Well I have replaced the starter, alternator, and battery. It started one time and now as far as I can tell I am not getting a spark from any of the spark plugs, truck just turns and turns and turns... never starts, I went through one by one testing the plugs, just putting them against the block and having my wife try to start the truck and none of them seem to have got a spark with the old spark plugs or the new spark plugs. Whats next?????

 

Test coil? You may need new one.

 

one of my favorite words- fuses?

 

Where is the coil, and how do I test it? I am kind of an amature mechanic but I can follow directions lol

 

Helpp!

 

Is the rotor turning when you crank it over? Do you have 12volts to the coil?

 

The fsm for 1985 trucks that I mentioned before has information on how to check the ignition system for carbed trucks.

Probably the first thing to check is as cyclops says, and as was suggested before. Check to see if the rotor is turning as the engine is cranked. This is very easy to check without any diagnostic tools (VOM etc), just remove the distributor cap and watch the rotor as the engine is cranked. What you are checking for here is that your timing chain is intact.

 

rotor is turning. to test the coil am I just going to be putting a volt meter to spark plug wire coming from the distributer?

 

I have the same truck and the same problem as "ahandyman". Good to see I have a source of info. I'll check some stuff out on the truck and post soon. Hope you guys can help me figute it out. How's your truck "ahandyman"? Did you get it fixed? By the way, how did you run a jumper to the coil?

 

Greggy, what have you tried so far? How did the no spark problem start? Did you do amy work on it? Yotatech members are very helpful but you gota give some details.

 

Who's ahandyman?

+1
A problem well-stated is a problem half-solved.

 

I replaced the coil but it didn't fix the problem.

 

Greggyb, "ahandyman" is not on this thread. What is his problem?

You can replace anything but if it does not have power to it, it still would not work. Stop throwing parts, time and money on a problem.

Like Gevo said^^
Did you work on it?

Like Cyclops said^^
Got a volt-meter?

 

Greggy, don't start replacing parts. put a spark plug at the end of the wire coming out for the coil to the distributor, and check for spark on that. If no spark, then test igniter (assuming your new coil is good ), test the leads to the igniter making sure it's getting power. Report here.

 

'86 22r motor. The truck would turn over but wouldn't start in the extreme cold without starting fluid a few weeks ago, which is a first. Then, even with fluid it wouldn't fire up. Checked and had no spark. But 30 minutes later it fired up. Then it would turn over but not start a week ago. I couldn't test for spark at the time but after having it towed home put a new dist cap and rotor on and it fired up. Then a few days ago it died while driving. Would still turn over but not start. I don't have spark. Put on a new coil but no spark. for some reason the horn isn't working now either. All fuses seem to be good.

 

I'll try that thanks

 

How do I test the ignitor?

 

You have symptoms of a wiring harness issue. Visually inspect the wiring harness, start from the air flow meter to the igniter/coil and so on.

If you can't see anything, and you still don't have a spark (at the output of the coil, not from distributor to spark plug) , AND you tested to see that there is power going to the igniter and distributor... do the following:

Go to the following website, the top 3 links are to the engine operations related diagrams. Look at which wires go from your igniter to your ECU (some wires splice within the harness and go to Throttle position sensor and volume air flow meter). Unplug all sensors on the ignition circuit (distributor, all 3 plugs form ECU, TPS and VAFM) and check each wire against eachother and against chassis, also for continuity. If any of those wires are shorting to eachother within the harness you have trouble.

http://snjschmidt.com/wiring/

 

Follow this. if you dont understand a step post here.

http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b.../4onvehicl.pdf

 

No spark from coil to dist. and I don't seem to have power to the ignitor.