'96 Stratus -- no spark

I reported earlier that this vehicle ('96 Stratus ES -- 2.5L V6)
sometimes was difficult to start, and somebody suggested a fuel injector
problem.

The problem did not reoccur -- until yesterday, when it died completely
and had to be helped home (it was stuck protruding into a major road
about half a mile from home at 1am, and the sheriff's deputies came
along and pushed it home with the push bumper -- very nice of them, when
I guess they could have issued a ticket and/or ordered up a tow truck at
our expense).

It will not restart, although the battery shows normal voltage (yet the
engine does not seem to crank over as fast as normal -- unless I am
imagining that), and there is no spark at the one plug I removed, so I
am guessing the problem is in the coil/distributor unit, which I
understand has to be replaced as a whole. I also understand that these
were prone to failure, so ours may have done well to last this long (85K
miles). Anything else to check before deciding that this *is* the problem?

Shouldn't the "Check Engine" light have indicated a problem of this kind?

More questions: looking at the AutoZone Web site (just as one example),
I see 5 different options, some new, some remanufactured, ranging in
price from approx. $220 (with return of core) to $425 and with varying
warranties. Any reason to prefer one brand over another? Any better
place to buy? How much of a hassle to replace this myself? I have the
Haynes and Chilton manuals -- I know, I know.

Perce

 

2.5 v6 has a timing belt did that let loose??

 

I bet that it was very hot that day when the problem reoccur. If you
meassure de coil/distributor (that's the part I ment in your earlier post)
and there is no resistant then there is no spark and the coil is probably
very warm. When the coil cools down the problem is over and you meassure
resistant. That's why the problem occurs when you make a trip and stop the
car. The temperature under the hood is getting warmer and warmer. When you
try to start the engine in about 20 minutes it won't start. (the coil is
hot) If you wait a little longer the temperature goes down and the engine
starts up. If the problem occurs during driving the car the outside
temperature is probably so high that the coil stop working.
About the "stop engine" light and fault codes. I had the same car like you
('95 Stratus LX 2.5 V6) and I had the common "limp in" problem. I tried
almost everything I read on this newsgroup. I had no faultcodes and no
lights were coming up. I found out that also this problem occurs when it was
very hot outside so I blamed the airco. Also the airco had nothing to do
with it and at last I bought a ATM on the junkyard for 35 euro and the
problem was gone forever!

Succes Hennie.

 

A stall and then no spark combined with cranking that doesnt sound right
sounds a whole lot like a broken timing belt to me. Make sure the
camshafts are rotating before you waste money on ignition parts.

 

AFAIK, the timing belt was replaced when the water pump was replaced at
about 60K miles (now up to about 85K). I'd have to go through a whole
lot of files to find the paperwork for that job, but I am certain I told
them (a long way away from where I now live) to do the timing belt while
they were about it.

Is the 6-cyl. an interference engine? I thought I had read here that it
is. If the timing belt breaks on an interference engine, doesn't it go
BANG!?

Since I wrote my original message I checked the battery voltage while
the engine is cranking over, and it stays around 12v. Wouldn't the
voltage drop more than that if the starter were OK? Perhaps the starter
had problems already -- I'm not the one that drives this car usually.

Perce