This is a cute one given to me by my co-worker.  Now, I could swear that
this model car should have an OBD-II, but he says he is only getting a
single digit error code out of it, and that code is 8.

As you can see, he has got the car to the point where it will start up
and briefly run for a second before dying.  My first guess was that the
ECU was shutting the engine down, but then the only thing that I can
think of that hasn't already been checked was the tampering he did with
the mysterious distriutor adjustment.... and I can't see how that would
do anything other than screw the timing up, which shouldn't cause this
sort of symptom.  Should it?

Anyway, with no further ado....

--cut here--
1989 Ford Probe
2.2 L 4 cylinder, non-turbo, manual transmission
fuel injected Mazda engine with a Mitsubishi
distributor

    About a month ago, the Probe started bucking/running
rough for a day or two.  Then, one evening it quit
completely and would not start again—it appeared to
not be firing at all.

    The first thing we checked was the spark, and there
appeared to be no spark.  Therefore, we did the
following after towing it home:

(1)    Put in new plugs (they needed replacing anyway)
(2)    Installed new ignition wires.
(3)    Installed new rotor button and cap
(4)    Replaced coil

All these changes apparently had no effect at all--the
engine would not fire at all.   And there was still no
spark.  We returned the new coil to the auto parts
store.

Next, we took out the ignition module from the
distributor and had it tested at the auto parts store.
The ignition module tested bad, so we bought a new
module and installed it.  The engine still showed no
signs of starting.  In working on the distributor we
loosened and then retightened the screw in the recess
in the end of the center shaft.  This screw appears to
be off center and maybe stripped.  What is the purpose
of this screw?  

Next we ordered a used computer over the internet.
When we swapped out the computers, the engine still
showed no sign of starting.  We put the old computer
back in the car—the used computer from the internet is
in the trunk.

Next, we replaced the coil again, and this time the
engine started and immediately died.  We tried holding
the Vane Air Flow (aka mass air flow sensor) door open
while we attempted to start the car, but this had no
effect—the engine still appeared to start and then
died immediately. Then, we went through the computer
modes checkout and got the check engine light to blink
8 times over and over.  This according to some
information we got over the internet indicated the
Vane Air Flow sensor was defective.  We bought a used
Vane Air Flow sensor from a junkyard and replaced the
original one.  Again, this had no effect—the engine
appeared to start and then immediately would die.  We
put the original Vane Air Flow sensor back in the
car—the used Vane Air Flow Sensor is in the trunk.  We
also tried unplugging the connector to the Vane Air
Flow Sensor, but this had no effect either.  We
inspected the hose going from the Vane Air Flow Sensor
to the throttle body and could see no leaks.  

We then took the pickup ignition coil out of the
distributor and measured its resistance at 500 ohms
while the Haynes manual said it should be 900-1200
ohms.  However, the replacement coil also measured 500
ohms so we didn’t buy it and put the original coil
back in the distributor.  

Even though we could smell gas when the engine tried
to start, we checked the fuel pump by listening at the
filler opening.  We couldn’t hear anything when the
ignition switch was turned on.  The emergency fuel
cutoff switch in the trunk does not appear to have
been tripped.

We then had the car towed to a garage.  They put a
gage on the fuel line after the filter and it read 35
psi.  They next checked the pressure on the other side
of the filter and it read 35 psi also.  They said the
pressure should be much higher (I believe 65 psi).
Therefore, they replaced the fuel pump, but the car
still wouldn’t start.  They put the old fuel pump back
in and refused to work on the car anymore.  They
mentioned that they could not hear the fuel pump
either and that it should run for a few seconds
whenever the ignition switch is turned on.  
   

--end of include-

Once again, we have a bunch of degreed engineers sitting around trying
to figure out why a car won't start.  Any suggestions on this one?