'93 Talon 1.8 Won't Start

[ukyo]

A friend of ours has a 1.8L '93 Talon. The car ran fine until there was a heavy rain that he had to drive home in. He got home, parked the car, and it has not cranked since. The engine turns over strong, but does not catch. I've spent a few hours in the search engine looking up what could be the problem. Thus far I have come down to the following -

ECU - Main suspect, took it out but doesn't seem to be leaking too bad. Lots of white "wash" down the board, though. If I post pics could someone look at them and let me know if it's bad?
CAS - I'll have to check this next time I'm over there. What do I look for?
Coolant Sensor - Again, I'll have to check it next time... what do I look for?
Intake Temp. Sensor - see coolant sensor
Power Transistor - ???
Cam Position Sensor - Does the car have this? Would it have a crank and cam angle sensor? If so, how would I check it?
Timing Belt - This will be one of the first things I look at next time. Easy enough to get the top cover off.
Fuel Pump Relay - Also high on the list

The car is not getting spark. I don't think it's getting fuel, either, as I cannot smell fuel from the spark plug hole after several attempts to crank it / test for spark. This is the first DSM I have worked on that has a distributor, so this is a learning experience for me. The owner changed out the cap and button on the distributor, as well as the plugs. We did the wires today. Still no spark. I have one of those "comprehensive" import manuals that covers up to '92 to work from. Would the information in this book be accurate for the '93 1.8L as well?

Anyone have any help or suggestions? He's about to just give up on the car and buy something else.

Thanks in advance for any advice you guys can offer!

[ukyo]

http://home.speedfactory.net/ukyo/ecu/fulltop.jpg
http://home.speedfactory.net/ukyo/ecu/topcorrosion.jpg
http://home.speedfactory.net/ukyo/ecu/topcorrosion2.jpg
http://home.speedfactory.net/ukyo/ecu/topwash.jpg
http://home.speedfactory.net/ukyo/ecu/fullbottom.jpg
http://home.speedfactory.net/ukyo/ecu/bottomcorrosion.jpg

[Blackboost]

Have the caps replaced as soon as possible. Also look for blown fuses on the positive battery terminal fuse box...

[ukyo]

So the small amount if leakage shwon in the pics could be enough to cause the no start condition? It doesn't seem to be that bad, but I'm no expert.

Which caps need to be replaced? Just the black one? How about the small little rectangle next to the leak spot? It looks like it may have been damaged too. Is there a way to replace that... or will it need it? Thanks for the help.

[Blackboost]

Even a small amount of leak is enough to cause BIG damage to the ECU.

Here's some info on which caps need to be replaced: http://www.tmo.com/howto/ecu1g/caps.htm

Here's a link to someone that can do the job for you: http://www.vfaq.com/TASRacing.html ;)

[ginsu417]

That looks pretty bad. Take an analog volt meter and hook it up to the opposite corners of the datalink terminal next to the fuse box. When you turn the key on, the check engine light should come on, and you should see pulses on the voltmeter. If there's pulses coming through, you may be able to salvage it. If you see a flat reading, it's fried. Throw it away. You can get a used one from mitsubishigraveyard.com for about $100. This sounds and looks like water damage, but it may just be a coincidence. To prevent this in the future, your friend should check for leaks in the cowl area. Notably around the windsheild.

- Kalani

[Ghoste]

Same exact thing happened my 92 eclipse 1.8.

No Spark, Tested 2 Distributors, Checked the Old ECU , and nothing looked wrong on it.

Bought a Re-Manufactured ECU for $200.

Started like a dream :)

[JR92]

I am having the same problem with my brother's car. Can I use a 2.0 NT ECU on the 1.8?

[ginsu417]

The ECUs are in no way compatible with one another. The 2.0 uses a completely different ignition system, has different volumetric curves and fuel maps, different sensors, actuators, and a host of other things. You can order a used ECU from Mitsubishigraveyard.com - they have some 1.8 stuff but not a whole lot, since most 1.8s are still running. :)

- Kalani

[fast1.8sohcDSM]

No fuel, No Spark = ECM. No matter what :)

[jcarothers]

ehhh... if it's dumb like car, you might want to check the rotor inside the distributor cap.. mine somehow blew itself to pieces.. or atleast that's waht my dad said.. I replaced everypiece of my fuel system and almost bought an ecu.. a few hundred dollars, a ruined trip to the coast, and a car that wolnd't start... my dad decided to take it to his friends shop, who checked it out and found the problem... I knew it had to do with the ignition and my dad assured me it wasn't.. pfft.. proved him wrong.. sorry a bit of a rant there... jsut throwing a suggestion out there..;) :P