No Spark
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Fleet Owner
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 21,437
Likes: 76
From: Gilbert, PA
No Spark
My 1980 F350 has no spark. It was sitting in the garage for over 3 years. I decided to clean the garage today. Threw a battery in it and she fired right up
Pulled it out of the garage and let in run in the driveway for about 20 min. I shut it down and went to cleaning the garage. 4 hours later I go to start it. Crank and crank and crank. I smell fuel, figure no spark. Pull a plug wire, jam a screw driver in it, and crank it over. NO SPArk. I have power to the coil and the coil is Hot. So I go get a coil. Put that in. Still. NO Spark
Ideas? Would like to put it back in the garage
Pulled it out of the garage and let in run in the driveway for about 20 min. I shut it down and went to cleaning the garage. 4 hours later I go to start it. Crank and crank and crank. I smell fuel, figure no spark. Pull a plug wire, jam a screw driver in it, and crank it over. NO SPArk. I have power to the coil and the coil is Hot. So I go get a coil. Put that in. Still. NO SparkIdeas? Would like to put it back in the garage
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
From: Wallace, Idaho
are you sure you dont have spark? pull out a spark plug and test it with that instead of a screw driver to double check.
If you confirm you dont have spark, start with getting your module tested at your local parts house, they do it free usually.
If you confirm you dont have spark, start with getting your module tested at your local parts house, they do it free usually.
pedant
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 23,576
Likes: 38
From: EXTREME southwest CT
I'm assuming DSII.
Does the distributor have a large diameter cap, a vacuum advance and a plug with orange, black & purple wires?
Is there an aluminum ignition module about 5" square on the drivers side inner fender?
Does the distributor have a large diameter cap, a vacuum advance and a plug with orange, black & purple wires?
Is there an aluminum ignition module about 5" square on the drivers side inner fender?
FTE Legend
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 32,875
Likes: 48
From: Northeast, OK
IIRC, the DS-II module for your truck should have a blue grommet where the wires come out of the housing. If you have power to the coil and the connections ChopTop was talking about are good then I side with Flareside - ignition module.
And, they can test them but you may have to find the right guy. The machine at the local O'Reillys doesn't show the right connections for that module - I know because I also have that one. The guy had to try several ways to connect the module before it started working.
And, they can test them but you may have to find the right guy. The machine at the local O'Reillys doesn't show the right connections for that module - I know because I also have that one. The guy had to try several ways to connect the module before it started working.
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Moderator
Joined: Nov 2007
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From: Denver Metro Area, CO
There is also the pickup inside the distributor, this instructs the module to fire the coil at the right times.
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Thread Starter
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Fleet Owner
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 21,437
Likes: 76
From: Gilbert, PA
Short of buying a new Ignition module, is there any tests that I can do to see if it is bad? No one around here tests them and I dont have any spares.
I just need the truck to drive back in the garage under its own power, I dont need perfection
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,966
Likes: 2,728
From: Virginia
Get a testlight or voltmeter. Put the neg probe on a good engine ground, and put the positive on the negative of the coil. Crank the engine. The testlight should blink or the voltmeter should jump up and down, telling you the module is turning the coil on and off.
If it's not blinking, I would take the dist cap off and make sure the rotor is turning when the engine is cranked. If it's turning, I would unplug and plug back in the connectors to the distributor. If that doesn't work, I would hunt around or go buy another module and try it. If that doesn't work, the pickup inside the dist is the only thing left.
P.S. You should have 12v on the red wire to the module while cranking or the keyswitch is in run.
If it's not blinking, I would take the dist cap off and make sure the rotor is turning when the engine is cranked. If it's turning, I would unplug and plug back in the connectors to the distributor. If that doesn't work, I would hunt around or go buy another module and try it. If that doesn't work, the pickup inside the dist is the only thing left.
P.S. You should have 12v on the red wire to the module while cranking or the keyswitch is in run.
pedant
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 23,576
Likes: 38
From: EXTREME southwest CT
Have a look here; Duraspark - Overview - BumpWiki
There must be a good ground inside the distributor too. (0 ohms from black wire at plug to block)
IIRC the pickup itself should be 6-900 ohms.
If you use the linked procedures it is pretty easy to know if it is a lack of signal on the distributor side or failure of the module side.
There must be a good ground inside the distributor too. (0 ohms from black wire at plug to block)
IIRC the pickup itself should be 6-900 ohms.
If you use the linked procedures it is pretty easy to know if it is a lack of signal on the distributor side or failure of the module side.
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Fleet Owner
Joined: May 2009
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From: Gilbert, PA
Well. I just went out to work on the truck. Figured before i would do anything, i would try to start it. It coughed
So i kept trying but then nothing. So I put the test light on the neg side of the coil to check for pulse. Wasnt blinking but then the truck fired
w the test light on the neg post of the coil. And while running the light was on. Go figure. Took test light off, and was picking up tools and the truck stalled
But it fired right backup with no help. I guess when I finally go to dig into this project, I will have to find the problem
So i kept trying but then nothing. So I put the test light on the neg side of the coil to check for pulse. Wasnt blinking but then the truck fired w the test light on the neg post of the coil. And while running the light was on. Go figure. Took test light off, and was picking up tools and the truck stalled But it fired right backup with no help. I guess when I finally go to dig into this project, I will have to find the problem
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From: Virginia
"while running the light was on"
That's probably because it was blinking on and off so fast, you couldn't see that it was turning on and off. That's how it works though, just like the old points systems worked. They put 12v through a resistance wire to the coil + all the time the key is on, and then they ground and unground the negative of the coil to make the coil spark through the high voltage wire in the center of the coil. The module just does the same thing electronically.
That's probably because it was blinking on and off so fast, you couldn't see that it was turning on and off. That's how it works though, just like the old points systems worked. They put 12v through a resistance wire to the coil + all the time the key is on, and then they ground and unground the negative of the coil to make the coil spark through the high voltage wire in the center of the coil. The module just does the same thing electronically.
FTE Legend
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 32,875
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From: Northeast, OK
Had a similar conversation with a Nissan service manager recently when our new (325 miles) Murano decided the world was too dark and turned the lights on in the middle of the night. Where everything used to be grounded permanently in a vehicle and we supplied power to them via a switch, things are now permanently supplied power and the vehicle's electronics complete the circuit by sinking the current. So, it is easy to see how a glitch can bring the lights on, even when the ignition is off and the light switch is in the OFF position.
Yet another reason I like my truck.
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