Saturday, September 19, 2009 - 04:38 pm, by: Karl Martin(Karl)
Ok, I am reaching my wits end with my girlfriend’s old corolla. It is an AE82 series 1985 model, has been sitting for about 4 months without being started as she upgraded her car. I finally started her up the other day so we can sell the thing. It didn’t start willingly but with the addition of my Soarer’s epic battery and some ether spray in the intake we had success.
Until we took it for a drive, it drove happily about one hundred metres down the street when the engine suddenly refused to rev and gradually died. Pushed it back home and found out it was because it had stopped getting a spark to the plugs.
Here’s where my frustrations began, I ran a multimeter through the whole low tension system everything seems spot on 12v everywhere it should be, every plug and wire is working perfectly. I have cleaned all the contacts so that can’t be a problem. I had some spare bits and pieces lying around and picked up some new stuff so have since tried new ignition coil, spark module, rotor, and distributor cap, no change.
All I can find is that there is no spark getting to the distributor, but everything in the system seems fine I don’t know enough about older ignition systems to figure out why or what to do next so if anyone can give me any advice it would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers karl
Peter Nitschke Junk Filterer South Australia UZZ30 UZZ31
Saturday, September 19, 2009 - 11:55 pm, by: Miles Baker(Milesb)
Are you seeing the module breaking and shorting the ground side of the coil like it should be? Are you absolutely sure there is no spark whatsoever? How are you testing this? Is this a distributor with points and a module or reluctor and module? Show us a pic of it if not completely sure, under the cap with the rotor off. Close up and good resolution please
Sunday, September 20, 2009 - 07:18 am, by: Matthew Sharpe(Madmatt)
Yeah, I was going to say, 1985 its probably using points, so either 1) The points have closed up or corroded/pitted/spiked or 2) the condenser is shot, or 3) Both.
Get a photo as Miles suggests and we'll see if we can help
Miles Baker Goo Roo Vic 66 Mustang GT Convertible, 55 Chevy Bel Air, 69 Firebird 455, 69 Nova SS Clone
Sunday, September 20, 2009 - 01:07 pm, by: Miles Baker(Milesb)
Probably, but who knows what previous owners have put in. Somebody put a later model electronic dizzy in my Hilux. They are supposed to be bulletproof, but that thing broke down on me constantly. Never could figure out what was wrong with it. I suspect the module but it's over $200 to find out. Ended up swapping it for an original points unit and haven't had a problem since.
Karl Martin TryHard ACT 95 TT manual and a 91 TT auto
Sunday, September 20, 2009 - 04:56 pm, by: Karl Martin(Karl)
Ok answers to questions, firstly we jump started it she ran a beauty idled perfectly for a half hour before driving.
I hooked the multimeter up to the battery and the coil and saw current rising and falling when the car turned over if thats what you're refferring to? (please excuse my ignorance)
I'm pretty certain theres no spark, I'm testing by removing the spark leads and testing for a short against the block and same with the main lead going into the distributor while the car is turning over. Neither case showed any signs of life.
The ignition does not have points I can't get a photo currently as it's at her place but it's not the point style. Also it doesn't have a condenser so I doubt it would be that, (I thought it did found a capacitor that looked like that but later found out it's just a radio supressor).
Thanks for the responses guys
Peter Nitschke Junk Filterer South Australia UZZ30 UZZ31
Sunday, September 20, 2009 - 11:39 pm, by: Karl Martin(Karl)
Nah the battery is turning the engine over with ease since I charged it, also no spark with the car on jumper cables unfortunately. Whats getting me isn't fixing the problem it's finding the damn thing if I can find something wrong I can replace it but every component seems to be running healthily.
Miles Baker Goo Roo Vic 66 Mustang GT Convertible, 55 Chevy Bel Air, 69 Firebird 455, 69 Nova SS Clone
Monday, September 21, 2009 - 12:15 pm, by: Miles Baker(Milesb)
I prefer to check for spark by pulling a plug, plug it back into the lead, sit it so the threaded part touches a good ground, and turn the lights out in the garage. Shorting a lead to the block doesn't always work well at all.
You can run a test light across the primary side of the coil to make sure it is being switched properly by the module. It should flicker.
If you have no spark at the dangling plug, but your test light is flashing, you have dodgy leads or coil, or something is connected wrong. If your test light doesn't flash, something's probably wrong in the module or sensor/pickup area.
Karl Martin TryHard ACT 95 TT manual and a 91 TT auto
Monday, September 21, 2009 - 04:11 pm, by: Karl Martin(Karl)
Hey thanks for all the advice, she finally fired up today my girlfriend noticed a loose ground wire that doesn't seem connected to the ignition in any way and fixed it. The car now starts fine I don't understand why that did it....frankly I don't care anymore it's working and that will do
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