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

Ignition problems

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Old Mar 8, 2008 | 06:48 AM
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Ignition problems

Hi guy well I just got my rebuilt engine in the rx. I went to turn it over and no go. It puffs out the exhaust pipe strong and you can smell fuel at the carburetor. So I pulled the leading plug and rotor 1 no wife tried to start the car and no visible spark. The car started up good before the engine was pulled (it was pulled do to blown seals) I haven’t moved any thing around in the bat since it was pulled any ideas. How can you test to see if power is getting to the coils and or the distributor? The fusible links were replaces with a fuse box all fuses are good.
thanks guys
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Old Mar 8, 2008 | 02:40 PM
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Well there is continuity passed the fuse box to the main wire the white one with the black stripe. I did find that the igniter to distributor plug wires do not have continuity. It has new spark plugs a fully charged battery. And the engine fired up out side of the car in another Rx-7. A new plug wire set has bee ordered and will be here in a hour any thing other I should look at as well? Thanks in advance.
Zen
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Old Mar 8, 2008 | 06:14 PM
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ok replaced all the plug wires they now have continuity. but still no spark some one please help. if yall want pics of the wiringi can up load some.
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Old Mar 8, 2008 | 06:56 PM
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From: eau claire
Leading/trailing ignitors dead???? does your tach bounce when you try to start at least? If it does trailing ignitor works. Pull the leading plug wire from the dizzy cap crank her over you will here the zap zap zap zap noise. If you dont i would assume your leading ignitor is fried. If you do here it sparking then might be a timing issue. Thats as far as i am gonna be able to take you bud. Hopefully someone else will be able to help yah out. When you put the dizzy back in did you line it up the right way with the motor at tdc???
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Old Mar 9, 2008 | 12:05 AM
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i had this issue with my rx7 after i'd put the motor back in. Cranking over but no spark... i managed to trace it to a dead ignitor (little black box thing on the front and side of the dizzy). Replaced that, cranked over and started first time.
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Old Mar 9, 2008 | 10:13 AM
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no the tack does not bounce at all. There is no spark from the leading ignitor. So could both ignitor had died is there away to test them.The timing should be right as the engine was started be fore it was drooped in.
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Old Mar 9, 2008 | 10:23 AM
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1. check to see if the connectors to the ignitor (on distributor) are making good contact with the ignitors. Sometimes the pins on the ignitors get bent so the plug looks to be on, but is not making contact.

2. check power to coils. Turn key to 'ON'. Use a test light or a voltmeter to measure between each coil post (+) and (-). You should see about 12v at each post. If not, check the engine fuse under the dash. Depends on the year/model of the car. What do you have? Based on the wire color (black w/ white stripe), it sounds like a 12A car.

Anyway, I would check for power and check wiring first. Is this the same distributor as the one that was used for the test start?
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Old Mar 9, 2008 | 10:38 AM
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It is a 1980 12a. This is that same distributer used in testing i had pull the radiator where i could drop the engine fully tunned and assembled except for the header. In testing that just ground to the frame with the multimeter or to the apposing terminal.
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Old Mar 9, 2008 | 11:01 AM
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The '80 had it's unique ignition setup. It is electronic, but the ignitors are not on the distributor. If your distributor has the ignitors on the distributor, it is from an 81-85. Is the car also an '80?

'79: points ignition
'80: electronic ignition, ignitors not on the distributor
'81-'85: electronic ignition, ignitors on the distributor

I'm trying to figure the year of the car, year of the engine, and year of the distributor/ignition system. There may be something not correctly connected if the years are mixed.

In testing, multimeter (-) goes to frame, then take the (+) lead and test the (+) and (-) terminal of each coil... 4 measurements.
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Old Mar 9, 2008 | 11:22 AM
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i believe the igniter's are on the distributor. i will take a pic. Well the #1 spot on the fuse box blows as soon as i prime the ignition. what is the #1 fuse spot under the dash for.
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Old Mar 9, 2008 | 11:34 AM
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Yea now we have to see the pics. You sure it's not a 1981 "Model" made in late 80?

Metal or Plastic bumper cover?
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Old Mar 9, 2008 | 12:12 PM
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Ok i fixed the problem with the fuse it was a 15 in a 20 amp spot. The title says it is a 1980 I will get pics up in a few. I think the engine is a 1982 12A.
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Old Mar 9, 2008 | 12:14 PM
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it all worked before the blown seals it was just dissembled had the gaskets and seals replaces. A corner seal had blown out it is the same distributor and every thing.
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Old Mar 9, 2008 | 12:49 PM
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Ok there is no voltage at any on the posts on the coils. The igniter's did not have bent leads. pics will be up in a few
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Old Mar 9, 2008 | 01:18 PM
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the car has the 80amp alternator mod.












any ideas of what the black wire with the connector on the end is


Last edited by zenn; Mar 9, 2008 at 01:26 PM.
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Old Mar 9, 2008 | 01:28 PM
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From: eau claire
well youre not gonna have any spark at the coils unless the ignitors are working. look around for the way to test ignitors . Make sure all your wires are right at the coils as well. But if it was my guess i would say both your ignitors bit the dust. Especially if you didnt have that singel wire hooked up on the dizzy. That capistor handles voltage spikes and if it wasnt hooked up good chance you blitzed them both!!!
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Old Mar 9, 2008 | 02:59 PM
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well i used https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...est+an+ignitor to test them and they are both dead
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Old Mar 9, 2008 | 09:22 PM
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well i just got done replacing the igniter's with the gm mod in https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/how-gm-igniters-replace-j-109-a-527209/ so after the battery is all charged back up i will try to start it.
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Old Mar 9, 2008 | 09:26 PM
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From: eau claire
Make sure you read this thread for the updates on this mod!!!!!

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/i-did-gm-igniter-mod-need-help-asap-654018/
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Old Mar 9, 2008 | 09:29 PM
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Your alternator main connector should be covered too (minor).
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Old Mar 10, 2008 | 06:18 AM
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Looks like your trailing coil is hooked up backward. Black/white wire should be the only wire connected to the + terminal on each coil. Other wires should be connected to - terminal.
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Old Mar 10, 2008 | 09:23 PM
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ok the new igniter's did not change the not voltage at the coil posts the black and white does have 12 volts running to it i put the end on it to keep it from grounding out here is a pic of it

do yall think it should connect to the coil if so what one and where if yall need better pics let me know but here is the one i have of the coil

thanks zen
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Old Mar 10, 2008 | 09:47 PM
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From: eau claire
make sure the wires are right running from ignitors to coils first. black with white stripe goes to + on coils ignitor close to alt is trailing the other is leading. Trace wires from ignitors back to coils and make sure the negative are the same color at the ignitor as they are at the coil and vice versa. YOur coils could be ******* junk too is there oil leaking out of them anywhere cracks etc etc.

As far as i can take yah on this is this. If there is no power at coils the reverse order for current comes from the ignitors hence if ignitors are dead no power to coils. Maybe the dizzy is twacked meaning the pickups inside are fried?
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Old Mar 10, 2008 | 10:17 PM
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how can you test the pick up or the ignition coils
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Old Mar 10, 2008 | 10:41 PM
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I was talking about the Black/white wires already connected to the coils. From your picture it looks like the Black/white wire on your Trailing coil is connected to the negative terminal and the 2) Yellow/(should be) green wires are connected to the + terminal. It should be the other way around. Black/white should be connected to the + terminal and 2) Yellow/green wires should be connected to the negative terminal. The Leading coil appears to be hooked up correctly, assuming the Yellow wire on that coil has a blue stripe.
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