Letting the car run too long with a wire pulled to check for spark killed
your coil. You can do a very brief test that way, but the coil heats up
rapidly and dies. Look at you dead coil and you will probably see a burn
spot on the outer casing.

If you have a code 17, the speedo is screwed up, and your sports shift light
is blinking, you definitely have a bad VSS. Replace the VSS first and then
move on to the obvious like plugs, wires, cap and rotor.

<lance_dowdy@autogas.com> wrote in message
news:1178134073.872221.232780@e65g2000hsc.googlegr oups.com...
>I have read a lot of info online, but still have questions. Hope
> someone can help - please.
> Background: One year ago lost the Timing belt while driving and messed
> up 12 of the 18 valve. Car only had 58k miles (wife's grandma's car)
> so decided to fork over $1900 for repair. After the repair it ran
> great, better than new, I mean surprisingly smooth and fast. That was
> a year ago.
>
> Present - Yesterday driving to work it ran fine. However at lunch it
> would run rough if the accelerator was depressed until the engine came
> to speed then would run at constant RPM just fine. Acceleration was
> very rough. I pulled a spark plug cable and after about 10 seconds
> things got worse. It died and would not start, not even try to
> start. No spark that I could see. I replaced the Ignitor (ignition
> control module?), didn't help. Then I replaced the Coil; it then
> would start (yeah!) however it ran exactly as before it died - rough
> acceleration. I shorted the engine code diagnostic jumper on the side
> footwell for passenger, turned on key and read the Check Engine light
> flash: 1 long then 7 shorts. This would be 17, correct. This appears
> to be a faulty Vehicle Speed Sensor, which would account for the
> erratic Speedometer. But why is it running rough and why did the coil
> fix the no start condition?
>
> What I think: I think the no start condition was completely seperate
> than the rough acceleration issue. Maybe when I pulled the spark plug
> wire while the engine was running, I caused the coil (which is
> probably original, 16 years old), to fail. What do you think?
>
> But... what is the rough idle cause by. Bad fuel? If it was an
> oxygen sensor, wouldn't that throw a code?
>
> Sorry so long. Sincerely appreciate any help.
>