Bad distributor?

Tweakydizi

New Member
Yesterday as i was driving home my car shut off on me as i came to a stop. I was able to turn it on again and drive but as soon as i stopped agin it shut off again and wouldnt star again. So i took it to a mechanic and he says i have bad spark plugs which trashed my distributor. He wants $500 to fix it, which i can definetly not afford right now. I was wondering if i really need a whole new distributor or could it be something simpler (and cheaper) than that.
 

Tweakydizi

New Member
Thanks for the info. Ive been trying to figure it out. I really dont know much about ignition at all. And i think it may be the igniter in the distributor because i noticed earlier yesterday before my car died on me that the idle was shaky when i started the car. Or i could be completely way off! haha
 


Prozon

Kris
First thing is first.. find a new god damn mechanic.
Your spark plugs trashed your distributor? What the fuck was your mechanic smoking?

If your distributor really IS bad you can change it yourself in two minutes or less. (That's the time estimated for a first timer with no experience whatsoever.) I could have it done in like twenty seconds. It's THAT easy. See those three bolts holding the distributor on? That's it.. remove them, pull distributor out.. reinstall new one, and reinstall bolts..

And it is definitely NOT a $500 distributor. You can buy them brand new for $300 or less. I think Autozone wants like $150.. you can find it cheaper online at places like RockAuto.com.
 


DustinXIX

New Member
Wow, defiantly agree with kris on this one. There's no way plugs trash a distributor. I don't ever go to mechanics because they almost always rip you off. Most stuff is easy enough to do on your own, especially with the help this site offers. I'd say start off with the cheaper parts, plugs wires cap n rotor then go from there. Even if that's not the problem, the car was most likely due for A decent tune up anyways so it's not like it's a waste of money if it isn't the problem.good luck with it, and when you find the problem, post it up and how you figured it out so that people with the same issue figure it out too.
 

Tweakydizi

New Member
Yeah i think you guys are right, i do need a new mechanic. This guy was kind of all over the place talking about alot of differnt things, like my timing belt then fuel pressure then my distributor then back to timing belt. At one point he said maybe i should consider just getting a new engine. (which i wanna do eventually but whats that have to do with my distributor????) I think he was just trying to cinfuse me so ill just pay him to do whatever to fix it.
 

Prozon

Kris
There are plenty of other mechanics around. You can start troubleshooting on your own though. Pull a spark plug out, attach the wire and then touch it to the valve cover or exhaust manifold and have someone turn the car over. See if the spark plug is sparking.
 

Tweakydizi

New Member
For anyone interested in knowing what happened, i dont think there's anything wrong with my car. Well operationally wise there isnt. My gas guage has ben broken in my car since i got it (it doesnt always say how much gas i really have) I think i just ran out of gas but my gauge said that i still had 1/4 of a tank left. So good news, my cars fine!! Bad news im not the smartest guy in the world haha. And i guess that other mechanic tried to seriously rip me off making up b.s. issues with my car. I know im an idiot haha but whatever, im glad my cars fine...... And would anyone have any ideas on what the issue with my gas gauge would be and how to fix it??
 
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