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Failure To Start Test

  1. Measure and record battery voltage. Check battery specific gravity, which must be 1.220 (temperature corrected) to deliver proper voltage to ignition system.
  2. Remove coil secondary wire from distributor cap and hold 1/4" from a good ground. Prepare a special jumper wire assembly. See Figure . With the ignition on, momentarily touch special jumper wire to ground and coil negative terminal. A spark should be obtained at the coil secondary wire.
    Fig 1: Special Jumper Wire Assembly For Testing Ignition Coil
    G9101
  3. If spark was obtained, proceed to step 6). If no spark resulted, turn ignition off and disconnect 10-way harness connector from computer. See Figure . Turn ignition on. Using special jumper wire, connect negative terminal momentarily to ground. Spark should be obtained.
  4. If spark was obtained, but engine will not start, computer output is shorted. Replace computer. If no spark resulted in step 3), connect positive lead of voltmeter to coil positive terminal and negative lead to a good ground. Voltage reading should be within 1 volt of battery voltage. If not, check wiring between battery and coil positive terminal.
  5. If correct voltage was recorded in step 4), measure voltage between ground and coil negative terminal. Voltage reading should be within 1 volt of battery voltage. Replace ignition coil if there is either no voltage present, or if voltage is present but no spark results when shorting negative coil terminal.
    Fig 2: Distributor & Computer Harness Connectors Used to Test System
    G9102
  6. If spark was obtained in step 2), or if in step 5), voltage was obtained but engine would not start, hold carburetor switch open with a thin cardboard insulator. Measure voltage between carburetor switch and ground. Reading should be within 1 volt of battery voltage. If voltage reading is okay, proceed to step 10).
  7. If voltage was incorrect in step 6), turn ignition off and disconnect 10-way harness connector from computer. Turn ignition on. Connect positive lead of voltmeter to cavity "2" of connector and negative lead to ground. Reading should be within 1 volt of battery voltage.
  8. If no battery voltage is present, check wire from battery to ignition switch to cavity "2". Use an ohmmeter if necessary, to check continuity of wires. Correct problem and repeat step 7). If voltage was present in step 7), turn ignition off and connect ohmmeter leads to carburetor switch terminal and cavity "7" of 10-way connector.
  9. If no continuity is found, check for open wire between cavity "7" and carburetor switch. If continuity was indicated, connect ohmmeter leads to cavity "10" and to a good ground. If continuity exists, replace computer, as correct power is entering computer, but not leaving it. Repeat step 6). If no continuity existed between cavity "10" and ground, check for an open wire in the ground system.
  10. Reconnect 10-way harness connector to computer. Turn ignition on and hold secondary coil wire 1/4" from a good ground. Disconnect 3-way distributor connector from distributor. Attach jumper wire between cavities "2" and "3" of harness connector. A good spark should jump from coil wire to ground.
  11. If spark resulted, but engine will not start, replace Hall Effect Pick-up. If no spark resulted in step 10), connect voltmeter positive lead to distributor harness connector cavity "1" and negative lead to ground. Reading should be within 1 volt of battery voltage. If no battery voltage is present, proceed to step 14). If voltage was correct, turn ignition off and disconnect 10-way harness connector from computer.
  12. Connect ohmmeter leads between cavity "2" (Black/Light Blue wires) of distributor harness connector and cavity "9" of 10-way connector. Then connect leads to cavity "3" (Gray wire) of distributor harness connector and cavity "5" of 10-way connector.
  13. If no continuity is present, repair open wires. If continuity exists, replace computer (power going into computer, but not coming out). Repeat step 10).
  14. If there was no battery voltage in step 11), turn ignition off. Disconnect 10-way connector and connect ohmmeter leads to cavity "1" of distributor harness and cavity "3" of 10-way connector. If no continuity exists, repair wire and repeat step 10).
  15. If continuity existed in step 14), turn ignition on and check for battery voltage with voltmeter positive lead in cavity "2" of 10-way connector and negative lead in cavity "10". If battery voltage is present, but vehicle will not start, replace computer and repeat step 10). If no battery voltage is present, check ground wire and repeat step 10).
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