I can't get any spark out of the distributor, I have tried to get a replacement distributor but both of the ones I have received were the wrong ones. The housing is the same, however on the possible bad one - there are 2 hot wires 12V going into the distributor and 6 wires going into an adapter coming out of the distributor. On the ones I have purchased that were not correct - 4 input 4 output each in it's own harness.

The real questions is how can I determine with out having to spend several hundred dollars on a distributor (if I can find the right one) if the problem that I am not getting spark is caused by the distributor, timing (will it fire at all if out of time, I thought it would but heard it will not), or if the problem is the computer. I can upload pics of the correct distributor or incorrect one if anyone needs to see the difference between them. Thanks

Dave

 

check the battery cable running from the battery to the distributer, could be grounding out somewhere........ see if you can get some codes pulled..........

 

Thanks for the tip, but I am getting 12v on the wires clear inside the distributor housing.

 

Can you tell us the part number of the original distributor from you car? I'm not positively sure but i believe the one you have is set up for a waste spark system.

 

I will check when I get home and post it. What exactly is a waste spark system?

 

The part number is T6T57371 and there are two other numbers on the distrubutor below the part number. 2826 and U2

I did some reading on a waste spark system and I don't think that is what this is but I could be wrong.

 

Your distributer has the ignition coil and the ignition power transistor (that excites the coil ) and also the crankshaft and camshaft positions sensors contained in it.

This whole distributer electronics assembly works with (and is directly connected to) the ECM.

Did you say you are not getting a spark ?

You should easily be able to pop off a spark plug boot and hold it next to the engine block and draw a full 1/2 in. of spark ((don't get shocked []) while cranking.

No spark could be an open coil, bad (shorted or open) power transistor, or the timing is just plain off. Probably the ECM is ok. These internal working parts of the distributer maybe can be accessed for bench testing with a multimeter.

Hows your timing ?

Try removing the #1 spark plug. Shine a flash light down the hole a turn the engine till you see the piston head come up to top dead center. Now look at your distributer rotor. Is it pointing to #1 point ?

DT

 

I had the distributor out and apart however there were no signs of mechanical wear and everything looked ok. I put the distibutor back in and double and triple checked the timing and I know it is correct. I used a voltmeter to check to make sure that there was juice getting to the distributor but still nothing coming out. I don't know how to check the distributor parts using a multimeter and I don't know how to test the coil. Should I purchase a replacement distributor or test the ECM before I go any further? If I should test the ECM can anyone provide instructions? Any input is greatly appreciated.

 

If you don't have a cheap multimeter, then get one.
(About $ 15.00)

Do you see the 2 pin plug on the side of the distrubtor ?

Set the Multimeter to Ohms then click the **** to the X1 scale and then measure across these two pins.

This is your coil primary and should read about less than 2 ohms. (spec here is .9 to 1.2 ohms, I tested mine and it read 1.5). If you get no reading i.e. no meter deflection then your primary is open.

Next you need to check the secondary (hi-voltage) part of the coil.
Set your Ohm meter to the 1K scale or else the 10K scale (because you're looking for about 20+kilo-ohms), then connect one of the leads back onto either pin 1 or pin 2 of your 2pin plug. (It doesn't matter which pin you connect to as there is only less than 2 ohm difference between the two.)
--then take the other meter lead and connect it to where the rotor gets its juice and you should read about 20-27K ohms of resistance between these two points.

(Do you see where the distributor cap touches the top of the rotor and this connection can be followed along the top of the distributer cap to the long plug that dips into the distributer bottom assembly. Right ? Thats your hi-voltage secondary connection , so jam your meter probe down into this hole to make the connection to where the rotor gets its juice.)

Does this make sense ?

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Transistor check:

The internal transistor can also be accessed and easily checked.

Do you see the long 6 pin connector on the side of the distributor ?

Pins 6 and 5 contain two of the (three) transistor connections, and then pin 2 of your 2pin plug is also the third transistor connection.

This is an NPN power transistor with the following:

Pin 6 of 6pin connector = Base

Pin 5 of 6pin connector = Emitter

Pin 2 of 2 pin connector = Collector

Thats about it. Any TV repairman or electronics tech. that can check a transistor can help you tell if your transistor is good (this is what turns the coil on and off at the firing rate) with these pin-out descriptions. Now as far as the 6 pin plug is concerned you gotta figure out which one is pin 1 and which is pin 6 .

DT

 

These spec.'s came off a '93 / 1.8L

I hope that your '91 is the same ?

DT