*Update* New Mod: RUNNING car.

So, I got a new mod today. It's called the "screw your timing belt up at a red light". I was leaving Taco Bell and heading back to school today, and I pull up to a red light, and since I have my music on I don't hear anything, but I notice my engine died. My battery light, oil light, and BRAKE light all come on. So, I get a cop to push me into a check to cash parking lot, which I was stuck at for 4 hours trying to get my car running. I get out and look at my battery first. Both terminals are on it securely, and my engine will click like it's about to start, but won't turn over. It's getting power though, because all my dash works. Radio and everything. Well, my dad shows up about 2 hours later after he gets off of work, and I finally get a hold of him, and we take a look at it. We go buy some ether and spray it in the intake, and it doesn't start, so it's not the fuel pump. Then we start looking at the spark plugs. We determine that one of the coils isn't sparking, but every spark plug sparks in a working coil. The passenger side coil, the one in the second cylinder on the left if you're looking at the engine, is the one not sparking. All the plugs work though in the driver's side coil though. We change the passenger side coil with the driver side coil, and the passenger side coil, which is the one from the driver side, still doesn't work. So, we're thinking it might be a wiring problem. We talk to a mechanic, and he thinks it's the timing belt. Just towed it home by rope from Hammond to Slidell. Which is about 40 miles? I'm not really sure. It sucked. No power steering or brakes is really fun. You should try it sometime. So, my question is, anyone ever had to change the timing belt on this car? I don't think mine has ever been changed. Let me know what you guys think, and if you have anything to add. Anything can help. Thanks everybody. I'll be working on it tomorrow.

 

Well, I'm almost positive it's not the battery, and like you said, if my alternator was bad, my battery would have died because it's not charging it while the car's off. I just changed the serpentine belt, when I changed my a/c clutch. We changed the belt on the clutch, and the one behind it, which I believe is the serpentine belt. I don't remember exactly. Which makes me think it's the starter. The engine turns over a little, so I'm guessing there's a belt there. I didn't even to think to look, or know where to look, for the timing belt. I'll do some research and see if I can't find out where the starter is on these cars, and go from there. Thanks, Marcus, it's always good to get a second opinion and you definitely helped a lot. Cuz what you're saying about the timing belt makes me think that's not the problem. But, the mechanic I talked with didn't say it necessarily came off, he said it might be slipping.

 

I was looking at the fuses, but we got sidetracked by testing out all the plugs to different coils and such that I forgot to go back and check them. I was mainly looking for my ignition fuse or something along those lines. I'll go back tomorrow morning and check those first. And, I didn't bring my car to him or anything, I just called him over the phone to see if he could point me in the right direction and mainly just to talk to someone who knows the gist of what happened. Just anything to point me in a direction. It almost sounds electrical because one of the engine coils isn't firing.

 

I can't remember exactly if the plug that was attached to the coil that didn't work, worked. I don't think it did, but I can't remember. I do know for a fact that both driver side plugs sparked. At first I thought it was just my battery, cuz the same thing happened when I changed my battery a week or two weeks ago, if ya'll remember me saying that. Well, not the same exact symptoms, because it didn't fizzle out and idle rough this time, this time it just said "Hey, fuck you." and died. Lol. Idk, I'll keep ya'll posted on what I find out tomorrow when I actually get some hands on it. Thanks for all your help, man. Definitely put some new ideas in my head on what to look for.

 

So, here's an update. We took the wheel off and what not, and got to the timing belt cover, the black plastic piece on the side of the engine. Well, we got the top part off, but couldn't get the bottom one off because the crankshaft bolt. We had to get another impact wrench that was rated for higher psi to get it off. Well, once we got it off we could get the bottom half of the timing belt cover off, thus revealing the timing belt! Yay! We also had to take off the side motor mount in order to get to it correctly. Anyways, I think that's as far as we've gotten. Now! On with the pics. Only four, so calm down. Nothing special, but you CAN see why my car isn't running. Also hoping I don't have any bent valves, that will suck.


You can kind of see, if you're familiar with this engine, where I'm working. There's the valve cover obviously, and right on the side of it is this black plastic piece which is the timing belt cover, which isn't there right now because we took it off.

And, so, here's the problem. There are NO teeth on the crankshaft part of the belt. You can see them all at the bottom of the picture just sitting there, no wonder my shit ain't starting! So, yeah. The diagram from O'Reilly's is definitely helping, and my friend's dad is also sending me a pdf file with a bunch of Mitsubishi engine configurations. Pretty sick, so I'll share that.

So, that's it for now. I'll try to keep ya'll posted on it, and see what we can get done tomorrow. And yes, those are JDM blue zip ties. Lol.

 

I'll probably post the pdf on here, because it's got a lot of different Mitsu engines in it. I only got through like 10 pages, and there was a lot left. And, I think you may be right, I may have to look into getting some USDM zip ties instead. Lol.

 

So, just got finished with it. Got everything on and started it up and it worked. It was idling rough at first, but I went under the hood and adjusted the idle really quick, and it's pretty much back to normal now. There is a high pitched noise while it's running, but I think it may just be the new alternator belt breaking itself in. We went ahead and changed that too, because it was looking bad. Bet it probably hadn't been changed ever. Well, thanks for all ya'lls help, and hopefully I'll be able to get that big manual from my dad's friend soon and hook ya'll up with it.

 

O geez. You silly guys. Lol. So, today I will be driving it a few places and going to work, so hopefully everything works out for me.

 

Well, I haven't gotten it from him yet, so I'm hoping that he'll try to resend it or I'll ask him to send it again soon. I'll let you know whenever I get it.