# Starter? Fuel pump? What could be wrong with my poor car?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starter-fuel-pump-what-could-be-wrong-with-my-poor-car/389893>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 29, 2007, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starter-fuel-pump-what-could-be-wrong-with-my-poor-car/389893 "2007-01-29T00:03:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starter-fuel-pump-what-could-be-wrong-with-my-poor-car/389893/21 "2007-01-29T21:00:50Z")

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They’ve replaced the distributor cap (and something else - maybe plug wires??) - anyway it was a cheap and quick fix … yay!

Thanks **Tuckerfan** for a mechanical explanation that I actually understand! You should win a prize or somethin’ …

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starter-fuel-pump-what-could-be-wrong-with-my-poor-car/389893/22 "2007-01-29T21:13:01Z")

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[QUOTE=Tuckerfan]  
[Replacing the distributor cap] does need to be done by someone who knows how to adjust the timing properly..  
[/quote]

No it doesn’t.

> [@](#):
>
> …as the timing can be thrown off by a broken cap…

Well, if the cap is arcing internally it could send spark to an adjacent terminal at the wrong time, but that would be rectified with a new cap. Distributor cap failures do not affect the timing setting, nor does cap replacement. There is no need to even check, much less adjust, ignition timing relative to distributor cap issues.

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