Cousin It wrote:
> 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.
>>

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When you pull a spark plug wire off, the high tension still has to go
somewhere to ground, so it goes through the module and destroys it. Have
you used injector cleaner regularly?

'Curly'