'nother ignition problem

[kevdude]

Hey all,

Been reading the threads about no spark, etc. Same thing here. 94 Corolla, 1.8L, 142,000 miles. Died while going down the highway, thought the timing belt had broke. Ended up changing it, wasn't broke but in serious need of replacement. Everything lined up TDC, put it all back together, wouldn't start. Pulled distributor, checked fuses, fuel, etc. Couldn't find a shop to test the igniter, sunk another $200 in a replacement distributor. Still won't start. No spark, nothing. Any ideas besides taking it to the dealer?

[1jzdreamer]

fuses all good? Any engine codes?

[kevdude]

Pulled the main engine fuse, swapped with a known good one, checked all the other fuses. No CEL's, cranks fine, just no spark anywhere.

[Nusdogg]

Make sure all the engine grounds are corrosion free and not loose.

Otherwise, check to see if you're having spark coming into the distributor. If not, your problem is on the primary circuit.

[kevdude]

Found a nice troubleshooting tree on AutoZone's website. Will let you know when I find something.

[Nusdogg]

Let us know what you find.

[gomes512]

Had the exact same problem with my friends '92 celica. Died on the highway when I borrowed it for a trip. Fuel, air but no spark.

Did everything you had done, I just happened to accidently find a shorted wire in one of the harnesses. When I taped it off it fired right up.

May be another thing to add to your checklist.

[kevdude]

Up and running! After days of frustration and tearing apart the interior looking for the ECM and circuit opening relay, it wound up being the AM2 30 amp fusible link. But, the old distributor was causing the fuse to blow, because I put the old distributor back in, thinking it was still good. As soon as I cranked it, the fuse blew. So, new(reman) distributor - $188 at AutoZone, $3.79 fuse, and a lot of checking wires. Thanks to all for the help!

[matts8008]

Originally Posted by Nusdogg

Make sure all the engine grounds are corrosion free and not loose.

Otherwise, check to see if you're having spark coming into the distributor. If not, your problem is on the primary circuit.

I'm having the same problem as these guys - is there a guide somewhere explaining how to check for spark coming into the distributor? I have no spark at the plugs on my 1997 1.6L.

[kevdude]

Either the manual or the repair guide from AutoZone's website will point you in the right direction. With the key on you're checking for battery voltage at the coil connectors.

[matts8008]

Originally Posted by kevdude

Either the manual or the repair guide from AutoZone's website will point you in the right direction. With the key on you're checking for battery voltage at the coil connectors.

Confirmed 12v at the connection coming into the distributor, and followed directions on autozone.com for testing the coil...and here's where things get weird.

This is a 1997 Geo Prizm 1.6L. Testing the primary resistance on the coil, my multimeter read 1.1 ohms, and since the repair guide says the correct range is 0.36 - 0.55, I assumed I had a bad coil. I went to the auto parts store to get a new one, and while I was waiting I tested the resistance on the new coil, and it read nearly the same - 1.2 ohms. So I assumed I had the wrong data and did not buy a new coil...but just confirmed the range was correct for my 1997 4A-FE

Is it possible the data on autozone.com is incorrect? I'm don't want to drop $50 on a new coil if its really not bad. The secondary resistance is reading 12.19 kilohms, right in the middle of the correct range.

Any help would be appreciated!

[speedy25]

It IS possible for the AZ data to be wrong, but its also possible for your meter to not accurately measure small Ohmage. 99% of the time a coil that doesnt have opens or shorts is still good, so the .55 to 1.1 isnt a problem.

Keep at it. Aged electrics can be a bugger since they start to become flaky after 10 years.

-SP

[kevdude]

I agree with Speedy. The info from AutoZone is the same as it is in the manual, just less detail.

If you have voltage in, but not out, then the igniter may be the problem. It may have been the cause of the short blowing the fuse in my case. A reman distributor was cheaper than replacing the igniter, though.