Not Fiat related Mitsubishi Lancer will not start

[toddr124]

Back round:
My son's 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart will not start. We are not getting spark from the plugs. The car has individual coil packs. There is no code on the computer. We changed plugs, valve cover gasket (was leaking oil).

He wants to fix the car himself (okay with my help). I like the idea of getting his hands dirty, but I do not have a good idea other than just start swapping parts at random:

Change coils packs, very small chance.
Crank Position sensor. His guess but $90.00 part
Tow to a shop and real find out what is wrong, my best suggestion.

Any other suggestions?

Todd

 

[carl]

With modern cars we take them to the shop, as you note, it could be anything and it all costs money. With individual coil packs and no spark it would be something common to all four cylinders.

Is there a forum for these cars, if so you can try that.

 

[toddr124]

With modern cars we take them to the shop, as you note, it could be anything and it all costs money. With individual coil packs and no spark it would be something common to all four cylinders.

Is there a forum for these cars, if so you can try that.

Of course there is a forum for Lancer Ralliarts, but I like asking questions where some people knows my name.

 

[kmead]

Odd that it's not throwing a code.

The ignition is generally a crank position sensor, injection is a cam position sensor if it uses a separate event to inject.

I would try unplugging the CPS cranking it over and then plugging it back in, perhaps it will wake up the system and cause it to work or throw a code at least.

Thanks for the Cheers reference, we all want to go somewhere where they know our names

 

[toddr124]

Thanks for the Cheers reference, we all want to go somewhere where they know our names

The line was a direct Cheers quote originally, but I decided not everyone knows my name. My favorite bar/restaurant might not know my name, but my bourbon is on my table when I sit down.

 

[Mike]

Crank position sensor is a good guess, and still cheaper than a tow and diagnostic.
I'm not familiar with Mitsubishi, but one way to narrow it down is to check if the fuel injectors are being "pulsed".
You could try to hear if they are clicking when engine is cranked, but the best way is with a cheap "noid" light that plugs into the harness and flashes when it receives a signal. If you have no injector pulse and no ignition spark, then your problem is with the ecu (unlikely) or its input that commands these functions (likely the crank sensor).
If you have injector pulse but no spark, it is more likely a power problem. Many cars in those years used an independent power stage to control ignition.

 

[toddr124]

I just found out that you need to remove the timing belt to get to the crank position sensor on this engine. The car has not run in 6 months, it has 190,000 miles on it. The AC works with a vice grip to turn the temperature. The car has been wrecked multiple times, but now I get to help change the water pump, timing belt and crank position sensor hoping it will run again.

Great to have a kid who believes in my mechanical abilities. None of my Fiat friends would be stupid enough to believe in my ability to fix this problem. My friends might be smarter than my son.