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View Full Version : Possible distributor failure?


Benswen
02/09/2005, 02:36 PM
Man, it's been awhile since I posted here, but as soon as I need help I come crawling back... :D

So here's the deal. 94PGT, 98K, MTX, well maintained drivetrain/suspension (lot's of important parts replaced in the last 6k) but I'm having a strange problem. When I've been driving the car for more than 7-8 miles (basically when the car is fully warmed-up) I get an intermittent shaking and loss of power when I give it throttle, and I can hear that the motor is misfiring. The strange thing is that it will sometimes quit for awhile and drive smoothe, no loss of power, and then a short time later (while just cruising down the highway) I can feel it get progressively rougher, to where the interior pieces are rattling from the shaking. This used to happen (for the last several months) very rarely, and I just wrote it off to the Probe gremlins screwing with me, but now it happens all the time after the first few miles.

I'm sure it's not related to the suspension/transmission/driveline, as it's so intermittent. I'm thinking it's the all-too-common ignitor failure, and that's why it doesn't happen when the car is cold, or when there's no real load on the motor (at idle) and it's shaking because I have front and rear RR-Racing motor mount inserts, which transfers the vibration from the motor to the rest of the car. I'm thinking about giving the HEI mod a shot, but as it's irreversible, I want to be sure before I go ahead with it. The car is in need of new plugs/wires/cap/rotor, but that should cause poor performance all around, not just occasionally.

I've searched (PT, P-E and here) but most people report no vibration or shaking with ignitor failure, just a total loss of spark - stalling or not starting. Any input?

Splat
02/09/2005, 04:18 PM
I'de get the new plugs, wires, cap and rotor, if that doesn't solve you're problem, look to the HEI. It could be a shot disty. PGTs have crap distributers.

Nite Ryder
02/09/2005, 04:54 PM
Same thing happened to me at 96k. Leaking wires.

naustin
02/09/2005, 05:34 PM
It could be anything from a bad cap and rotor, to bad wires to a bad crank postion sensor. Pull the codes and see if the computer has stored anything. Even it it does throw a CEL, the computer might be storing a code.

Shrep
02/09/2005, 07:49 PM
Same thing happened to me at 96k. Leaking wires.me too! Man...there's so many problems with the ignition system in these things...it's a wonder we all love them so much...

naustin
02/10/2005, 01:50 PM
I loved mine to death, and then I sold it.

thedestinecurse
02/23/2005, 09:30 AM
I had the same problem in my 93pgt. after about 3 months of ignoring it the distributor just quit sparking all together. so your distributor is probly the problem being that the distributors in our cars are junk

Shrep
02/23/2005, 11:12 AM
Pull codes, what do you get?

Benswen
02/23/2005, 02:21 PM
Well, I'm still waiting on the parts I ordered a week and a half ago, and of course, last night on my way home from work the car miraculously healed itself. It had been doing it's usual shake, rattle and hum, and then it just quit. Car ran great, no shaking, no vibration, nothing. So I haven't driven it yet today, for fear that it was just a nice dream... I'll still put it the plugs, wires, cap and rotor I ordered, since that's just stuff I should do as maintanance anyways.

On the other hand, I was beginning to worry that maybe it was the transmission, but since it doesn't do it all the time, I'm fairly certain it's electrical. Electrical gremlins, while a huge pain in the arse, are not as costly as a tranny replacement.