A long one, but let’s start out w/ my thanks to all out there for helping me learn about the care and feeding of our bricks. This little story pertains to my wife’s 92 240 wagon, 139K.

Replaced the CPS this weekend. Symptom was random to increasingly frequent stalling to no start (miracles do happen – it quit while the Mrs. was driving into the garage). Honestly the Bentley/Hanes weren’t much help – to follow their diagnostics requires more gauges/tools/expertise/time than what’s in my toolbox and 8pm on a week night. What I needed was a quick , down and dirty check list that can be done in less than an hour. Mine was:
1. checked codes (none 1-1-1), 2. checked & spun the fuses in the drivers side fuse box, 3. listened for the fuel pump when key is turned on, 4 . checked the fuel pump relay (swaped it out w/ a spare), 5. checked for spark w/ a spare plug, 6. looked for loose vacuum hoses. 7. Disconnected the AMM plug. 8. Checked the throttle body to see if it “clicked”. Finally inspected the CPS and saw the insulation was cracked. Fiddled w/ it and asked the Mrs to crank her up and it restarted. Said a big prayer of thanks and ordered a new one the next day. The old one had lasted 100K (replaced at 39 K).

Question 1: Did I miss anything other than pulling a plug to check for gas? My thoughts are what do you do for the first ½ hour before you say, ok, it’s late and this will have to wait for the weekend.

Question 2: Is there a better way to check for spark other than trying to hold a plug against the block while it’s shaking from the starter motor?

Notes: Some weeks before I had (thanks to BB) became aware of the breather box. So I pulled that (took me a week to clean the crud out), replace the o-ring. Was able to remove it from underneath the intake manifold. Removed and checked the EGR (mouth supplied vacuum). Cleaned the throttle body (very dirty), replaced the flame trap and hoses and vacuum hoses. Probably all that work near the CPS disturbed it and cracked the brittle insulation.

This past weekend, along w/ the CPS, I put on new Bougicord ignition wires, Bosch cap and rotor and switched from Bosch Platinum’s to NGK copper. Next weekend will be fuel filter, coolant and AT fluid. For the CPS, I used all my extensions w/ a swivel, plus a nut driver, w/ a piece of blue tape over the bolt, it held in the socket. All that fit down past the rear of the block. First the CPS went in place, guided w/ a screwdriver that I could fit in from under the exhaust manifold. Then about a ½ hour of whispering sweet nothings before I got the bolt started in the hole, and then not too tight.

Needless to say, w/ all the love and attention it’s been getting, she’s running like a swiss watch (the car). The Mrs. is happy too.