Could you please advise what would cause the magnetic pickup coil to keep going out on a 94 plmouth acclaim

1994 PLYMOUTH ACCLAIM
200,000 MILES
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TTANNERY
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Could you please tell me what would cause a magnetic pickup coil to keep going bad on a 1994 plymouth acclaim this is the third one replaced in 3 months
Sep 28, 2012 at 10:32 PM
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CARADIODOC
  • ASE Certified Mechanic
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While it is a high-failure item, if there's no underlying cause I would suggest using a name brand part. Also, some diagnostics are in order rather than just popping in a new part. As an example, you could have a corroded or stretched terminal in the connector that makes sufficient contact after you slide the plugs together, then develops a bad connection a few weeks later. All the new parts in the world won't solve that until you address the loose pins. Check for broken wires near the plug too. Tug gently on each one, . . . not to pull it apart but to see if the rubber insulation stretches. That's a sign the wire is broken under the insulation and is causing an intermittent connection.

The secret is to autopsy the defective part to see what failed so you can determine why it failed. Unfortunately with a sealed part like you have that isn't something we can do.
Sep 28, 2012 at 11:11 PM
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