Car died while driving and won’t start.

[drive]

Hey guys it’s been a while…

My parents were driving their 91 legacy sport sedan 4eat with 180kmiles and they said they were driving down a really bumpy road and the car died. When you try to start it you can hear everything turning over and it sounds like it wants to almost start. I removed the plastic hose that connects to the throttle and if you try to start it with the throttle open you’ll see a flame. Is that normal? I'm guessing that it at least getting gas and spark? Any ideas what I can try out?

[Legacy777]

No I don't think it should do that.

Have you checked for codes?

The timing belt may have jumped a tooth, or broke.

[drive]

I just checked for codes and i have

21 Water temperature sensor
22 Knock sensor
24 Air control valve
32 Oxygen sensor
42 Idle switch
13 cam angle sensor

I have a pic of what i think is the cam angle sensor but i'm not sure
www.sunnygulf.com/_other/cars/IMG00258.jpg <--near timing belt. www.sunnygulf.com/_other/cars/IMG00259.jpg <--under throttle body.

if this is it the cable it is really chewed up. How do i go about testing this sensor and or replacing it?

Thanks
John

[BSOD2600]

If their engine bay is anything like mine, the cluster of wires for the cam / crank sensors is really brittle. One day along some mountain gravel road, my cam (or was it crank?) sensor wire broke right inside the damn connector. I had to get all Macgyver to make it work. Anyways, w/o those sensors the car would turn over but not 'catch'. Ended up going to the junk yard, getting a length of new harness and soldering it onto mine.

You might consider checking all of those wire harnesses / connectors.

Also wouldn't hurt to clear the codes and see which ones come back.

[drive]

thanks guys. what's the best way to get the cam sensor out so i can repair the cable easily (if that is the problem)

[Legacy777]

You can take a pair of pliers and pinch the plastic connector that snaps into the metal clip to get the plug out, and then just remove the cam sensor.

If the wire is messed up, I'd recommend just replacing the cam sensor. It's actually not too much to buy a new one.