No Spark or Fuel During Engine Crank

[Posi]

Could you post the test I gave you separate from others so the post doesn't get convoluted.

 

[thundley57]

You have no spark from the coil.
Try this, test ohms between D1 and – battery post. Disconnect the 4 wire plug at the ignition module and test the distributor side of the plug. The plug will be stamped D1 to D4.

Also test ohms between D2 and D3

Before disconnecting the 4 wire plug, remove the coil wire and hold it close to the block, turn key on (not start). Now disconnect the 4 wire plug, does it spark at the coil wire? Reconnect the coil plug, turn the key off, and do the ohms test above.

Post your findings.

Here are my findings Posi:

D1 to neg battery terminal = 1.5 ohms
Resistance between D2 & D3 = 28 ohms
As previously mentioned, no spark from coil wire with key on and disconnecting the connector.

 

[Posi]

Here are my findings Posi:
D1 to neg battery terminal = 1.5 ohms

Your reading should be 0.
You have a bad ground.
Check your ground cables for resistance
Check the distributor to block resistance
Check ground screw in your distributor to D1 (Black wire)
Post your findings

 

[thundley57]

To verify the connection on the icm:
lt. blue wire-from ign. pin s, hot during start position
red w/tracer wire-from ign. pin 11, hot during on position
dk. green wire-to ign. coil negative
orange wire-to pickup coil in distributor
black wire-to ground, I think the best place for this wire is to run it direct to the battery negative.

Edit: The wire colors should match up anyway.

My results Torxhead:

12.5V to blue wire on icm two wire connector during crank
12.6V to red w/tracer wire to icm two wire connector with key on
dark green wire to negative coil = .6 ohms
orange wire to distributor pickup coil = .6 ohms

On distributor side of 3 wire connector I got zero continuity between the orange and purple connectors to the black ground connector. I got 28 ohms when testing the resistance between the orange and violet connectors (I'm not quite sure if this is how you wanted me to test the resistance of the orange and violet connectors, please advise if I did it wrong).

On the harness side of the 3 wire connector to the distributor I got .5 ohms between the black connector and neg side of battery terminal.

During the Howell TBI installation I installed a dedicated ground wire from the black ground wire between the icm and the distributor to the engine block based on the suggestions from this forum. I don't think I have a ground issue at least on the distributor.

I tested the the coil again and got 1.3 ohms between the positive and negative terminals.

I tested the resistor wire to the positive side of the coil and got 1.8 to 1.9 ohms. Should I consider replacing this wire? Isn't it suppose to be closer to 1.35 ohms?

I also inspected and tested the two fusible links on the positive side of the starter solenoid which look good and both have continuity.

Sure hope this info helps diagnose my problem and thanks again for everybody's help!

 

[Torxhead]

Torxhead, sorry for the stupid question but when it comes to electrical I consider myself a baby. So I disconnect the distributor connector and test the resistance between the violet and orange wires (on the distributor side) to battery ground, is this correct? If I have this right in my mind I'm testing how well the distributor is grounded via the hold down clamp right?

Like I said before the black wire is from the icm and needs to be grounded. AMC chose to run it through the distributor harness to save a few bucks. This depends on running a circuit from the icm to the distributor harness, to the distributor clamp, to the block, to the battery negative. I run mine from the icm to the battery negative direct.
So by checking the resistance separately between the violet and orange wire to the ground, you determine that there is no short circuit. When you check the resistance between the orange and violet wires from the distributor, that checks the pick up coil which should be 400-800 ohms. I just checked mine and got 542.

 

[thundley57]

Your reading should be 0.
You have a bad ground.
Check your ground cables for resistance
Check the distributor to block resistance
Check ground screw in your distributor to D1 (Black wire)
Post your findings

Ok just so I understand, I should have continuity between D1 and the neg battery terminal but the reading should be zero right?

Which ground cables, battery to starter, engine to chasis? Anything I'm missing?

 

[thundley57]

Torxhead, sorry for the stupid question but when it comes to electrical I consider myself a baby. So I disconnect the distributor connector and test the resistance between the violet and orange wires (on the distributor side) to battery ground, is this correct? If I have this right in my mind I'm testing how well the distributor is grounded via the hold down clamp right?

Like I said before the black wire is from the icm and needs to be grounded. AMC chose to run it through the distributor harness to save a few bucks. This depends on running a circuit from the icm to the distributor harness, to the distributor clamp, to the block, to the battery negative. I run mine from the icm to the battery negative direct.
So by checking the resistance separately between the violet and orange wire to the ground, you determine that there is no short circuit. When you check the resistance between the orange and violet wires from the distributor, that checks the pick up coil which should be 400-800 ohms. I just checked mine and got 542.

As I mentioned, I have a dedicated ground wire spliced into the black ground wire from the icm and bolted to the engine block. The splice is between the icm and the distributor connector. Does this work?

Ok so it sounds like I need to test the violet and orange wires on the distributor connector to ground which I didn't do. We are talking about the distributor side of the connector right?

Again, I got 28 ohms when testing between the orange and violet connectors on the distributor side of the connector. Does this mean my pickup coil might be bad?

 

[Torxhead]

Thundly57, I think we need to slow down here. I think your black wire connection from the icm is good. The resistance between the orange and violet wires on the distributor pickup coil should be 400-800 ohms per the factory service manual. There can always be issues with frayed wiring somewhere or a connection.

 

[Posi]

Ok just so I understand, I should have continuity between D1 and the neg battery terminal but the reading should be zero right?

Which ground cables, battery to starter, engine to chasis? Anything I'm missing?

Correct 0
Engine to chassis
Wouldn't hurt to check the battery ground cable as well.
Plus the other checks I listed.

 

[thundley57]

Thundly57, I think we need to slow down here. I think your black wire connection from the icm is good. The resistance between the orange and violet wires on the distributor pickup coil should be 400-800 ohms per the factory service manual. There can always be issues with frayed wiring somewhere or a connection.

Ok so possible bad pickup coil right? I just tested it again and got 32 ohms.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

X2 on checking the battery GND connection. Best to have it run to the top bolt of the starter.
LG

 

[Torxhead]

Ok so possible bad pickup coil right? I just tested it again and got 32 ohms.

I just checked mine and got 542 ohms, so yeah, that could be the problem. I am curious on just how it went bad. The could be an issue with the wiring or the plug so check that. The could also be a problem with the meter, since it is a sensitive circuit.

 

[thundley57]

Your reading should be 0.
You have a bad ground.
Check your ground cables for resistance
Check the distributor to block resistance
Check ground screw in your distributor to D1 (Black wire)
Post your findings

I just tested the D1 to negative battery cable again except this time on the block side of the battery cable and got .6 ohms and the same reading for all of the ground cables, dist to block and ground screw to D1. Just for the hell of it I tested the meter by touching both probes together and got the same .6 ohms so I think my meter is mis-calculated so based on this I'm thinking I don't have a ground issue.

 

[thundley57]

I just checked mine and got 542 ohms, so yeah, that could be the problem. I am curious on just how it went bad. The could be an issue with the wiring or the plug so check that.

The distributor plug? Wiring from the icm? I guess it's possible it could be just a cheap Chinese part that failed pre-maturely right?

 

[Posi]

I just tested the D1 to negative battery cable again except this time on the block side of the battery cable and got .6 ohms and the same reading for all of the ground cables, dist to block and ground screw to D1. Just for the hell of it I tested the meter by touching both probes together and got the same .6 ohms so I think my meter is mis-calculated so based on this I'm thinking I don't have a ground issue.

There is a difference between 1.5 and .6
.6 is still high Lets see if the volt setting works better then your ohms setting
Probe D2 and D3, now crank the engine
Does the volt meter fluctuates while cranking or not?

 

[thundley57]

There is a difference between 1.5 and .6
.6 is still high Lets see if the volt setting works better then your ohms setting
Probe D2 and D3, now crank the engine
Does the meter fluctuates while cranking or not?

Again, sorry for the stupid questions Posi. When you say probe D2 and D3 do you mean connect the meter to these two probes at the same time while cranking?

 

[thundley57]

There is a difference between 1.5 and .6
.6 is still high Lets see if the volt setting works better then your ohms setting
Probe D2 and D3, now crank the engine
Does the volt meter fluctuates while cranking or not?

And with the connection dis-connected from the icm?

 

[Posi]

Yes, with plug disconnected stick the probes in D2 and D3, then crank the engine.
This is on volts setting

 

[thundley57]

Yes, with plug disconnected stick the probes in D2 and D3, then crank the engine.
This is on volts setting

Ok, tested the voltmeter first on the battery with trickle charger connected and got 13.6V so pretty sure it's good.

With the probes connected to the violet and orange blades in the connector on the icm side I got 24V with the key on and then fluctuating voltage while cranking.

 

[thundley57]

Ok, tested the voltmeter first on the battery with trickle charger connected and got 13.6V so pretty sure it's good.

With the probes connected to the violet and orange blades in the connector on the icm side I got 24V with the key on and then fluctuating voltage while cranking.

I'm sorry, 24 milivolts with key on not 24 Volts.