Non turbo , 5 speed manual transmission station wagon. Broke down on the way to show low from phoenix. Was unknowingly ran on low oil and coolant. Timing belt was just replaced, old belts stripped teeth and broke. New tensioners were also put in after one threw it's bearings out. New spark plugs, and a newer fuel pump as well. Fuel flows through the filter also. Error code 11, 12, and 13 are assumed to be fixed after timing belt replacement. ECU is now showing error code 31. Electrical is a tangled mess beneath the dash. Random connectors all over the place with no obvious mates. Unidentified battery drain as well.

Really need this car to run, small chance that the wrong timing marks were used which would be the obvious issue. Had a difficult time properly using diagnostic connectors to get the trouble codes so unsure what has been cleared or not.

Start with the basics.

code 11,12,13 indicate problem with crank angle sensor

Code 31 indicates throttle sensor problem

-How did it stop running?  Sudden power loss or did it do a sputtering hurt dance.  Any noise ? smoke ? vibration when it lost power ?

- Do you have spark at the plugs ?

-Do you have power at the coil ?

 

Sudden power loss at the peak of a steep hill. I could get it running but it would backfire or maybe misfire (I dunno what eother really sounds like) when starting, and halfway between letting off the clutch and pressing on the gas it would die again. Mechanic says there is spark at the plugs, but I have not tested it personally yet. No unusual noise, smoke, or shudder as far as I can recall, however the car died just under two weeks ago, and my memory isn't great. Was also having issues with the battery retaining power the day before it died, however both autozone and big O tires said the battery tested good. I'm assuming there is power at the coil based on what my mechanic said about having spark.

4 hours ago, mjarrman said:

I could get it running but it would backfire or maybe misfire

Check your timing belts for damage

check your throttle sensor

Timing belts were damaged, but have since been replaced. I will be sure to check the throttle sensor when I'm back in town.

Just want to be sure things a clear - The timing belts were replaced before the failure.  Have they been checked since the failure?
Running low on oil or coolant is bad for these engines.  Both at the same time is very bad.  If it ran above normal temperature while low on coolant, odds are very good you need new head gaskets.   Only question is how long before they fail to the point of the engine being unusable.

With the 2 diagnostic connectors disconnected, you can read current codes on the LED.  Fix those that could cause failure to run first.

 

Sorry for the confusion, the timing belts were replaced after the failure. It ran hot for a few minutes while low so all I can do about head gaskets is hope at this point. The only error code I am getting since the timing belt replacement is 31

If the belts were installed correctly, the distributor should not need to be adjusted for timing.  If they are off, it may not turn far enough to correct the error, and the valves would still be off.

 

There are lots of threads on how to set / check timing belts on EA82s.  I've typed it out a few times, it's a lot of typing.  When installing, you must use the 3 ||| lines mark, NOT the Degrees BTDC marks.  The 3 lines is almost 180 degrees away from the TDC timing marks.

When the middle of the 3 lines is at the arrow on the bell housing, one cam timing hole must be up, the other down.  Dead straight up /down.

When cranking it by hand to set the position, you should be able to feel compression for each of the 4 cylinders as you turn the crankshaft.  The peaks should be evenly spaced.

TPS - probably worth looking into that.  I haven't had a bad one yet, so I can't say for certain what the symptoms look like.

 

Thanks! I'll ask the mechanic what timing marks he was using tomorrow. And ask him to check out that sensor.