mazda 626 please help!! Won't start!

Okay please be patient with me as this is my first time to ask a question. I know this is a book but there may be useful info in my rambling. I will give you as much info as possible. I have a 92 mazda 626, standard. The problem began about three years ago right after I bought the car. I drove the car from where I bought it (about an hour away from my house) back home. I stopped at the store to pick up a few things and then the car wouldn't start. After about a week of trying things I figured out that it was the module in the distributor. It was cheaper to buy the whole distributor so that is what I did. I replaced the distributor and that fixed the problem. After this ( for about a year and a half) no problems other that the headlights would come on by themselves sometimes and while driving down the road the clock and the radio would reset. No big deal. Car was cheap and don't really use either one too much. But then again about 4 months ago I drove to work and when I got off I couldn't get my car to start. Knowing that the distributor was new a year and a half ago I ruled it out and started looking for other problems. I changed the ignition coil, spark plugs (very bad corrosion), the spark plug wires, and cleaned the battery terminals, and nothing fixed the problem. The fellow that I was talking to at the auto parts store told me that he thought that it was the fuel pump. But just because I new that the distributor that I bought had a lifetime warranty then I traded that one in and changed it. That fixed the problem again.
Now the other day I was driving in town and my car started sputtering and jerking and all the dash lights came on including the check engine light and the car shut down. I pushed in on my clutch to shift out of gear and the car started up again. Figured it was the same effect as popping your clutch ( Just an assumption) anyway I was where I needed to be anyway and shut the car off. I was there about an hour and the car drove home ( about 17 minutes away) fine no problem. I left my car running as I was just there to drop my daughter off and head to work. I went back into town (another 20 minutes) and the car started sputtering and jerking no response to the gas pedel at first then it kicked in for a bit then cut out again. I pulled over to the side of the road and shut the car (Still sputtering and jerking) off. I sat there for about 5 seconds and tried to restart the car but no luck. I walked to work and told my brother what had happened. He went down and pulled my car to where we work and while he was messing with it I would try to start the car. Nothing seemed to work until he pulled the wire off the distibutor and put it back on. The car started just fine. I thought that maybe that was the problem, the wire had a bad connection. Wrong when I went to leave it died right after I started it. I got out and messed with the wire again and it worked again. I drove about 5 minutes and the car began to cut out and sputter and jerk and shut down, It was midnight and I didn't want to be stuck out there by myself. I popped the clutch and the car started ran fine for about 5 minutes then began to sputter, jerk, cut out, and die. It did this about 15 more times on the way home and I just kept popping the clutch. I figured that it wasn't good for the car but at this point I just wanted to make it home. The next day I drove the car into the auto parts store and the guy there told me that he didn't know how to do the diagnostics test on that year. After he looked at the car for a bit he said that it was the ignition coil because it had a weak spark. I told him that the last time I had trouble with my car there was no spark and it was the distributor. He instisted that it was the ignition coil and so I bought the coil. Guess what it wasn't the coil. I couldn't even get my car to start with the new one. I put the old one back on and drove back home. Problems the whole time but eventually made it home popping the clutch the whole way. I took the distributor out and replaced it again. The car started but idoled really rough. I ajusted the timing and the car seemed to be running fine. Happy but confused (this is the 3 distributor) I went into the house to get my purse so I could go for a drive and while inside the car began to rev really high and then back down rev really high and back down. I ran out side and the car then began to choke and sputter but never died. I figured that that had answered my question and I stut the car off. So the distrobutor wasn't the problem. Today I was going to take it into another autoshop and try to see if they could run the diagnostics test and couldn't get the thing to start. Nothing it working and now this is where you come in. Any ideas for my poor car? Besides putting a match to the dang thing. My dad, which is two states, and trying to diagnose the problem over the phone, said something about an idle sensor????
Things I have tried so far: the distributor, ignition coil, the wire between the ignition coil and the distributor, spark plugs cleaned, spark plug wires, timing belt is fine, battery is old but works, the router in the distibutor turns when cranking, there is puffs of air coming out of the tail pipe when cranking, weak spark from ignition coil, spark from plugs, fuel pump is working, may have forgot somethings but I don't think so. PLEASE HELP!!!

 

Welcome to the forum. Sorry it had to be under such a TERRIBLE condition. Never worked on a Mazda but from what you said, it sounds like an electrical problem more than anything mechanical. I would look at ALL my electrical connections to see if they are plugged in well. If the elect. plugs are dirty/oily, I would clean them good and apply some of that electrical lubricant(sorry don't know the name) to keep moisture and dirt out of the plugs. Also check any wires at or going to the dist. for breaks. Bend the wires that are suspect to see if they are stiff or soft. I have seen the wire inside the insulation break and the insulation remain intact. When this happens, the insulation will strech allowing the copper wire to become disconnected on connected poorly.(doesn't happen often, but it does happen). Since replacing the dist. seems to help, look at all the wires around it. Seems as if this is one of those "needle in a haystack" problems. Sorry I can't be of more help, but there are some GREAT mechanics on this site. One of them will surely have an answer.

 

ty for your suggestions mikeTN and taking the time to read. I have looked around the motor and the battery for problems as such but have found nothing.

 

Did you get it repaired? RE-read your post. Have an on board computer? Have it checked? Seems your car is getting mixed signals! Maybe a computer brain freeze?! Just a thought.

 

no mike didn't get it fixed. Just got a new car. I do still have the car though. I would still like to get it fixed. When weather permits. I was told that same thing though. Maybe the car just needs a new computer. Will let you know more when I can get back to working on it again. ty for your suggestion.