Distributer shorting ECU?

[steriosm]

My dads 92 4x4 Sidekick with the multi-port 1.6 litre won't start. Tested coil and all relays and power to fuel pump. Nothing. Ended up taking it too a garage and the mechanic said 'the distributer is shorting the ECU. You need a new computer to the tune of 2000.00 dollars". I towed it home. I found a guy in Quebec that sells rebuilt ECU's with life time warranties for 265 canadian. I'd like to toss one of these units in but I think I should take care of this 'shorting distributer' first. Not sure what the mechanic meant by this though. What on the distributer can short out the ecu? If I just replaced the entire distributer would that do the trick? Great site. I've tried to read all the posts on these fine little trucks but can't find an answer. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[Shconer]

Theres probably nothing wrong with the distributer. The older Sidekicks are known to have bad ECUs. I've never heard of a distributer shorting out the ECU.

[jtgh]

it would be difficult
3 pins, Ground, +12vdc and Signal out.
signal out is an open collector transistor and NEver sources current (it sinks it only)
so the DIZZY would have to short 12, to the sig out. ( not likely)

Shconer is correct, all 92 will suffer 1 ECU fail. The "Rubicon" junk caps in side leak.
You can get yours fixed for $70 on EBAY.
His statement was speculation. (unless he tested the input ports of the ECU)

see link on this page , $70

ECU

the more expensive EBAY service have longer warantee and some will ship first and THEN you can ship yours back (less down time) . Lots of choices here.

cheaper than a tune up, we are blessed.

Full spec I made on dizzy.
http://carfix.stufftoread.com/IGN_ti...IZ-CAS1W86.jpg

[steriosm]

Thanks for the info guys. I read through a pile of posts on here that talk about shorting the red wire from the injectors to the positive side of the battery. I looked through the schematics at the back of the Haynes manual and looked for this red wire and couldn't find it. Any idea where I should be looking? I found a connector that feeds into the injector closest to the rad and it had about 8 wires into and out of it. I found a red one there but I wasn't sure if that is the one I should energize. I also see in another post that I can just get the bad capacitors from Radio Shack and solder them in myself. How feasable is that? Thanks in advance.

[jtgh]

i guess you stumbled on the bad advice about shorting the battery to the injectors , because ECU is dead.
Please dont make it worse.

these are low impedance injectors, both sides are driven using the
std. peak and hold method. ( the current and duty cycle is carefully controlled )

when once side blows out, people short the dead side, to battery +.
sadly:
all this does is (IMHO) destroy the other side, in short order.
if you are stranded in the woods, well do what ever.

but not, then why take a change of destroying your core ?
do the EBay swap, lots of people , doing exhange on there.
both send core and get rebuild.
or
Pay ,get , and send core < faster turn around.
warrantee? check it out.

some of that advice, is for TBI and NOT MPI.
check carefully, the application.

before condeming ECU , do my test, then
put a NOID lamp on each injector and see if they all fire.
the lamp cost $1.42 , at radio shack and PN on my pages.

an ecu swap ,need not be more expensive than a tune up. $70
such a deal. huh ?

[steriosm]

Yeah you are right jtgh. That's why I figured i'd ask first. Seemed too easy. I'll check out the ebay option as it's cheaper then the guy in Quebec. Thanks for all your help.

[jtgh]

thanks for the tip on Quebec !
down here they are crush happy and aluminum goes poof ! gone.
good day to you .