and lifetime warranty on them.

MZKLY1-18-V20 Ignitor set $432.90
MZKLY1-18-V80 Ignotor,Coil $204.64

Labour 1.5 Hr $108.00

thast all ex GST.

total was $820.

yeah i could have done the HEI mod fro $100-150 also could have gotten an aftermarket disty for $400-500.

But its a lifetime warranty on these two suxers.. only hope the disty cap or rotator arm dont go.

anyway good luck, the HEI is often done by the other Australian Eunos owners due to the friggin cost of the dist or compenents and many people did recommend it to me.

regards
chris

[GrunttleberryJnr]

just remembered something

cracked air intake. had one a few years ago due to a bad front engine mount (too much engine movement) anyway this caused the car to idle very erratically to the point it would sometimes stall out. But it never prevented the car from starting.

replacement part was something like $150 AUD or thereabouts for the rubber thingy with ridges.

luckily the local mechanic was good and honest and it took him 2 minutes to spot it as he'd seen it before.. and he didn't charge me although i bough him a beer at the local pub the next time i saw him.

[tomfromsauga]

just remembered something

cracked air intake. had one a few years ago due to a bad front engine mount (too much engine movement) anyway this caused the car to idle very erratically to the point it would sometimes stall out. But it never prevented the car from starting.

replacement part was something like $150 AUD or thereabouts for the rubber thingy with ridges.

luckily the local mechanic was good and honest and it took him 2 minutes to spot it as he'd seen it before.. and he didn't charge me although i bough him a beer at the local pub the next time i saw him.

I had the same problem. Only it took my mechanic one hour to figure it out. Cost me $65. I just ended up putting a few layers of duct tape on it. Been 3 years now.

He quoted me around $50 CDN to replace but I never bothered.