ignition problem

[FairladyZS30]

ok yesterday my battery blew due to a bad voltage regulator....and fried a wire....i replaced the wire and battery and voltage regulator but didnt wanna start. So i checked if it was sparking , the coil seemed to be sparking but there was no spark when i took out the spark plugs i checked my points but they are new so is the condenser i need help cuz i need to get my car running

could it be my dizzy?

[hd240z]

The distributor would be a good place to start checking. Pull the cap off and inspect the conditions inside. Make sure the rotor moves when you crank the starter. Check the point gap, it should be about 0.020" IIRC.

When you say the coil has spark, how did you check that? By pulling the coil wire and cranking the engine or some other method?

[FairladyZS30]

i took out the the coil cable and i put very close to a ground and cranked it and it sparked gap and everything else is fin its just my spark plugs arnet receiving spark...can it be my dizzy?

[JimmyZ]

I had the same thing happen to me years ago. A few years later the battery area and frame rail needed to be replaced.

Which car is it? You have a few listed.

If it is the 240 then things are pretty straightforward. Use a new or good plug at the coil wire to verify spark. If there is a nice blue spark then the points, condenser and coil are good. (Or at least functioning good enough) Next, plug the coil wire into the cap and test for spark at one of the plug wires. If no spark there then you probably have a wet or bad distributor cap. Did you wash the engine compartment with water? If you did then you simply need to take a cloth or some compressed air and get the cap's inside perfectly dry.

As hd240z said taking the cap off and checking might be the first thing if you did use water.

If there is spark at the plug wire's end and the plugs are not fouled then it is a fuel problem.

In case it's a 280.. In the past, on newer cars (FI) I've had bad coils that would show a blue/orange spark but not run the engine. It takes more current to bridge the gap when the plug is experiencing compression. (Being used in the engine rather than laying outside) I've also had a few bad rotors because newer cars have a resistor built into the rotor which can fizzle out with age. I don't know if the 280's rotor has a noise supression resistor or if it's a solid plate of metal on the rotor. I've only looked but never worked on a 280.

I'm betting you have a wet/bad dist cap.

Jim

[FairladyZS30]

no water i just checked if the coil was sparking and it was but unfourtenatly the spark wasnt beeing received to the spark plugs

[JimmyZ]

is it your 280 or 240?

If it's the 240 then it's a bad cap.

if it's the 280 then it's a cap or possibly rotor.

If the spark is not blue or very strong then it is a bad coil

[FairladyZS30]

its a 240 but i saw a spurk...it didnt look blue to well it was small and itwas during sunlight

[JimmyZ]

For testing spark I'd use a spark plug laid across the valve cover or other good ground. The results you'll get just using the wire can vary too much. Try using a plug.

If you are absolutley sure there is on spark at the wires then I'd try replacing the cap.

[FairladyZS30]

the cap is new and i did ground the spark plug and nothing only from the coil i get a spark

[JimmyZ]

If the coil is firing then the points have to be doing their job. Double check that the points are gapped to .018-.022. (About the thickness of cereal box cardboard) Verify that the coil is wired right. Next test the coil with an ohmmeter. Try another distributor cap and rotor. I usually keep the old one laying about for this reason.

Here's a quick checklist for troubleshooting ignition probs on a stock 240Z. This assumes that failure is not a result of replacing parts incorrectly. This is the quickest approach to resolving probs IMHO.

IF/THEN for a no start/ignition suspected situation...

1. Use new plug to check for spark at plug wire. (Lay test plug on ground. Look for hot blue spark when cranking.

1a.If there is spark then remove check the condition of plugs. Clean or replace if necessary.

2. Check for spark using new plug at the end of coil wire. Look for hot blue spark when cranking.

2a If coil has good spark then check/replace distributor cap and rotor.

3. Verify voltage going to coil when cranking. (Use voltmeter) Verify coil is wired correctly (+ to +)

4. Inspect breaker point faces for pitting and resurface or replace if any. (resurface with 220 grit buys a little time but the points will pit faster)

5 Set gap on points .018-.022. Verify that all wires connected to the points are in good condition and not frayed.

6 Replace condenser.

7. Check coil wire with ohmmeter. It's easier to try another wire if you have on handy.

8. If still no spark then check coil internal resistance. disconnect leads from coil. Set Ohmmeter at proper scale and it's test leads on + and - You should see 1.5-1.7 ohms

Next stick one lead on the "-" post and one lead to the coil output terminal it should read 9.5 -11.6 ohms. These are figures for a STOCK coil. Other coils have different values. Replace the coil if it is outside it's values.

9 Check distributor shaft for play. Use a dwell meter to dynamically test the breaker points. If dwell varies outside the 35-41 degree specs and the points are gapped right then distrubutor bushings need to be replaced. (Or replace dizzy)

I might have left something out having typed this up at 1:30AM. Hopefully it will help you or someone else in the future at least. Here's another tip..

If the engine is missing/misfiring and you think it's a fouled plug use a timing light's inductive pickup. With the engine running clamp/unclamp the pickup over each wire and observe which plug does not cause the light to flash.

Note that if the engine starts ONLY when being cranked thatit is possible that the ignition switch or ballast resistor is bad. Test the resistor (1.6 ohms) and test for voltage on both side of it with ignition "ON" and car not running.

[JimmyZ]

Read the post above and do the tests. Just thought I'd add another 2c.. Coils for 240's can be bought for $25 (new) if you shop/call around. It might also be possible that you got a bad condenser. If I'm reading things right you have these new ignition parts on your car...

Cap

points

condenser

AND in replacing your battery alt and regulator you did nothing to touch the ignition.. It just died.

I'm assuming that you have gas in the car, nothing electrical got fried, your fuses are ALL OK and anything else that would be obvious.

I'm also assuming that you are getting multiple sparks when cranking and not a single spark from when the ignition is turned on and off. I'm also assuming that the rotor is turning when the engine is and that the distributor hasn't been turned. (Timing out of whack)

If you did wash the engine with water take the distributor cap off and heat it's inside with a hair dryer. (try it)

2c Night

Jim

[FairladyZS30]

got new coil and nothing i ran a test light threw all the wires and it light up but the coil still doesnt spark i also ran the test light on the moins and it shows signs ov voltage i rreally need to get my car running by tommarow