My neighbor drives an 01 eclipse with the non-turbo 2.4L. She was driving home and the car shut-off completely. Still had power and would turn over but wouldn't start. The wrecker picked it up and brought it to dealer nearby who told her the timing chain was broken and the fuel pump failed. Before dropping $2000 they brought it home and asked me to check it out. After removing the oil fill cap, turning over the engine,I looked inside and saw the rocker working correctly, therefore the cam is working correctly, which proves the timing chain is not broken. I then removed the throttle body to access the fuel line feeding the common rail. I unscrewed and pulled out the o-ringed nipple, turned the motor over and gas shot out. Therefore the fuel pump seems to be working correctly. The spark plugs were worn so I replaced them. No start but sounded different, like it was trying to fire. I used a voltmeter next to see if the coils were getting juice and then checked to see if the plugs were getting juice from the coils. Both seem fine. I shot some ether into the throttle body after replacing it and no fire. So now, I have spark, gas, ample air with no fire. Could it be the fuel pressure regulator is flooding the engine? I also read somewhere on the site that the crank angle sensor can cause it to not start. Could the alternator be an issue? I would think that with a brand new battery it would at least turn over, start, run and then die. Any suggestions are welcome and would be much appreciated. I am not that familiar with these engines. Trying to help out a friend save the dealer from bending them over.

 

The belt doesnt have to be broken. It might just be slipped. The only way to tell the damage is to see by how muc hthe timing marks are off by.

 

Thanks for the info. So basically I have to remove the cover and check it to make sure right? Is there any other possibilities before I undertake the task? Could the coils be bad but still show a voltage reading? Also, not being familliar with the car, does the 01' have a distributor? Thanks in advance.

 

Distributor is the old fasioned coil. They do the same job. To answer your question, its EXTREMELY unlikely that it would do that.

So when your cranking the motor, and you remove a spark plug, its covered in fuel?

Yes, just make sure the timing marks on the cam gears and crank are all lined up.

 

The spark plug was moist not soaked. I'm at work right now and curious to exactly how much is involved to get to the cam gear/ crank gear to check alignment? Is this a common problem? I heard that it may be the crank angle sensor as well not giving the correct timing to the coils? Possibility? Also, I want to check the codes but neither Advanceauto nor Autozone will lend out b/c i can't bring the car over. I even offered my Driver lisc and a credit card to hold.

 

You can buy the ECU readers for real cheap.

The crank angle sensor is a possibility. Its easy to check the timing... just take the cover off and look at the marks

 

I removed the upper plastic cover and was able to look at the cam gear but wasn't able to see the crankshaft gear. I don't have time to remove the belt, pulleys, water pump, etc. to get the other half off. I did notice that half of the belt was torn off and there were shredded pieces on the belt guide and all over. It still had a tight tooth mesh on what was left and was turning over but may have slipped a few teeth and thrown off the timing. From what I gathered, it looks like a nice sized job to replace, and I won't be able to finish in the time frame they need. Mitsubishi quoted $900 to replace the belt, water pump, and main seal. They are setting up an appointment today. Thanks for the help and I will post the results of their service including whatever Mitsubishi decides to "throw in" the final price.

 

Nice!, how many miles on the car? Just wondering cause I'm due for new belts and timing.

 

Just under 100,000 miles. She drives back and forth to school daily, round trip 70-80 miles all highway. Her boyfriend, from what I was told drives it like a jackass though.

 

You see. THIS is why you should change your timing belt when its recomended (60k). Thats just your own fault : )

The cheapest thing for you would be to just buy a new used motor and change it.