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Engine wont run?

Tiny
JDL
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,098 POSTS
Most batteries have a reserve in minutes. If the reserve is 60 minutes, the vehicle should start and run for about an hour even with faulty charging system. How long it will run depends on the discharge rate. Sounds to me like a faulty battery. Some of the national brand autostores will check the battery for you. I've driven vehicles where I knew the charging system wasn't working, after I got it started, I drove it for several minutes on the battery reserve power.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:21 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JDL
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,098 POSTS
Yes, driver side wheel-well, black, maybe 1&1/4 x 1inch. Wiring color at the connector, red with white stripe--dark blue--dark green with black stripe--dark blue with yellow stripe.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:21 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JDL
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,098 POSTS
If the battery checks out and the vehicle cranks good, but won't start, I suspect the hall switch in the distributor.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:21 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DANNYO
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
After removing the wiring connector what should I read on each terminal?
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:21 PM (Merged)
Tiny
MISSMAC_33
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
You know its funny, it was the first thing I thought it could be but didn't try to fix. It was frozen. It started this morning and the fuel pump works. THanks for all your help.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:21 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JDL
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,098 POSTS
With the relay unplugged, only the dark blue and red wire would have voltage, check with the key in the crank position.

Take voltage reading across the battery post, engine cranking. You should get close to the same reading at the two wires already mentioned.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:21 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JDL
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,098 POSTS
Glad you got it going your way.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:21 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DANNYO
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Thanks ! The readings I get are:
with the ignition off I get 12.5v across battery and at the red and blue on the asd. With ignition on I get 0v at red and blue 12v across battery. With ignition off I get
0v between green term and black term. With ignition on I get 12.5v across the green and black. Does this help?
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:21 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JDL
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,098 POSTS
When you say key on are saying on or cranking? These are two different key positions. The red wire with white tracer should be hot all the time, key on--off--engine cranking, whatever. The solid dark blue wire may go hot with the engine cranking, you can test key on and cranking on that wire.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:21 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DANNYO
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
On the red I get 0v with ignition on or when cranking. Thanks
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:21 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JDL
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,098 POSTS
You need to be sure the battery has a full charge, the cables/wires are all clean and tight on both ends.

Backtrack the red wire, my info shows a fusible link. Check for voltage on both sides of the fusible link. If you have voltage on one side and not the other, the link is faulty. You could use a jumper just for testing, by pass the link.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:21 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SKELTON
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1991 PLYMOUTH ACCLAIM
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 100,000 MILES
The car was working and then we stopped at a store and when we returned into the car I noticed I had left the lights on while I was in the store. When I tried to start the car it wouldn't turn over. I tried replacing the battery but that didn't solve the problem. It still didn't start. We tried hitting the starter but that didn't do anything either. Do you know of any other part of the engine that would be the cause?
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:21 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JDL
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,098 POSTS


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/170934_starter_relay_1.jpg



If you think the problem might be the starter circuits, you could do some testing at the relay. Looking under the hood, driver side strut tower, second relay from left. The wiring colors on the connector should be black--brown--red--yellow. The black wire is hot all the time, the yellow wire goes hot with the key in the crank position.

Did you try cranking in neutral? Battery has full charge? Battery cables/wires all clean and tight on both ends?
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:21 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KEVIN_R
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
  • 1990 PLYMOUTH ACCLAIM
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 103,000 MILES
Well, my car has had several problems as of late. Bad fuel pump, replaced, bad air charge temp sensor (code 23) replaced. I thought after replacing those parts my car would be better, but it is not. At least it starts now after the fuel pump change - but it won't stay started. Now it starts for a couple of seconds, and shuts down - getting code 11 from the check engine blink readout. At this point, I'm not sure what's going on - I'm getting a good spark, fuel's getting to the engine - do you think it is perhaps the Hall Effect sensor at this point? I tested the ASD relay - seems ok.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:21 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KEVIN_R
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
Just for everybody who looks for this problem - Yes, Code 11 for the 1990 Plymouth Acclaim was indeed the Distributor pickup-assembly (Hall Effect Sensor) - no problems after changing this part.

Thanks!
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:21 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KEVIN_R
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
  • 1990 PLYMOUTH ACCLAIM
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 103,000 MILES
Have this problem - driving down the road, my car will sputter out and stall - happens mostly at stop lights, but sometimes while driving as well. I thought I had determined it was not a fuel problem by spraying some fuel into the EFI by the air filter.

I changed plugs, wires, distributor cap, and rotor - still same problem. Testing for spark by removing cable from distributor cap and grounding it against chassis - testing spark directly from the coil, I get a spark, but it doesn't seem like the typical vibrant blue that i've seen, more orange.

I'm pretty poor, so I don't have the means to take it to a shop - I have no problem changing parts myself, I just wonder what exactly it could be without replacing my whole electrical system. If it's even the electrical system.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:21 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DOCFIXIT
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,828 POSTS
Spark must be blue/white coil is most likely weak
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:21 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KEVIN_R
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
Replaced the coil - still an orange spark. Very weird. What else was weird - first attempt to start off of a "jump start" worked - but charge does not make sense to me as with a meter, the battery reads 13v turned off, and almost 14v running.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:22 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DOCFIXIT
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,828 POSTS
Alternator output should be 14.5 to 15.1 but if batt with 13V static output seem good. Can't figure orange spark. Check battery ground and check voltage to I think Red or orange wire on coli.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:22 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KEVIN_R
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
Coil voltage seems to fluctuate between 1.5 and 1.7v, not sure what nominal should be though
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:22 PM (Merged)

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