Trouble with a no start condition
 

So Ive been lurking around this forum for a while trying to figure this problem out for my moms car, and I've come to need a new look at this problem. I have searched through more of the archives to rule out what I can, but would love to hear some input from you all. Thanks in advanced.


Her car is a 200 sebring coupe with the 2.5 v6. and it will run fine when it wants to. It will die weather hot or cold, running or parked, night or day. It will die (no stalling sputtering, just like its key was turned off) and then it wont start for anywhere from 10 minutes to the next day. It will crank over fine and has a new battery. When it does start back up, it does so and runs like it did off the showroom.

Im led to believe its nothing mechanical because it will run great when it does, and not only is there no CEL, but there are no codes being thrown, verified by 2 readers.

When its cranking you can hear the fuel pump relay clicking, but i will have to verify this still with a MM.

I have tested for spart with the screwdriver in the plug wire close to a ground to look for arcing and there is none.

What lead of the ASD relay would I be looking to test for voltage?

Thanks for the help and let me know if im over looking anything.

-Bryan

Most problems with that engine wind up being related to the distributor, which you should have picked up on if you browsed around much on the forum here. The distributor contains the camshaft position sensor as well as the ignition coil. People have reported recurring problems with generic replacement distributors but seem to have fewer problems with OEM replacement parts which are, unfortunately, much more expensive.
Your post seems to indicate that there is no spark. That should generate a code. Not all code readers can find every code.
If you've got action at the fuel pump then the ASD relay is not the problem.

I'm just having a hard time isolating the problem because it will only exist for a few minutes at a time. And for it to start right back up afterwards like nothing was ever wrong makes me question if it could be a hard part like a coil or a cam/crank position sensor, and not a fluke electrical gremlin.

Fuel is working, so that means its not that or the asd relay. So if that's good then it can either be a ground issue with the sensor, a faulty coil, or a faulty cam position sensor. But wouldn't a bad cps trip the asd relay much like the crank sensor?

Thanks -Bryan

"then it can either be a ground issue with the sensor, a faulty coil, or a faulty cam position sensor."

I think you are narrowing in on that distributor.