Okay, my car wont start. Checked all wires and connections, they all passed. Finally narrowed it down to the distributor. There is power going to the distributor but no sparks leaving the distributor, what does this mean, is the coil fried, do I need a new cap or what. I know next to nothing about this subject. Please help me!

thanks Jon

 

I assume it's HEI?

Sounds like the ignition module or the coil. Do you have an ohm meter?

 

id put my money on the spark condenser if its HEI, even if its not i say get a brand new one anyways! they are really cheap, and a brand new one is always better

 

If it's HEI, pull the coil and module and have them checked at Autozone for free. A cap will have some carbon tracking internally if it's killing the spark. Same for rotor. Also check the button that passes juice to rotor.

If it's points type, closed or burnt points, bad condenser, carbon tracking.

 

Okay guys, I bought a new coil, cap, and rotor, installed all of it. Still wont start. Checked all wires leading to the dist they all had juice. Turned the key wont start, so we pulled a plug then started it and there were no sparks. What is wrong with my car?

 

Oreillys has a spark condenser, ordered it will be in tuesday. What the heck does a spark condenser do?

 

I had the same problem that turned out to be bad grounds. I replaced the existing ground and added two additional; FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!

 

Now I have replaced cap,coil,rotor,ignition module,spark condenser, and the pickup coil. Still the camaro will not start. I dont have any sparks coming out of the dist. Could this be bad grounds or?

 

You have checked for 12V at the the distributor, right? What about when you are cranking it over? Some of the older cars got a feed back from the starter solenoid, since there wasn't any power from the IGN terminal when cranking the starter. Just a thought...
And I would verify that there is a good ground from the motor to the body, you just never know.

 

Take off the ground wires from the Battery to the body and wire brush them, then use some elect. grease when you hook them back up. I also had to add two additional grounds from the engine to the frame, if you do this try to use 10 ga. or biggeer. Then check to see if you get blue flame at the plug. HEI also uses a little bigger plug gap (around .045) but that won't fix your current problem. Good Luck!!!

 

If you have a digital ohm meter, ensure you are getting a full 12v to the BATT Wire with the ign in the run position. Then call the local auto zone or advance auto and get the specs for the coil test, they should give you the reading between the two out side wires then the one for the center wire too the center post under the cap. Ensure you take the second reading in the 20K ohm range.

 

Have you bench tested it? pull it out, hook up 12v and a ground and turn the drive gear (keep the sparks away from the battery). If it sparks on the bench you probably dont have power while cranking. My 80 camaro did that to me when I stuck a new engine in it... turns out it needed to see oil pressure before it would fire and I had to connect my oil pressure dummy light sender. Try hooking up a wire from the + battery to the BATT terminal on the hei then crank it over. I had to do that once when the cranking voltage wire melted and wouldnt start.
Good Luck.
CoryM

 

If 12v feed, grounds, etc, are good, then you have to look at the more unusual possible causes. First, there is a possibility the timing chain or cam is broken. Can you see the rotor turn when the cap is off and you crank the engine?

Second, there is a pickup coil at the base of the distributor. My brothers business partner had his HEI die and it turned out the distributor housing where the pickup coil was cracked and it fubared the pickup coil.

 

I do have power to the dist. I've also replaced the pickup coil. The negative side of the battery had a cable that goes to the alt bracket, and the then positive side of the battery has a cable that goes to the starter, they both look fine. Yes, the rotor does rotate when I try to start it. I dont know what to do.

 

Did you check for power at the wire WHILE cranking? My car made power except while it was cranking. You still get no spark at all? Did you rebuild the distributor? What were you doing last on the car? Again Ill suggest to hook a 12v + wire directly from the battery to the BATT terminal on the distributor (do not leave it hooked up for a long time while car is not running). If you are now getting spark is the distibutor 180degrees off? or engine flooded? How are you checking for spark?
CoryM