No spark - 94 Camry w/4 cyl

[ehauptma]

I purchased a dead 94 M/T Camry (Federal) last week that has no spark when I hold the spark plug attached to any of the 4 spark plug wires next to ground. I have done the following tests:

1. Yes, distributor turns, so timing belt is not broken;
2. Checked resistance of primary coil: .60 ohm (range .38-.55)..OK
3. Checked resistance of secondary coil: 4.5K ohm (range 9-14K)...LOW!!!
4. Checked resistance of pickup coil G+ & G: 214 ohm (range 185-2750)...OK
5. Checked resistance of picked coil NE+ & NE: 430 ohm (range 370- 5500)...OK
6. Checked that I have 12V on coil +...OK

This Camry has the coil and crank position sensor built into the distributor. Any thoughts on what else I can check? Is it possible that the the coil being out of range would produce no spark at all? Thanks for any further ideas. Hate to just swamp parts.

Also, I have no check engine codes (I jumpered the connector by the strut tower and the check engine light just flashes quickly, indicating no codes).

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Mike Gerber]

Remove the coil from the distributor and inspect it for cracks.

Mike

[hill8570]

Sounds like you've got an internal short on the secondary side of the coil, but I'd think you'd at least see some sort of spark. Nasty yellow, but something. Apply +12V to one side of the primary side of coil, intermittently ground and unground the other side of the primary. Do you have spark then?

[Stillrunning]

Originally Posted by Mike Gerber

Remove the coil from the distributor and inspect it for cracks.

^ +1

From a variety of no spark complaints I've seen these coils tend to be the culprit. This may be a good place for swapping a part. I would also check the continuity of the rotor and distributor contacts before replacing the coil.

[ehauptma]

OK, I pulled out the coil and I see no visible cracks. I'll post pictures of both sides of the coil as soon as I get my camera working. There is a strange pattern on the front of the coil that looks like a waterfall going from the top of the coil directly down to the high-tension terminal, though this more like a surface phenomenon and certainly not any sort of a crack.

Hill8570: Thanks for your idea, but I don't see how I can accomplish your suggestion, as this is an internal coil and I would need to put the distributor cab back on on to test this out, hence I would have no way to ground any side of the primary, unless I am missing something here.

Eric

[hill8570]

Originally Posted by ehauptma

Hill8570: Thanks for your idea, but I don't see how I can accomplish your suggestion, as this is an internal coil and I would need to put the distributor cab back on on to test this out, hence I would have no way to ground any side of the primary, unless I am missing something here

Basically, you're trying to act like the ignitor. Looking at the signal connector going into the dizzy (six pins), the terminal fed by the white-with-red-stripes wire should be @ 12V (the common for both the secondary and primary) and the terminal fed by the black-with-red-stripe wires is the signal from the ignitor, which goes to one end of the primary -- that's what you want to ground / no ground. Just make sure you have the rotor touching the output to the plug you want to observer when you put the cap back on.

[ehauptma]

OK, I pulled the 2 prong connector off the back of the distributor and found the wires you described (I assume the 4 prong connector in the front of the distributor just stays attached). With the key "on" I have 12V+ on the white-with-red-stripe wire. I have also verified that #1 cylinder is at TDC, put the distributor cap back in place, and attached a spark plug to the #1 spark plug wire.

Now how to proceed. With the 2 prong connector disconnected from the distributor, should I simply extend a jumper from the black-with-red-stripe wire and touch it to ground on the battery and expect to see spark on the #1 spark plug or do I need to apply the 12V to the distributor white-with-red-stripes wire and then apply a ground to the distributor black-with-red-stripe wire (I assume it is the 2nd option, where I apply power and ground to the distributor itself).

Thanks for you continued help.

Eric

[hill8570]

Originally Posted by ehauptma

OK, I pulled the 2 prong connector off the back of the distributor and found the wires you described (I assume the 4 prong connector in the front of the distributor just stays attached). With the key "on" I have 12V+ on the white-with-red-stripe wire. I have also verified that #1 cylinder is at TDC, put the distributor cap back in place, and attached a spark plug to the #1 spark plug wire.

Now how to proceed. With the 2 prong connector disconnected from the distributor, should I simply extend a jumper from the black-with-red-stripe wire and touch it to ground on the battery and expect to see spark on the #1 spark plug or do I need to apply the 12V to the distributor white-with-red-stripes wire and then apply a ground to the distributor black-with-red-stripe wire (I assume it is the 2nd option, where I apply power and ground to the distributor itself).

Thanks for you continued help.

Eric

Well, you want to keep 12V on the W-R wire however you do it (key "on" is probably the easiest). Then run a jumper from a convenient ground (battery ground / frame ground / engine block), touch it to the B-R (black-with-red-stripes) connection on the dizzy connector and then "untouch" it. At the point you "untouch", you should see a spark. What's going on there is that when B-R grounded, you've got current through the coil primary; when you remove that ground, the current stops, you get a magnetic surge from primary to secondary, and you should get a spark.

Take a look at www.camrystuff.com , Generation 3, "1994 Camry Wiring Schematics", page 73 if you want to see the diagram.

[ehauptma]

OK, I understand the procedure now. I'll test it out tomorrow and post results...stay tuned.

Eric

[ehauptma]

Just wanted to let everyone know that it was the ignition coil causing my no spark condition, which I was able to pick up new from ebay for $30. Thanks for all your help!

Eric

[hill8570]

Originally Posted by ehauptma

Just wanted to let everyone know that it was the ignition coil causing my no spark condition, which I was able to pick up new from ebay for $30. Thanks for all your help!

Eric