Dodge Stealth 1992 3.0 SOHC decided not to start!

10

Asked by moparjim Mar 06, 2014 at 10:05 PM about the 1992 Dodge Stealth ES FWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Took it to a shop and they said it was a bad computer! I sent it off and paid to have the
computer fixed for the sum of 199,got it back and it still won't start! Took it to a shop
and they said it was the computer! I sent it back to Curcuit Board Medics and they
couldn't figure out anything,and said it checked out fine!! I had another mechanic check
it out,and he too said it was the computer! Now I'm stuck between a rock and a hard
place!! I've had a couple other people say it probably isn't the computer! One
explanation was it might be in the key switch and needed to be reset somehow?Maybe
part of a factory alarm?? I think I might be making a mistake by selling it dirt cheap
after owning it for 8 years and it sitting for the last 2 1/2 years! Any suggestions???
Thanks!!    Jim

25 Answers

199,615

Has is started at all since it has been sitting? Does it turn over but not start or does not turn over at all?

1 people found this helpful.
10

It turns over great,and still has good compression! No spark!

1 people found this helpful.
199,615

Have you tried removing the spark plugs and cleaning them? Also did you pump all the bad gas out and put new in? Was something wrong with it when you parked it two years ago?

1 people found this helpful.
9,745

hope you didn't try to start it with 2 year old gas in it ,,, we need to verify that your getting gas and spark, since it turns over its not the ignition

1 people found this helpful.
10

No spark! The car was a daily driver until it decided not to be one day! I have throughout the last two and a half years tried to get it running with no luck! It has all new tune-up parts,cap,rotor,plugs,wires,and I've even tried different coils! Nothing!!! has worked! Fuel pump works,just not getting spark! I have also heard I needed to have the computer "FLASHED"??? aND THE DEALER DOES THAT?

9,745

ok then you need to work back from your plugs ,, next you need to see if your PTU and coils are working tst that and tell me what you find out ok http://www.stealth316.com/2-pwrtransunit.htm

9,745

lander congratulations on packing the most bad information and bad advice into one post ive ever read on cargurus bro

1,035

Fine Daniel. You seem to be an expert on Dodge Stealth and 3000GT, even though you have no credentials and have some stock photos of cars you saw on craigslist on your profile page. I on the other hand have only rescued three basket cases from the crusher and did complete tear-downs and rebuilds on two of them. The third became parts. The fourth one, my white 1992 two owner unmodified (pictured) has ran for 270,000 miles because I obviously don't know how to fix rebuild or maintain a Stealth. Knowing common problem areas is an art left to those who don't work their way back from the spark plugs until they have torn everything apart only to find in the end that a fuse is blown. Or give advice like "check to see if it's getting fuel when the second post by the owner states clearly that there is no spark... Oh well, I have removed my "bad advice post" and I'll let people like you answer all the questions, that way there will be a lot more 3S cars in the scrap yards for parts.

4 people found this helpful.
9,745

stock photos ?? lol you accusing me of faking or stealing my pics or something? those are taken by me, and I owned the cars in the pics, they were mine not some pics I stole, also owned a few others as well,,, and yeh sorry to break it to ya but the first thing you ever do when trying to figure out why a car isn't starting is to verify spark and fuel,, that's car repair 101 there bro,, and really wish you wouldn't of delete your post so I could show you the many bad advices you gave lol

1 people found this helpful.
1,035

So if the owner already posted that there is fuel but no spark you should have him check to see if there's fuel and spark again.... Makes perfect sense. Car repair 101: waste time checking something you already checked because someone can't read. Fine. My point in posting originally was to help someone narrow down a problem that I personally have experienced.. a few times before. I won't post if I have never had to fix a similar problem or if it isn't a simple solution that my personal knowledge from over a hundred auto restorations can't figure out. If I suggest he check the fuse box, it might be smarter to do that and find a blown fuse than to than pull everything off and test it. If he has a multi-meter, then he should check to see if codes have been stored in the replacement computer as to why it is not sending spark. How is that bad advice? I had bought a green 1993 3000GT VR4 a few years back. The car wouldn't start, engine light on and no spark. I got the car for $500.00, and took it home, thinking it was something very serious. I found that a relay was blown out because some kid wired in their stereo amp to the thing. I've just completed an experiment on my 92 base model Stealth that I'd like to share. I pulled out the fuse in Slot #12. It's a 15 amp fuse that controls the ignition coil, power transistor, engine control relay and engine control unit. If this fuse is pulled out, there's no spark but fuel still flows. Testing the computer with my handy dandy volt meter with the fuse pulled gives a reading of short low, long high. This indicates that my engine control unit has "failed" and needs to be replaced. Codes aren't actually accurate, but they give you a better idea of what to look for in your diagnostic search. As we know, I pulled the fuse and that caused the fault. Now I have reset the system by disconnecting the battery, reinstalling the fuse, and then reconnecting the battery and running the vehicle for a little bit. The key is turned back on, not running. The voltmeter is reconnected to the service terminal. The needle now reads a series of short blips. This means normal operation with no error codes. Keep in mind this may not be the actual problem the original poster is having but I think it's still a good starting point. Hell, I kicked a radio fuse loose when I was young while driving and thought my stereo broke! I thought the point of car gurus was to help others avoid costly repairs and mistakes and wasting their money on crooks... I mean auto shops. Not to drum your chest and put others down so you can feel superior over everyone. If it's bad advice to check the fuses first then I have been doing something wrong for about 30 years. If it's bad advice to check the computer codes yourself then I have been doing something wrong for 20 years, but I have saved myself and others a lot of money! A shop wants to SELL you something. They will lie through their teeth to get you to buy something. Preferably a computer over a coil or box of fuses.

5 people found this helpful.
9,745

dude I wanted him to find out WHERE he wasn't getting the spark from,, your not the brightest light on the tree are ya bro lol ,,and you don't have to pull anything off to test for where your not getting spark ,, are you SURE you've done as much work as you say you have? oh wait pull the plug wire I guess your right pull shit off lol ,,andyour advice abou checking the fuses wasn't the part I was saying was your bad advice, I cant remember what you said but but there was a few things that were totally false,, most likely its a bad PTU coils or ECU,,

1,035

If you can't remember what I said that was totally false then how can you be completely certain that it was totally false? Yu dun evin speaks goods englich bro... By the way, I'm 41. I've been working on cars since I was 10. My dad had a muscle car restoration business while I specialized in classic British, Italian, and Japanese imports. I am also ASE certified which means nothing really as anyone could pass those tests.... well, apart from some people I know... This is from the original poster's response to your inquiry about whether or not it was getting spark and fuel.... "No spark! The car was a daily driver until it decided not to be one day! I have throughout the last two and a half years tried to get it running with no luck! It has all new tune-up parts,cap,rotor,plugs,wires,and I've even tried different coils! Nothing!!! has worked! Fuel pump works,just not getting spark!" And you still suggest checking the coils and wires? You aren't the brightest light on the tree are you.... bro.

2 people found this helpful.
9,745

because when I said that I was looking at it,, you hadn't deleted it when I first said that,,, congradulations on turning 41 and workin on cars since ya was 10,, im 44 and been doing it about as long or longer, lol I guess I might of missed the part that he replaced the coils,, but that still don't mean he don't have to find out where the spark isn't getting to and as I stated I think its the coils or ptu or ecu

6,835

Mark is the alarm computer seperate From ecu I've seen that become a big problem Steath

6,835

Door unlock relay so bad one part works the other side of relay is bad Be net bet I'm bad Replace two relays if you don't want to spend money feel which one is real hot door relay is part of alarm system send me old relay I want to frame it. I'm bad how do you like me now

6,835

Find problem test light through neg cable disconnect run test Ighrt turn key on each one keep on 10 seconds integration relay go off 1st then lift gos out the one that does not go out Is bad circut.one of two relays . Please check this out. 4 prong relays when you shut the door the lock was stiff relay stuck and burned one side hard to diagnose But pull the fuse put test light in between and pull fuse prove it then fix it Two years Emailme please Wt me know jonathanmurray63@gmail.com

1 people found this helpful.

Ok. You genius people. I need help! I have a 1991 Dodge Stealth. It will start and drive..but after about 8-10 min it will stall out and die. If I let it sit then start it up, it will drive solidly... again...for 8-10 min.... I've replaced all plugs, gaskets, sensors and modules. The fuel pumps are fine and there aren't any leaks anywhere...Could this be an ECU issue?

Try this, Turn your key on but do not start it. Then hold down your gas pedal all the way down for 15 seconds. Then try starting it/. Good luck

199,615

Kcollins. Check your negative battery cable where it attaches to the frame and motor. These cars are known for doing all sorts of weird things with this cable not clean and tight.

1 people found this helpful.
10

My 92 did the same thing. She sat for five years in Nevada. I flew from New Mexico to changed out fuel pump and put a new battery. She started. You would not believe the crap that i had to leave in gas tank and even though no way would she start. She was taking me back to N.M. Filled her up w/gas. Bought 4tires and 700 miles later she made it to N.M. Ran for one week and just stoped. From Oct to August she sat. 2 miss diagnosis. Was not a air mass sensor, thank you Dodge. Was not a timing belt either. It was crap cloggin my fuel lines. Changed fuel filter, bought new fuel injectors, crap in fuel just clogged everything. Basicaly ran fuel out and now she back to her old self. New cap and rotor. Crap from tank rusts everything even new fuel injectors. Good luck everybody i know the feeling starts one day and not the next! I blame the crap in the gas tank!! Dont give up!!

1 people found this helpful.

my stealth did this with no spark replaced coil and distributor pick up in distributor with no help after studying wiring diagram i replaced ecu with a reman with a lifetime gaurentee from oreillys and it has ran fine ever since i did als replace the iac valve as it had also quit working and i had raised the ide air adjustment to keep it idleing and am pretty sure this part is what took out the ecu as i workd for years at nissan and iac valves often took out ecus

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