ok well my buddy has a 94 Mitsubishi Eclipse and was driving today and we pulled up to a light. Once it turned green we started to go again...and then the car just died. Had it towed back to his house and we tried just giving it a quick once over and then reading through the haynes manual for it but no luck. When trying to start it up it wont crank over at all...just starter noise repeatedly...I know this is wayyyyyyyyyyy off topic and not even about my car but does anyone have a clue at what the problem could be??
thanks in advance

 

i would bet the alternator is fried and killed the battery

 

alternator and battery are fine...it has plenty of juice...and did when it started up earlier and while driving it...but when we were driving the car just crapped out when taking off from a light and no it wasnt his driving lol...because it wouldnt start back up...battery has plenty of charge from alternator and itself..checked it with digital multimeter and had the electronics/lights on when starting car to see if it dimmed them at all and it didnt....so earlier i was thinking maybe the starter, but at the same time that wouldnt cause the car to die initially and it started perfect earlier...and now after reading some things online im heading towards the timing chain that may have broken bc that would cause the car to die and not start afterwards...i am very grateful for all responses tho!!

 

even if the chain breaks the car should still turn over

 

hmm very true...i only have a few guesses left because im not very familiar with japanese motors as it is...but another possible problem i thought it might be would be the fuel pump...haynes manual said to have someone turn the key in the ignition and another listen in the gas tank for a "whirring" noise to make sure the fuel pump was operating properly and we did that and didnt hear anything...o and by the way its a 94 Eclipse 1.8L SOHC ECI Multi-Port Engine w/ 5 spd manual tranny

 

more than likely the timing belt broke, you see its an "interference fit" engine, meaning the valves went through the pistons and the whole engine is done for. Real easy check, just pull the timing cover top half off but also be aware that lots of times just the cogs on the belt broke off and the belt may not have snapped, but the timing has jumped. Pull the valve cover off, if the belt did break you will find followers (rocker arms) and lifters all over the place! and if its not this, then check for spark, may be either the cam position sensor (its bolted on the passenger side of the head at the end of one of the camshafts) or the coil pack, or resistor pack. Also the ECU's, the capacitors leak the acid out all over the circuit board and short it out, it will be a black oily substance. lots of stuff to check so get to work!!
I quit working on these cars at my shop, the engines no matter what anyone says just were not ment to be rebuilt, you can build a 900hp big block for what your going to spend on one of these, and it will just explode again!