HELP!! Not getting spark

E-DuB · Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 11:45 am Post subject: HELP!! Not getting spark

I hope you guys can help me.
I have a 1915 motor that has just been tuned up at VW Paradise, but it was out of the car when it was done. I just got done rewiring the entire car ( 57 oval) and I am 99% sure that all of my wiring is right. It has electronic ignition and a new flamethrower coil, all new spark plug wires, plugs and so on. The car turns over but I am not getting any spark from the coil. My question is :
There are two wires coming from the distributor/electronic ign. a red and a black. I assume they go to the coil on the pos and neg. There is also a black wire coming from the ignition switch and I have tried it on both the positive and negitive side of the coil
AM I missing anything to provide spark?

Thanks for the help

gerg · Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 11:55 am Post subject:

Black wire from car should be switched 12V+; check it with a volt meter to be sure. Should have voltage when key is ON. . . .and should go to the + side of coil. I wonder if you may have damaged the electronic module by hooking this lead up backwards (to the negative side of coil).
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Gerg

. . . I got 99 problems and my bus ain't one . . .

'65 Sunroof Beetle
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Spezialist · Banned Joined: July 01, 2005 Posts: 1941

You can touch the neg. side of coil to grnd to check for spark with your ig. mod. disconected.
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Popcorn

nc68bugman · Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 1:09 pm Post subject:

Maybe to late. If wired backwards, i.e. ign wire to neg. on coil, and black wire to electronic module, it'll burn out instantly! I found out the hardway myself! Only choice is new one. Scott

nsracing · Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 1:23 pm Post subject:

E-DuB · Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 4:00 pm Post subject:

The Electronic ign has a red wire and a black wire coming from it. I hate to assume anything at this point but i figure the red goes to the + and the black goes to the -. Hopefully I did not fry anything, because I hooked the ign black wire to the negitive at first, but only thurned the car over a few times with it like this. I am off the the auto parts store for a test light, Im keeping my fingers crossed!!!

Thanks for your input!!

bugninva · Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:06 pm Post subject:

nsracing · Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:20 pm Post subject:

Let us see... if you unhook the module you just have the coil. Power up the coil and ground the NEG side. There is NO load ...so the thing will just arc. IT is literally a 12Volt wire (primary winding) touching ground. If we are testing the primary winding, fine. But it should be the secondary we are diagnosing.

If you already established that you have power to the primary winding, then just check the secondary winding (HT wire) and see if you can get it to fire.

E-DuB · Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:24 pm Post subject:

Ok here is the deal!!!

I am getting 12.4 volts to the positive side of the coil and 12.4 volts at the end of the coil wire(where it plugs into the top of the Dist Cap. But when i hold it by a part of the engine to see if there is spark , there is not any spark, but the current is 12.4 volts. I connect it to the dist cap and check the volts inside the cap and it also reads 12.4 volts. Once again I do not want to assume anything but the coil is recieving 12 volts and is putting out 12 volts to the distributor but the current ends there, it has a new rotor so that is also probably out of the question. There is no current getting to the plugs and no spark. It looks as though it is probably the electronic ignition !!!!!

If I try to have the coil wire arc when I pull it off, should it spark or will it just have the volts going through it?

My other question is the red and black wire coming off the electronic ignition. does the red go to + and the black go to -????

Any other ideas?

bugninva · Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:25 pm Post subject:

bugninva · Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:27 pm Post subject:

E-DuB · Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:28 pm Post subject:

what do you mean when you say the primary winding and secondary winding.

Also if I un hook the module and ground the neg side of the coil, am i checking to see if there is an arc coing from the end of the coil wire?

bugninva · Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:32 pm Post subject:

E-DuB · Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:47 pm Post subject:

hey guys thanks for all of the help. It looks like the elec ign module is doen. I dont have any points now so I will check later after i get back from the auto parts store.

last stupid question:
Does the coil have to be grounded? I have it attached to my firewall but it is over 6 coats of paint so I am wondering if the coil is not grounded, that it may be the problem. and if the black wire coming from the elec ign module is going to the coil to be grounded and maybe it is not because the coil is not grounded.

bugninva · Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:49 pm Post subject:

E-DuB · Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:54 pm Post subject:

I also just tried the negative ground to check for spark and yes I get spark from the coil.

Is there any way to check the elec ign module now that I have it out of the distributor?

Looks like I am just going to go buy a new one tomorrow.

Once again thanks for all the help.

bugninva · Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:57 pm Post subject:

i don't know of anyway to check the module...with it out of the distributor...hell for that matter i don't know how to check the electrical pickup period...i do know that if it is working properly you can turn the engine by hand with the ignition on and the coil wire near the engine block and you will get spark when you reach the designated firing zone...chances are good it is bad...
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nsracing · Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:57 pm Post subject:

No sir. The coil does not get grounded. Hook it up where you want it.

It is an independent unit.

lostinbaja · Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 6:28 pm Post subject:

If you have a Pertronics Ignitor in the distributor and you plan on replacing it with the same, make sure you check the coil resistence. If the resistence is wrong it will takeout the module in a heartbeat. The coil specs will be in the box with the new module.
Jerry...

Spezialist · Banned Joined: July 01, 2005 Posts: 1941


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