No spark to spark plugs

[domco]

Hi all, Great site. First I would like to thank all the people that take the time to keep this site running. I went for a ride in my spider and the car just stop running. I was lucky that I was close to home. When I did some testing my 1980 spider with carburator had no spark to the spark plugs. I cleaned all the wires around the coil. I checked under the distributor cap and the cap looked a little worn. I also removed and checked the magnetic pick up and reinstalled it with the correct gap. I then checked the spark from the coil to the distributor by grounding the coil wire that goes from the coil to the distributor to the engine with a gap and I have spark. I then pulled the number one spark plug wire from the spark plug and grounded it to the engine with a gap and had no spark. I purchased a new dist cap and rotor today and installed it, I now have spark to my spark plugs. Car turns over but won't start. I check the fuel and have fuel to the carburetor. I check the ground from the coil to the engine and it looks good. Not sure whats next. One thing I did by mistake was cleaned the die electric grease of the controls modular (I realized after reading some posts that I should not have). I will get some dielectric grease tomorrow and put it back on the control modular. Not sure whats next. Looking for some direction.

[bradartigue]

If you have spark and fuel and the engine ran before then...

- did you adjust or turn the distributor
- did you get the plugs wires back in the right place
- is the control module plugged in to the distributor pickup

[domco]

Thanks for the response. I never messed with the distributor enough to change the timing. The plug wires are correct. The control modular is plugged in. Today I decided to check the timing and after doing that the car started and ran great for about 5 minutes and stopped. Its got me puzzeled. The car turns over but won't start. I again checked the coil and I have spark. I again ckecked the spark to the spark plugs and I DO NOT HAVE SPARK. Can the new rotor be bad or can the new cap be bad? Im stumped. I really appreceiate your input. If you have any other suggestions please don't hesitate.

[AriK]

Main spark plug wire makes a bad connection? Check its terminals inside the rubber boots and ensure a clean crimp with no signs of burn marks.
Also if your magnetic pickup coil is of unknown age replace it. Sometimes it can fail because the wire can deteriorate under its vinyl sheathing.

[domco]

I checked under the boot of the main spark plug looks good. I also tried checking spark from the other spark plug wires and there is no spark there either. Correct me if Im wrong, if I have spark from the coil I think the magnetic pick up should be ok.

[AriK]

The magnetic pickup gets its power from the control modular which gets the power from the pink wire from your ignition switch when set to "on". If you're getting power to the coil and not to the plug wires it sounds to me like the magnetic pickup is telling you the buck stops here. You also mention the trouble is intermittent. Anything intermittent in your ignition system is either the control modular or the pickup, in your case the pickup but i usually change them as a set.

[domco]

I finally got the opportunity to replace the magnetic pick up and control modular. I gapped the magnetic pick up when I installed it. After installing both magnetic pick up and control modular I set the timing and tried to start the car, no luck. Now after doing that I do not have any spark from my coil to the distributor. When I install the control modular I took the wires off the coil. I may have put the wires back on incorrectly? Not sure.

[domco]

I rechecked the wires to the coil and I have the red wire from the ignition and the red wire from the control modular to the positive side of the coil. I have the brown wire with a white line in it and a black wire from the control modular connected to the negative side of the coil. they seem to be correct. With the ignition key on there is 12 volts to the postive side of the coil and 12 volts to the negative side of the coil. I did a test and there is still no spark from the coil wire that goes to the distributor. Can someone give me some direction?

[bradartigue]

I rechecked the wires to the coil and I have the red wire from the ignition and the red wire from the control modular to the positive side of the coil. I have the brown wire with a white line in it and a black wire from the control modular connected to the negative side of the coil. they seem to be correct. With the ignition key on there is 12 volts to the postive side of the coil and 12 volts to the negative side of the coil. I did a test and there is still no spark from the coil wire that goes to the distributor. Can someone give me some direction?

Shop manuals tell you how to test the coil; you need to test the resistance between the terminals and between the distributor terminal and the 12V terminal, from the control module, etc.

[domco]

I rechecked my steps in the installation of the control modular magnetic pick up and wiring on the coil. The wiring on the coil is correct. I regapped the magnetic pick up. I did a test by grounding the distributor wire that comes from the coil to the engine and there is spark. I then checked for spark to the spark plugs NO SPARK . I did replace the cap and rotor. Im still stumped.

[divace73]

I rechecked my steps in the installation of the control modular magnetic pick up and wiring on the coil. The wiring on the coil is correct. I regapped the magnetic pick up. I did a test by grounding the distributor wire that comes from the coil to the engine and there is spark. I then checked for spark to the spark plugs NO SPARK . I did replace the cap and rotor. Im still stumped.

ensure the carbon brush in the cap is making contact with the rotor button (kind of difficult to do, maybe put a piece of white paper in between to see if it marks the paper??)
Can you put back your old cap and or rotor?

[domco]

I changed the cap and rotor back to the old one that I had replaced, still no spark to the plugs. I noticed when I tested the coil again the spark did not look to be very strong. I then went and purchased a new ohm / volt meter cause the one I had didn't seem to work right. I disconnected all the wire that go to the coil. I tested the coil from the positive to negative post with my ohm meter and got 1.3 ohms. (from reading different post on this site they say I should have gotten around 1.8 ohms)I then tested the negative to the center were the distributor wire goes and got no reading. I also did the positive to the center were the distributor wire goes and still got no reading (from reading different post on this site they say I should have gotten around 700 800 ohms). I am going to order a coil. Does anyone have any suggestions about what coil I should buy? thanks again guys

[MarkKrieger]

Where in NJ do you live? I have some experience with auto electrical, I could help. I am in the center of the state, if you are not too far, I could come by and try to figure this out. Let me know where you are, I'll write privately then to arrange a visit if not too far a drive.

Mark

[domco]

Thanks Mark, Im in central NJ near Great Adventure. I purchased a coil and installed it this morning. I have spark now to the spark plugs. I set the car to TDC by taking the #1 spark plug out and putting a long screw driver in were my #1 spark plug came out. I rottated the engine manual until the screw drive was at its highest point. I then pulled the distributor out enough so I could point the rotor (Brass colored end) at the #4 spark plug. Put my #1 spark plug back connected the distributor wire. Tried to start my car but it only back fireing . I turned the distributor as far left as I could will someone started the car and it started but ran rough . I set the car at TDC and readjusted the distributor a few times but could not get the car to run right. I then set the car at TDC and pointed the rotor to the number one plug, it seems crazy but my car is running the best it ever did . I always had the distributor pointing at the #4 plug, whats up? Can someone explain whats going on. Im happy she's running. Took her for a spin and she's running great. Really whats up? Hope someone can explain. Thanks to this site and everyone that helped Dom!!!

[76was124]

When you had the crank at TDC, where were the overhead cam static timing marks pointing? Also, did you double check your plug wires from the distributor to be sure they are connected correctly to the correct cylinders?