Sounds like you may have two different issues. The first one is idle speed that's too low. This happens if the battery is disconnected or run drained and has a really easy fix. We'll discuss that later if necessary. It can also cause a failure to start unless you hold the accelerator pedal down 1/4".
By far the most common cause of a crank / no-start problem on this engine is the "Hall Effect" pick-up assembly under the rotor in the distributor. You'll have no spark, and no fuel injector pulses. Here's a link to an article on how to check for spark:
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-test-an-ignition-system
If your mechanic was diagnosing this, he would perform some tests before replacing the pick-up assembly, but that can include using some expensive equipment. If you want to tackle this yourself, your money will be better spent just buying a new pick-up assembly. They're not expensive, and if it doesn't solve the problem, do like a lot of others used to do and keep the new one in the glove box for a spare.
Remove the two screws holding the plastic splash shield in front of the distributor. Remove the two screws for the distributor cap. Lift up the cap, then slide the rotor up. If your "reluctor" wheel is separate, lift that off to, then just lift the pick-up assembly off to replace it.
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Wednesday, February 23rd, 2022 AT 6:16 PM
