Lude wont start.

[rod_a88]

yeah my car will not start. it turns over, i have power, i have gas, and i have spark. but i don't know why it wont start. it was working fine until i put it in drive and the rpm suddenly dropped. so i put it in park then it started running fine. so i turned it off and looked under the hood everything looked good. then i tried to start it again but it wont so if some one could help me tha would be great.

[spiffyguido]

Tricky. There are many things that could cause this type of behavior.

Firstly, does your car sputter at all when you are turning it over or does it simply refuse to do anything other than just spin with the starter?

If you car won't fire at all, double check to make sure you actually have spark & gas. Let your car sit for a while, and then turn the key to the 'on' position as you hold your head out the door. You should be able to hear the fuel pump engage for a few seconds to charge the fuel lines. If you don't hear anything, let us know.

If you car is firing up but then quits as soon as you relax the key away from the 'start' position, then you may have an ignition switch problem. I had this happen to my 2nd gen before. Car would turn over, but then as soon as the starter shut off it would fall flat on its face and quit. If you think this might be a possibility, let us know and we'll help further.

From your description, this really sounds like an electrical problem of some sort. Main relay perhaps. Please write back with more information and we'll help.

[rod_a88]

I found out what the problem was. it was the distributer. the cap and rotor were worn down. so i changed that but now my car when it comes a sthrottle body.top th idle drops to bout 6k or 5.5k. i think its my idle air control but im not sure it also might be throttle body. the butter fly might be dirty so im going to check that tomorrow. thank for the advice though.

[spiffyguido]

Does your idle bounce up and down? If so, it's definitely your IAC valve. Otherwise, check your vacuum lines for leaks and check the idle screw.

[rod_a88]

It mostly bounces when i first start the car and throw it into reverse thats when it first bounces a lot. other then that it trembles a little but not to much.

[spiffyguido]

Probably your IAC valve. Is you ECU throwing code 14?

[rod_a88]

I dont know how can i tell.

[spiffyguido]

Lift up the carpet flap in your passenger foot well. You'll see the ECU underneath.

If your ECU is throwing a code, it will flash a light.

Count the flashes. A long flash is worth 10 and a short flash is worth 1.

[rod_a88]

Yeah i checked and its not flashing at all. it flashes once when i start the car but im guessing thats normal. other then that nothing. The idle drops to about 375 from about 700 when i change from park to reverse. other then that it runs fine. and it only happens in reverse.