wich disty do i have??(pics)

[RX8SE3P]

So you're saying you had an OBD1 car with an OBD2 disty and it started even though "the ECU is looking for (the CPS) and can't find it"?

On cars which use one, the CPS is the trigger for the ignitor. A car whose ignition system uses the CPS to trigger the igniter will never start with a disty that does not have one. If it takes 3-4 seconds to start the disty is right for your car, but something is wrong with it.

Yes the car will start that way, it uses the cps to start it, however if cranking long enough it will pick up the crank position sensor and still start, but throws a cel code, and you run in limp mode cuz the timing wont advance or retard cuz it cant see the cam ps.

Seriously I installed the K834 TOT57171 disty on wednesday last week, from the KF43 TOT57271 disty, and all my starting issues went away. The car would start but EVERY time it would crank for about 4sec before firing and i had the according cel code, now it starts perfectly and no cel.

Damn I have had that starting problem for ages, so you're saying some previous owner might have put in the wrong disty in. I tried my MX-6 disty a while back and it started instantly. I didn't know it would run in limp mode either with the wrong disty. Is this why it feels like it doesn't really like being revved up high?

[davmac]

It is hard to know how to contribute to this thread except to say that 3 - 4 seconds to start might be caused by many things. The source of the problem does not include having the wrong distributor installed (though that distributor may have a failing ignition module). Start with simple - make sure basic tune is recently done, good connections at battery (especially ground at battery, chassis, engine, transmission) and starter, and clean connectors at the distributor using electronics / contact cleaner.

All distributors for MX3 use a crank position sensor signal. If that signal is intermittent start by cleaning the sensor and connectors. Since crank position sensor code and slow starting is often associated with a failing ignition module your next step is to do the HEI mod which replaces the ignition module and coil for <$100 or buy a new distributor.

[323v6]

well i had the wrong disty. i bought the car with a obd2 disty and the mx3 was running in gay mode(lol) got the right disty(obd1) bammmm!! car starts instanly and runs great.

[RX8SE3P]

Interesting, so the other style disty is only really meant for OBD2 right? So since my car is OBDI (1995) it should be using the old style disty.

[faildisk]

I bought an MX-3 w/ a K8 thats having a firing issue, its a 1995 (obd1) with a "new" (read: from scrapyard) distributor, but has a timing issue and I'm pretty sure its in limp-mode. What distributor should this car have?
Thanks.

[RX8SE3P]

Well I find my car is working better with an old style disty, 93-94 and it's an OBDI 1995 MX-3.

All I had to do was swap two wires around on the disty's 3 pin plug. The two outer ones actually. Then it started fine. No soldering is required, the wires have a way of coming out. You don't just pull them, let me know if you can't figure it out.

[faildisk]

I took a look, the distributor has the same order as the KL-ZE's Distributor. Is this common for 95 specifically or is it the distributor they found? I'll have to take it off tomorrow and find the part number

[323v6]

Well I find my car is working better with an old style disty, 93-94 and it's an OBDI 1995 MX-3.

All I had to do was swap two wires around on the disty's 3 pin plug. The two outer ones actually. Then it started fine. No soldering is required, the wires have a way of coming out. You don't just pull them, let me know if you can't figure it out.

ur suppose to swap the 3 of them(wires)

[RX8SE3P]

ur suppose to swap the 3 of them(wires)

Oh really? Have you done this before because I did this less than a week ago and have done it in the past when swapping between disty's. I have a 1995, not sure about other wiring looms but on this, all I had to swap was the two outer ones with each other. One of the wires was a yellow/green and the other was brown or black. Red wire stayed in the middle. My car starts and runs fine, if any wire is wrong, it won't start and continually cranks with no spark.

Also most people might not realize but there's no need to cut and solder, the wires are removable from the connector.