'96 Cabrio 2.0 WON'T START.PLEASE HELP!

The problem car is a '96 Cabrio with 123K miles on the clock.
I'm getting fuel at the engine.I pulled both fuel lines and they gush
fuel when I turn the engine over.I'm also getting spark when I put the
coil wire up against the engine while it's cranking.I tried
disconecting the Oxygen sensor.No difference. When it was still
running,the engine was putting out two codes that tell me there is a
'general missfire' and the #1 cyl. is missfiring. While the car is
cranking,I can feel pulses of air coming out of the exhaust pipe,so
*I don't think* the CAT is plugged.I have noticed the rotten egg smell
on ocassion which could mean the CAT is toast,or perhaps the engine is
running too rich. (???????)

The car started jerrking,and hesitating while it was still running.If I
floored the gas pedal,the engine would want to quit.If I kept the gas
pedel depressed at a conservative level,the car would continue to run.I
just made it into my driveway when it quit altogether.
I recently replaced a bad knock sensor,(found via engine code) but the
car has had hesitation/misfiring symptoms for quite some time...

Any advice would be very greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks!

In article >,
Nevermind > wrote:
>The problem car is a '96 Cabrio with 123K miles on the clock.
>I'm getting fuel at the engine.I pulled both fuel lines and they gush
>fuel when I turn the engine over.I'm also getting spark when I put the
>coil wire up against the engine while it's cranking.I tried
>disconecting the Oxygen sensor.No difference. When it was still
>running,the engine was putting out two codes that tell me there is a
>'general missfire' and the #1 cyl. is missfiring. While the car is
>cranking,I can feel pulses of air coming out of the exhaust pipe,so
>*I don't think* the CAT is plugged.I have noticed the rotten egg smell
>on ocassion which could mean the CAT is toast,or perhaps the engine is
>running too rich. (???????)
>
>The car started jerrking,and hesitating while it was still running.If I
>floored the gas pedal,the engine would want to quit.If I kept the gas
>pedel depressed at a conservative level,the car would continue to run.I
>just made it into my driveway when it quit altogether.
>I recently replaced a bad knock sensor,(found via engine code) but the
>car has had hesitation/misfiring symptoms for quite some time...
>
>Any advice would be very greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Check the timing belt.


--
Eduardo K. |
http://www.carfun.cl | Freedom's just another word
http://e.nn.cl | for nothing left to lose.
|

I have seen a weak Ign. Coil (Ign. Transformer) spark but fail to fire the
plugs under compression. New coil solved that problem, and I only like the
coils from the dealer.

Also check the spark plugs first to see what their tips look like. Wet,
black, oily, ???
--
later,
dave
One out of many daves.

"Nevermind" > wrote in message
...
> The problem car is a '96 Cabrio with 123K miles on the clock.
> I'm getting fuel at the engine.I pulled both fuel lines and they gush
> fuel when I turn the engine over.I'm also getting spark when I put the
> coil wire up against the engine while it's cranking.I tried
> disconecting the Oxygen sensor.No difference. When it was still
> running,the engine was putting out two codes that tell me there is a
> 'general missfire' and the #1 cyl. is missfiring. While the car is
> cranking,I can feel pulses of air coming out of the exhaust pipe,so
> *I don't think* the CAT is plugged.I have noticed the rotten egg smell
> on ocassion which could mean the CAT is toast,or perhaps the engine is
> running too rich. (???????)
>
> The car started jerrking,and hesitating while it was still running.If I
> floored the gas pedal,the engine would want to quit.If I kept the gas
> pedel depressed at a conservative level,the car would continue to run.I
> just made it into my driveway when it quit altogether.
> I recently replaced a bad knock sensor,(found via engine code) but the
> car has had hesitation/misfiring symptoms for quite some time...
>
> Any advice would be very greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> Thanks!

"Nevermind" > wrote in message
...
> The problem car is a '96 Cabrio with 123K miles on the clock.
> I'm getting fuel at the engine.I pulled both fuel lines and they gush
> fuel when I turn the engine over.I'm also getting spark when I put the
> coil wire up against the engine while it's cranking.I tried
> disconecting the Oxygen sensor.No difference. When it was still
> running,the engine was putting out two codes that tell me there is a
> 'general missfire' and the #1 cyl. is missfiring. While the car is
> cranking,I can feel pulses of air coming out of the exhaust pipe,so
> *I don't think* the CAT is plugged.I have noticed the rotten egg smell
> on ocassion which could mean the CAT is toast,or perhaps the engine is
> running too rich. (???????)
>
> The car started jerrking,and hesitating while it was still running.If I
> floored the gas pedal,the engine would want to quit.If I kept the gas
> pedel depressed at a conservative level,the car would continue to run.I
> just made it into my driveway when it quit altogether.
> I recently replaced a bad knock sensor,(found via engine code) but the
> car has had hesitation/misfiring symptoms for quite some time...
>
> Any advice would be very greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> Thanks!

Jack it up, disconnect your catalytic converter, then see if it will start
and run. I think its broken, or "plugged" as you said. I think the engine
can't exhaust. I have no explanation for the two engine codes that you see.
Anyhow, what I just mentioned is a cheap diagnostic test and it will at
least answer your question about the CAT.

I think that this might be a fuel management issue.The car has quit
before in the recent past.What exactly controls the amount of fuel
going to the injectors? I've never removed the fuel injectors
before.Might that be a wise thing to do? Is there anything I can screw
up by doing this?
Thanks for the replies!!



In article >, PabloRena
---> AnalProbe > wrote:

> "Nevermind" > wrote in message
> ...
> > The problem car is a '96 Cabrio with 123K miles on the clock.
> > I'm getting fuel at the engine.I pulled both fuel lines and they gush
> > fuel when I turn the engine over.I'm also getting spark when I put the
> > coil wire up against the engine while it's cranking.I tried
> > disconecting the Oxygen sensor.No difference. When it was still
> > running,the engine was putting out two codes that tell me there is a
> > 'general missfire' and the #1 cyl. is missfiring. While the car is
> > cranking,I can feel pulses of air coming out of the exhaust pipe,so
> > *I don't think* the CAT is plugged.I have noticed the rotten egg smell
> > on ocassion which could mean the CAT is toast,or perhaps the engine is
> > running too rich. (???????)
> >
> > The car started jerrking,and hesitating while it was still running.If I
> > floored the gas pedal,the engine would want to quit.If I kept the gas
> > pedel depressed at a conservative level,the car would continue to run.I
> > just made it into my driveway when it quit altogether.
> > I recently replaced a bad knock sensor,(found via engine code) but the
> > car has had hesitation/misfiring symptoms for quite some time...
> >
> > Any advice would be very greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> > Thanks!
>
> Jack it up, disconnect your catalytic converter, then see if it will start
> and run. I think its broken, or "plugged" as you said. I think the engine
> can't exhaust. I have no explanation for the two engine codes that you see.
> Anyhow, what I just mentioned is a cheap diagnostic test and it will at
> least answer your question about the CAT.
>
>