1st Generation Specific (1979-1985) 1979-1985 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections

Cant get a spark

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Old 04-26-07, 09:34 AM
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Cant get a spark

I have a GSLSE and I recently changed my water pump and after throwing it back together I found that the car wont start. I pulled out the plugs and at some point during the process it did flood. I dried off all the plugs and tried again and still nothing. I then shut off the fuel and pulled out one leading and one trailing plug and tested both grounding them on my injector and they didn’t spark at all. I pulled out the Mazda manual and did the test it says to do on the ignition coils and spark plug cables and they check out ok. I'm going to test the igniters today but does anyone else have any suggestions??
Old 04-26-07, 09:45 AM
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Double check the wires that goes from the fusible links to the alternator.
Old 04-26-07, 04:20 PM
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What all did you disconnect or disturb during the water pump install?
Old 04-26-07, 04:40 PM
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I just tested the igniters and the cables running from the igniters to the coils and the cable from the fuse to the alternator and they are all fine...

When i did the pump i pulled off the fan, AC/power steering pulley, alternator adjuster bar, air pump adjuster bar and the belts. The alternator was resting on the cables for the primary igniter while i was doing the pump but like i just said they are still ok
Old 04-26-07, 04:45 PM
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You stated that you pulled a leading and trailing plug and grounded them on a injector. I don't understand?
Old 04-26-07, 06:51 PM
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Originally Posted by rx7doctor
You stated that you pulled a leading and trailing plug and grounded them on a injector. I don't understand?
He means intake....
Old 04-26-07, 07:48 PM
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Well if he tried to ground them on aluminum I don't believe they will ground. Could be wrong but?
Old 04-27-07, 03:21 AM
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Holding the threds of the plugs on the housing of the fuel injector.... which should be a good ground should it not???
Old 04-27-07, 11:56 AM
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Originally Posted by Billy_Bob
Holding the threds of the plugs on the housing of the fuel injector.... which should be a good ground should it not???
I don't know if you are stating that you have an injector that is out of the car and you are trying to ground the plugs on the housing of the injector or are refeering to the housing of the engine.

Just take a plug with a leading wire attached and ground the end of the plug(where the electrode is ) and to a bolt on the shock tower.

I have never seen where there is zero spark from either the leading or trailing at the same time.
Also how did you disable the system from getting fuel?
Old 05-02-07, 03:52 PM
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I got the thing to spark again by replacing cables and plugs but it still would not start. So I had the battery on the charger over night.

Thinking that it might be flooded. I pulled the plugs and cleaned them. The person I bought the car from had a fuel shut off switch installed which is just a switch attached to the engine fuse under the dash. I shut the fuel off with that and cranked it over a few times with no plugs to get out any fuel.

While I was doing that I also check the pressure with just my hand and I felt about equal puffs coming out of the plug holes of both housings. I put the plugs back in and it still wont start. The engine sounds like its just spinning there is a pop pop pop sound out of the tail pipe but not real firing. I tried just starting it normally at first and then I turned off the fuel again cracked it turned it back on and tried starting it with my foot on the floor.

Someone suggested putting Marvels Mystery Oil in the housings but I cant get that in Canada. Is there anything else like that I could try? I’m right out of ideas on this one right now.
Old 05-02-07, 04:33 PM
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You are probably working with a higher mileage engine with lower compression. The flooding washed the combustion chambers down and reduced the compression even more. You can use motor oil instead of MMO. Squirt some in the leading spark plug holes and rotate the engine over by hand to spread the oil, then reassemble and try starting. If that doesn't work, try pull starting it.
Old 05-04-07, 12:43 AM
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how do u check ignitors
Old 05-04-07, 12:51 AM
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The procedure is in the FSM.
Or you can just hook up a timing light (if the car still runs) and see if the light flashes.
On a 84-85 car if the trailing ignitor is bad their will be no tach operation and also the engine will not start.
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