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I swapped in a know good v-6 distributor and now have spark. the car will start but will only run for about five seconds. If I pump the gas as fast as possible, I can get it to sputter for a bit longer. Any ideas?
dougbee@comcast.net" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Check:
- Vacuum Lines
- Accordian Intake Tube (for cracks)
- VAF
- Throttle Body

when you removed the old disty did you mark the head and install the new one in the same place ? ignition timing might be off too much ..but it does sound like more of a vac leak problem

I put the replacement distributor in the same position as where the old one came out. Can I check the timing without it running? and how? I do have a timing light. I am very capable mechanically but this car is a bit new for me...
I will check for leaks and report back...

dougbee wrote:. Can I check the timing without it running? and how? I do have a timing light. I am very capable mechanically but this car is a bit new for me...
I will check for leaks and report back...

no, the car has to be idling.

check your pcv valve and its hose for blockage and clean any gunk out of it also

The car is alive.!!! Went looking for vacuum leaks... how about the large tube that sticks out of the side of the tube between the air filter and the throttle body. I can't figure out its purpose, but I had taken it off to swap the distributors (cause it is in the way). Still don't know what it is there for but I stuck my hand over the hole while son cranked engine and it roared to life.
Thanks

the largest 1 is for an air pocket/tube, whatever you want to call it, to receive excess perssure from the intake when you snap the throttle plate shut, there should be a bent plastic tube that fits that hole, the other smaller tube is for the pcv system that connects to the valve covers. You can cap it with a plastic cap for testing purposes but I would not recommend highway speeds without that tube in there or swapping over to a cold air intake system. For the mx-3 to ile right it needs to be vacuum leak free, these cars are pretty sensitive to vac leaks and causes many headaches when troubleshooting idle or running issues.

I always wondered about the various little things on the intake system. Like why the filter is in a box and not just inline through the tube/accordian or something, and that extra tube that goes nowhere as well. One of my theories was that it makes differences in air pressure and helps to propell the air into the IM, much like 2-stroke system. And then if that's the case then maybe having a CAI will actually offset those gains?

A friend of mine actually researched this very thought while at UTI. They actually found that the majority of cone filters hinder performance. Apparently it is because the stock air box is designed for a particular air flow and changing it for the cone alters that flow.

In our case, I dont think the accordian tube was very great since it's prone to hard-to-detect leaks.