So I wanted to learn how to replace the distributor, and I got through the uninstall/ reinstall part, but now the car won't start. HELP! here is what i diduninstall the bad distributor and put on the good one. at first the whole thing won't go in, so i took it out and turn the rotor a little( there is my problem)

put it back on the engine try to start the car.....well you guessed it.... the motor turns but car dont start, and it shakes really bad.

I admit I am a total newbie at this and I screwd it up, so dont flame me please.

would really be greatful if you guys can help me to get the timing back to normal...

car is 95 240SX auto KA engine

First you need to find Top Dead Center (TDC) for the compression stroke in order to time the ignition distributor. To find TDC, remove #1 spark plug and disconnect the ignition coil wire. Have someone tap the ignition switch start position to slowly crank the motor while you put you hand or thumb over the spark plug hole. When you feel the compression, stop. Now look down at the timing pointer at the front pulley. It should be pointing to ZERO. If not, manually turn the motor clockwise or counter-clockwise by hand until it's pointing to ZERO. Now determine the #1 plug wire location on the distributor cap. Mark that location on the distributor body. Now insert the distributor into the block, meshing the gears so that the rotor ends up pointing to the mark you put on the side of the distributor body. You now are timed close to correct; you should be able to start the motor.

Before starting the motor, set up a timing light so that you can set the timing to spec. Disconnect the TPS harness connector. It's located on the passenger's side of the engine just above the throttle assembly. Start engine and set timing to 20 degrees BTDC. Stop the engine. Reconnect the TPS harness connector.

your an idiot! and that makes me feel better, to know that im not the only idiot thats done this! im just messing with ya man, its not hard to fix once you know what to do, good luck, and the best way to learn is to **** it up the first time in my book :-p

theother1wstolen wrote:your an idiot! and that makes me feel better, to know that im not the only idiot thats done this! im just messing with ya man, its not hard to fix once you know what to do, good luck, and the best way to learn is to **** it up the first time in my book :-p

I see, so it takes one to know one huh? oh wait... let me take that back. =PI feel better too lol, what you said was true, screw it up then you will learn real good.

Failure is a success if you learn from it right? =D

BTW thanks buddy rogoman, its really dark now, so I will try your method tomorrow.

I have one question about the ZERO thing and setting up a timing light.is there a picture I can see the ZERO you are talking about?How to set up a timing light?Thanks again!

tttt

what i usually do is take a coat hanger, cut it, straighten it out, and stick it in the #1 cylinder through the spark plug hole (make sure the edge isnt sharp) then turn the crankshaft with a wratchet, and when the coat hanger is as high as it will go, thats tdc, then just set the distributor so that the rotor is is hitting plug #1. put the cap back on, your spark plug back in and you should be good to go.

Theother, a long screw driver works too, I could be wrong, but I think there's a 0 mark on the crank pulley to let you know when your at TDC.

For future refrence jin, whenever you change a distributor you should always take note to where the rotor is pointing. Off the top of my head I can't remember which was the rotor points at TDC. Also when timing the engine I found that removing the P/S makes it much easier for the timing light to hit the crank. Also, marking the pulley with a little touch up paint makes finding the mark in the light A LOT easier.

I have an UA pulley on my car, but I'm pretty sure the 15* (not sure if the mark is different on the DE, I have a E) is the 2nd or 3rd mark on the stock pulley. I gotta go in my garage a bit later and have my stock pulley in there, I'll take a pic to show ya. I think it might have a red or yellow mark from the factory.

theother1wstolen wrote:what i usually do is take a coat hanger, cut it, straighten it out, and stick it in the #1 cylinder through the spark plug hole (make sure the edge isnt sharp) then turn the crankshaft with a wratchet, and when the coat hanger is as high as it will go, thats tdc, then just set the distributor so that the rotor is is hitting plug #1. put the cap back on, your spark plug back in and you should be good to go.

With your method, you don't know if your on the COMPRESSION STROKE. You could very easily be 180 degrees off timing.

jinjinweiwei wrote:
I see, so it takes one to know one huh? oh wait... let me take that back. =PI feel better too lol, what you said was true, screw it up then you will learn real good.

Failure is a success if you learn from it right? =D

BTW thanks buddy rogoman, its really dark now, so I will try your method tomorrow.

I have one question about the ZERO thing and setting up a timing light.is there a picture I can see the ZERO you are talking about?

Here you go:

Yay pic! It's cold outside

I want to say thanks! to everyone! got the car started!but now it is really hot in the engine bay area and oil temp is pointing at the middle. I drove it out to see if there is anything wrong, but it drives fine.

Here is the question:now i try to start it, it will start but it will cut everything off right away. it doesnt feels like a bad MAF because bad MAF cut off things really smooth.IS THIS CAUSED BY THE HIGH TEMP? AND WHAT MIGHT CAUSE THIS HIGH TEMP? The air bag light is flashing also, so I am resetting the ECU tonight.Thanks in a million!

add a little infoI kind of flooded the engine while trying and trying to start the car. the spark plug got gas all over them but cleaned them off.

I wonder could the heat caused by the gas deposit in the cylinders? I mean if there is lots of gas there and when the car starts all those will go boom and generate lots of heat right? and while i was testing driving it I revd it to around 5k and went back down right away. the test drive was smooth like normal, but after I parked it for 10min it started and died again, and it shaked a bit trying to stay alive but it died.

I am still thinking could it be there still some gas left in the cyclinder?

Thanks for your help! Peace!

rogoman wrote:
Here you go:

Now the pin is at the stock position.

I started the car this morning, idle was a little choppy, but I turned the distributor a little to advance the timing and it Idles smooth now. But somthing is really weird, the airbag light is still flashing, and I am not sure what else is wrong.

Because I resetted ECU and now the check engine light is off, before that it was code 11 Camshaft position senser that's what made me to change the distributor and that's where I messed up the timing. Me and my parent's friend only touched the distributor, the wheel with timing mark on it.

Could you guys give me a little more info there? Thanks!

The car is doing the samething again. Car starts and shakes really bad till it stalls. I tried to give a little gas, it would even for a little bit but start to shake again. I pull out the oil measure( dont know what its called but its the long piece of metal goes inside a little tube) there ISN'T ANY Milky things on there, so maybe not a gasket problem?

I am really confused now

Pulled out all spark plugs they looked the same, and put them back on.start the car and unplug cyclinder 1-> engine shakes unplug cyclinder 2-> engine shakes unplug cyclinder 3 -> engine shakes unplug cyclinder 4 -> still shakes

wth is wrong with my car

I find out when the car will shake and die, but dont know what is causing this.

after let the engine run for a while 10-15min the temperature will rise and point in the middle. after that, if i try to start the car it will shake like crazy and struggle to stay alive.

I will search for a lil see what I can find.

something really weird happened...well sort of...

I put the old distributor on at the temperature where the other one will stall and shake, the car is back to normal, at least for now... I will go drive it around in a lil bit.

came back!!!! the car doesnt stall anymore!!!!!!!! yay!!!!!!!! even took it to car wash (tree pollens are all over it).

This may be a dumb question, but did you have the wires (igntion) wired the same way on the new one, as the old? Could be a bad new one, or it wasn't timed right.