MX-3.com

This began today. My gf's '93 MX3 SE was running but misfiring, only running on 5 cylinders.

So I started to check plugs. I figured I'd identify the misbehaving cylinder by pulling the plug boot off each cylinder in turn and start the car each time - if it ran worse, that was a good plug, and if there was no change, I'd have located the misfire.

I pulled the first plug boot off the #2 plug and laid it on the intake. I then tried to start the car but now it wouldn't start at all. It turned over fine but simply would not catch. So I reconnected the #2 plug and tried to start it again. No joy - turned over fine, wouldn't catch.

Thinking I might have flooded the engine by turning it over several times, I gave it a couple hours break. Went out a while ago and tried again - same result.

It reacts the same way a car would if it were out of gas (yes, I checked, there's fuel in the tank).

Could I have caused some sensor or the ECU to cut out by trying to start the car with a disconnected plug? Anything else I should be looking at?

Think I located the problem - a long ago disconnected kill switch that suddenly woke up. I'll work at that later today and post the result tonight.

Thanks...