Thread: No spark on start-up???

Originally Posted by funkyfedaykin

My 85 Rangie has been having an intermittent starting problem, it's happened several times, but not for long enough for me to investigate fully what's going on.

Some times when i go to start it, the engine turns over fine, but i get no ignition. (The fuel pump is working fine, and there's no coughing that would indicate that it's not getting enough/too much petrol). So I've taken of spark leads, while turning it over, and i don't get zapped like i usually do when holding a live lead, so this, by my brilliant powers of observation, would lead me to believe it's a spark problem!

(I assume that cause my leads can zap me through the insulation that they need replacing, right?)

After a minute of checking connectors and turning over the engine, it jumps to life with no problems! It usually starts just before i'm about to pull out the multimeter, but It doesn't cut out while driving, so i would assume that it isn't a bad connection.

Would it have anything to do with a faulty coil? (i have no idea how old it is)

Also, what's the box under the coil? it looks important, but i don't know what it does...

The box under the coil is the ignition amplifier. Usually they die totally. If you lift your distributor cap you should see either a plastic see-through cover or an optic chopper type device (8 blades). The plastic cover comes off quite easily so long as you hold down the mechanism, put a screwdriver onto the rotating part before you reef off the rotor. The gap between the rotating part and the stationary coil pick up can be too big, reduce it to 5 thou or thereabouts. If you have the optic set-up find an early D1/classic distributor and replace yours ASAP.

G`day , how is your tag pronounced ?

The common would be the rotor button .

The not so common would be the tags that hold you ignition switch not holding the switch as well as they should . This way you get rotation but no fire and will run fine as well , the back tries to come off the switch and makes intermittent contact when the key is used but is fine other times . Sometimes when it`s getting worse you can push and wriggle the key in the switch and it will be noted that the idiots go on and off .

Though it shouldn`t alter unless there`s a wear problem in the dissy or its been apart , you could check the air gap in the dissy but i`d mention the book says to use a non metalic measurer and i`d suggest to make sure the ignition is turned off but if you do the feel thing with leads your probably a bit of a risk taker anyway .

Cheers
Peter

If the car has 2 wires leading to the positive of the coil, it may be that the 12 volt feed from the starter solonoid has dirty contacts or has slipped off. Older rangies have a normal wire so that 12 volts is supplied for start, and then a resistance wire from the ign switch so that 7 volts is supplied for running.
This means that the coil gets no voltage when the starter is cranking but gets 7 volts as soon as the switch leaves "start" and goes to "on".

Sometimes the engine is still turning so starts, and other times not.
Have a look down at the starter and you should see a small wire coming from the ign which activates the solonoid and another going behind the motor ( to the coil). Maybe pull it on and off a few times to ensure a good connection.

Regards Philip A

Hi,

Which connectors are you fiddling with? If it will fire up consistently after a bit of a fiddle then it's not really an intermittent problem and you're halfway to solving it. Most likely the 12V feed wire to coil in the starting circuit aka PhilipA.

If it is really an intermittent issue then it will be the starter switch coming apart aka PLR or possibly one of those stupid fragile barrel connectors associated with the ignition switch loom under the dash.

The resistor wire PhilipA refers to (on older models) is white with a purple tracer that can look pink. Has a silverish core and is fragile, so be careful fiddling with it, if fitted.

cheers, DL

I agree with PLR, I'd check the easy stuff first.
Get yourself a genuine L/R rotor arm (rotor button), the after market ones can cause all sorts of hard to trace misfiring issues.
THe L/R ones are more expensive, but worth every cent for trouble free operation.

I had some weird spark problems on my '89, turned out to be the coil on the way out.
As soon as the new coil went in, it ran perfectly again.
I would probably start with those two items if it were me.

Some guys would just replace rotor arm/leads/plugs to discount any issues in those areas before looking elsewhere to start with.
You could also get your coil tested at an auto elec to see if that is working ok.
Hope this helps, Cheers, Pete.

Did you get to the bottom of this? Having a similar issue