Ignition coil- no spark [FIXED]

[myfinalcoffinx]

This is three times now this week. The first time, I thought I fixed it by replacing the coil, but as it turns out, it wasn't the coil because this the third one I've tried. Here's the story:

 

It's an 82 GL and I'm certain that the fuel carb. are alright. I turn the key and the engine turns over into infinity with no spark coming from the coil. I've tried three different coils, and sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't.

 

Like I said, first time: replaced the coil, and it worked for two days. Today, I didn't have a new coil, so I pulled out the coil wire and fiddled with it, put it back in, and I got a spark, and then it fired right up. Third time (second time today), it died on the side of SR 167 and I spent four hours fiddling around with it. I called my girlfriend to get me new wires and ANOTHER new coil, and that didn't do it, so I put the very original coil back in and it finally went. It got me about a mile down the road where it died again and I towed it home.

 

I'm certain now that It isn't the coil, but I'm curious as to what else I should look at. Where are the wires that go to the coil come from, and which ones would be most suspect for damage.

 

Any ideas?

[archemitis]

ok, heres the deal. the coil is an electrical device, that needs positive 12 volts, and a ground to throw spark.

there is a wire that gives power to the positive post on the coil. it gets power when the ignition switch is turned on.

first check for 12 volts there.

if its there when the car isnt starting, then the coil isnt getting grounded.

the distributor grounds the coil at the right time, so if it isnt getting ground, it wont fire.

 

this has happened to me twice.

i swapped the distributor out on the side of the highway, and it fixed my ea81 for 2 months now.

[myfinalcoffinx]

This is the case, even though it works sometimes and doesn't work other times?

 

That aside, this is excellent- how do I go about changing the distributor? What is the price range? What do I specifically ask for at the auto parts store?

 

 

Thanks!

ok, heres the deal. the coil is an electrical device, that needs positive 12 volts, and a ground to throw spark.

there is a wire that gives power to the positive post on the coil. it gets power when the ignition switch is turned on.

first check for 12 volts there.

if its there when the car isnt starting, then the coil isnt getting grounded.

the distributor grounds the coil at the right time, so if it isnt getting ground, it wont fire.

 

this has happened to me twice.

i swapped the distributor out on the side of the highway, and it fixed my ea81 for 2 months now.

[idosubaru]

get a used one or visit ccr's homepage, they have a link to a place in colorado that rebuilds distributors for decent prices. if you plan to keep it awhile then a rebuilt distributor isn't a bad deal if you're planning for high mileage.

[myfinalcoffinx]

Now that I think about it, I have a parts subie in the yard that has one on it that I know is good. How would I go about getting it out of the old and into the new? I read the chilton's manual, but I'm still really confused about it.

 

Any tips would be great!

 

get a used one or visit ccr's homepage, they have a link to a place in colorado that rebuilds distributors for decent prices. if you plan to keep it awhile then a rebuilt distributor isn't a bad deal if you're planning for high mileage.

[jeffast]

on the xt-6 you pull the three bolts around the edges and it comes out easily(not)if you fiddle with for a while it should slide out. have a timing light handy when you put it in as you will need to set your timing for the "new" distributer to work

[myfinalcoffinx]

I know this is a lot of questions, but what is a timing light, and how does it work? Would it work if i simply matched the location of the rotor from the new car/old dist. with the rotor location on the new distributor and matched the degree of the distributor exactly as it came out of the last car?

 

Anyway, mostly what is the light and how does it work?

 

Thanks!

on the xt-6 you pull the three bolts around the edges and it comes out easily(not)if you fiddle with for a while it should slide out. have a timing light handy when you put it in as you will need to set your timing for the "new" distributer to work

[hooziewhatsit]

I know this is a lot of questions, but what is a timing light, and how does it work? Would it work if i simply matched the location of the rotor from the new car/old dist. with the rotor location on the new distributor and matched the degree of the distributor exactly as it came out of the last car?

 

Anyway, mostly what is the light and how does it work?

 

Thanks!

 

A timing light usually clamps over your #1 spark plug wire and makes a light flash each time that cylinder fires. You point the light at the flywheel and it will illuminate the flywheel at the timing marks, and show you where the engine is currently firing at.

You then rotate the disty to get it to the correct timing Before Top Dead Center (BTDC). I think it should be 8* BTDC on a carbed EA81? (someone please verify that:) )

 

You can get close to the correct timing by making sure the rotor location is the same when you put the new distributor in, but the only real way to make sure it's done right is to use the timing light.

[Ross]

Hang on, do the US '82s have points or a magnetic pick up? That would be where i'd be looking.

[Cougar]

Before you start replacing parts I would check to see if you are getting a pulse from the disty pickup loop. Place a test probe light on the minus side of the coil and see if the light pulses while cranking the engine. If the light is on steady with no pulsing then the pickup needs to be changed out. If there is no light on at all then you need to check for power getting to the coil on the plus side of it.

 

Your car may also have the transistor under the disty area. Check the connections to that also if you have light pulses but no spark.

[myfinalcoffinx]

Minus side of the coil and what?

 

What would the transistor look like and where should it be?

 

Before you start replacing parts I would check to see if you are getting a pulse from the disty pickup loop. Place a test probe light on the minus side of the coil and see if the light pulses while cranking the engine. If the light is on steady with no pulsing then the pickup needs to be changed out. If there is no light on at all then you need to check for power getting to the coil on the plus side of it.

 

Your car may also have the transistor under the disty area. Check the connections to that also if you have light pulses but no spark.

[Cougar]

The minus side and ground. Almost all voltage measurements are referenced to ground.

 

I think the transistor, or ignitor as it is refered to, is under the distributor. If it isn't, then try to follow the leads out of the the distributor. They should lead you to it.

[myfinalcoffinx]

now here's another twist...

 

i just tried today after not working on it overnight. nothing has changed since last time, but it just fired right up with no work whatsoever. i don't want to get stranded again, so i'm curious, what could that be?

[Cougar]

You need to check the ignitor as I suggested.

[myfinalcoffinx]

I followed the wires from the distributor, and they lead directly into the starter, one on the +, the other on the -. I don't think mine has the ignitor, and like I said, sometimes it goes, and sometimes it doesn't...

 

You need to check the ignitor as I suggested.

[Ross]

eh? that sounds strange.....

 

the pickup/ignitor can give you the exact symptoms you describe.

[myfinalcoffinx]

Will someone please take a photo of this alleged pickup/ignitor and post it up here. I don't think it's there, but I'd like to know for sure whether that is the problem or not. At very least, a description would be great!

 

Thanks

eh? that sounds strange.....

 

the pickup/ignitor can give you the exact symptoms you describe.

[Cougar]

The pickup loop in the disty can be intermittent also.

[myfinalcoffinx]

Alright, I need some clarification. The distributor performs two functions one: spins the rotor which transfers spark to the plugs, and two: grounds out the ignition coil which sends spark to the rotor and then the plugs.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong about that-- I'm kinda new at this.

 

Also, I looked and looked, but I couldn't find any transistor between the coil and the distributor, is it possible that there isn't one?

[Cougar]

The pickup loop doesn't directly make a ground to the coil. It usually is tied to the ECU or the ignitor and makes a signal for one of them to make the ground connection to the coil. You may have a ignition that uses the ECU for that process.

 

As I think I stated before you need to place a test light probe on the minus side of the coil with the other side of the light clipped to ground and see if there are firing pulses getting to the coil as you crank the engine. If you have a steady light then the pickup loop is most likely defective.

 

Alright, I need some clarification. The distributor performs two functions one: spins the rotor which transfers spark to the plugs, and two: grounds out the ignition coil which sends spark to the rotor and then the plugs.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong about that-- I'm kinda new at this.

 

Also, I looked and looked, but I couldn't find any transistor between the coil and the distributor, is it possible that there isn't one?

[myfinalcoffinx]

I'll try that this afternoon!

 

Thanks!

 

The pickup loop doesn't directly make a ground to the coil. It usually is tied to the ECU or the ignitor and makes a signal for one of them to make the ground connection to the coil. You may have a ignition that uses the ECU for that process.

 

As I think I stated before you need to place a test light probe on the minus side of the coil with the other side of the light clipped to ground and see if there are firing pulses getting to the coil as you crank the engine. If you have a steady light then the pickup loop is most likely defective.

[myfinalcoffinx]

as it turns out, i wasn't getting a pulsating light when i tried this... however i did notice that the wire connections were corroded and breaking, so i replaced them-- fired right up. is this likely to be the problem, or is it just going intermittantly again?

[Cougar]

I think you found the problem. Some driving down the road will tell the story.

[myfinalcoffinx]

I thought so too, until just a few minutes ago at the movie theater. No start. I jumped it from the negative side of the battery to the negative side of the coil and when my girlfriend turned the key, it arched and fired up. I'm not sure what that means, but it comes and goes. I've also noticed that it tends to happen when it is cold outside. Does that have anything to do with it? Perhaps something is contracting and not making contact like it should?

 

I think you found the problem. Some driving down the road will tell the story.

[archemitis]

not sure what everyone else is talking about, but my disty has two wires goin to the coil, and thats it, other than a couple other wires from the car(power, and tach wire) no ignighter thingy.

you got it right on how the disty works.

 

when you jumped the negative of the coil. you made the coil spark wide open, sparking all the time.

 

i will bet money its your distributor. i never use timing lights on subarus, just stick it in the middle of the adjustment, then turn it clockwise half way to the end of the adjustment.

 

take pics of where the rotor is pointing before you pull it out, so you arent a tooth off when you replace it.