HEY!!! Ignition Guru's, Over here please!! I need help!!!
08-14-02, 01:51 PM
#1
QC Motorsports
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HEY!!! Ignition Guru's, Over here please!! I need help!!!
Here's the deal.
My L1 will absolutely NOT fire. I have replaced, plugs, wires and coil, but it still will not fire. I have even swaped out ecu's and it still will not fire. Is there a fuse that is on the L1 wire to the coil or something? I have looked at conections and to me they look fine. I am thinking its a wire somewhere. I was also thinking maybe some type of fuse??? Please help. This is the 89GXL.
Charles
My L1 will absolutely NOT fire. I have replaced, plugs, wires and coil, but it still will not fire. I have even swaped out ecu's and it still will not fire. Is there a fuse that is on the L1 wire to the coil or something? I have looked at conections and to me they look fine. I am thinking its a wire somewhere. I was also thinking maybe some type of fuse??? Please help. This is the 89GXL.
Charles
08-14-02, 02:37 PM
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Well I'm sorry but the only way I have to check anything is wid the timing light. from the output on the L1, NOTHING!! From out put on the L2, WOW it works fine. AND it does this with two diferent coils, two different sets of wires, and two different ECU's. I know what Should happen, but what IS happening doesn't correspond with anything! I am thinking some kind of wire problem.
Charles
Charles
08-14-02, 02:53 PM
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08-14-02, 03:00 PM
#8
Super Raterhater
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lick your finger, stick it in the L1 plug, then lick your other finger and ground yourself to the frame, you'll find out in a hurry if it's working 
Ok, if you're not that brave, do what Aaron suggested. Perhaps clean the connections for the coils and make sure they're good, and see if that helps any, otherwise, as Aaron said, it should fire with L2.
Ok, if you're not that brave, do what Aaron suggested. Perhaps clean the connections for the coils and make sure they're good, and see if that helps any, otherwise, as Aaron said, it should fire with L2.
08-14-02, 03:03 PM
#10
Originally posted by Aaron Cake
Timing lights are not a good way to check for spark. Get a spark checker from any auto store...Not more than a few $$.
I bet you'll find that it's working fine.
Timing lights are not a good way to check for spark. Get a spark checker from any auto store...Not more than a few $$.
I bet you'll find that it's working fine.
Rat
08-14-02, 03:04 PM
#11
Originally posted by SonicRaT
lick your finger, stick it in the L1 plug, then lick your other finger and ground yourself to the frame, you'll find out in a hurry if it's working Ok, if you're not that brave, do what Aaron suggested. Perhaps clean the connections for the coils and make sure they're good, and see if that helps any, otherwise, as Aaron said, it should fire with L2.
lick your finger, stick it in the L1 plug, then lick your other finger and ground yourself to the frame, you'll find out in a hurry if it's working
Ok, if you're not that brave, do what Aaron suggested. Perhaps clean the connections for the coils and make sure they're good, and see if that helps any, otherwise, as Aaron said, it should fire with L2.
08-14-02, 03:05 PM
#12
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J-rat: I don't mean to be off subject here, but what in the world do you have a cat for an avatar for when your handle is J-Rat!? Arch nemesis? And yes, they do fire at the same time.
08-14-02, 03:07 PM
#13
Originally posted by SonicRaT
J-rat: I don't mean to be off subject here, but what in the world do you have a cat for an avatar for when your handle is J-Rat!? Arch nemesis? And yes, they do fire at the same time.
J-rat: I don't mean to be off subject here, but what in the world do you have a cat for an avatar for when your handle is J-Rat!? Arch nemesis? And yes, they do fire at the same time.
Rat
08-14-02, 03:10 PM
#14
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Now this is a stuart little moment, a rat who owns a cat. Impressive. I just thought of something, do both L1 & L2 fire off the same signal wire from the ECU or from seperate signal wires? Perhaps one is burnt out? If I had the time to check the FSM I'd look for myself but it'd take me a while to dig it up, and if anyone else knows for sure it'd be a good place to look.
08-14-02, 03:15 PM
#15
Leads
The wire to the leading coil is a 2-wire plug. One side is constant 12v so I think that eliminates the seperate signal theory. I think the other side is a switching ground that expands and collapses the magnetic field to generate the spark. Hence one coil and 2 ignitors (theoretically i am gonna check the FSM). DAMN....where is HAILERS when you need him..
Is that avatar better?
Rat
Is that avatar better?
Rat
08-14-02, 03:18 PM
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Damn straight! Nice 
Well, I never looked closely at the plug, so that seems extremely strange, perhaps there isn't enough current/power there to power both L1 & L2? I'm running out of ideas!
Well, I never looked closely at the plug, so that seems extremely strange, perhaps there isn't enough current/power there to power both L1 & L2? I'm running out of ideas!
08-14-02, 03:21 PM
#17
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Yank the L1 plug and check for spark against the shock tower bolts to be sure. You might be worring over nothing.
How does the car run? Good? Bad?
How does the car run? Good? Bad?
08-14-02, 03:28 PM
#18
Okay, the FSM says that the leadings fire dependently of each other. So if one is firing the other has to fire also. One side is in fact the 12V coil voltage. The ignition doesnt run so much on amperage as it does voltage. The coil is a huge spiral of wire that generates voltage by magnetism (induction). As the ground is applied to the other side of the coil, the collapse of the magnetic field generates a large amount of voltage (10,000 or better) but not alot of current. 10,000 volts at any signifigant amount of current would kill even the dumbest redneck that grabs the plug wire while the motor is running. I am searching for a schematic of the ignition system right now, but I believe that the ignitors are there to route the voltage to the plugs. They would have to provide an exact resistance match in order to effectively distribute the spark by a factor of 2. Two loads in parallel with the voltage should drop it by 1/2 and allow the voltage to be split in half. Please HAILERS...Jump in ANYTIME!
Rat
Rat
08-14-02, 06:37 PM
#20
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O.K.
Listen to me very, very, VERY CAREFULLY! You said it wont fire unless they BOTH fire TOGETHER. Well I did the testing and guess what. It does fire, BUT it only fires when the timing light comes on. and that is like every 5-6 seconds. only once. And L2 fires continually like it should, in the little strobe way. Now let me say this ONE More TIME. L1 does not fire in Two coils that I have used, with two different wires and plugs. You put your point accross when you said this cannot happen Aaron. Now let me make my point very clear as well. This IS happening! I have no idea why it is happening or how but it is and I need someone who knows alot about this **** to help me figure out why. I know I am sounding like a jackass but it seems like if I don't ever sound like a jackass noone on this forum beleives what is happening with this car. Please be open minded here and help me figure out what the hell is happening.
regards,
Charles
Listen to me very, very, VERY CAREFULLY! You said it wont fire unless they BOTH fire TOGETHER. Well I did the testing and guess what. It does fire, BUT it only fires when the timing light comes on. and that is like every 5-6 seconds. only once. And L2 fires continually like it should, in the little strobe way. Now let me say this ONE More TIME. L1 does not fire in Two coils that I have used, with two different wires and plugs. You put your point accross when you said this cannot happen Aaron. Now let me make my point very clear as well. This IS happening! I have no idea why it is happening or how but it is and I need someone who knows alot about this **** to help me figure out why. I know I am sounding like a jackass but it seems like if I don't ever sound like a jackass noone on this forum beleives what is happening with this car. Please be open minded here and help me figure out what the hell is happening.
regards,
Charles
08-14-02, 07:10 PM
#21
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Disable your trail coil assy and start the car. Now tell me both are not firing while the engine runs.
Or pull the non firing lead wire out of the bore of the coil assy and lay its end barely in the bore of the coil assy. Start the car. Now tell me you don't see a arc b/t the end of the wire and the coil assy.
One or none.
Or pull the non firing lead wire out of the bore of the coil assy and lay its end barely in the bore of the coil assy. Start the car. Now tell me you don't see a arc b/t the end of the wire and the coil assy.
One or none.
08-14-02, 07:22 PM
#22
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Well how damn interesting. With both of the connections by the trailing coil diconected, the car runs better. WTF? But I still don't get the only a spark every once in awhile thing. It is still happening.
08-14-02, 07:31 PM
#24
Originally posted by peacekeeper
Well how damn interesting. With both of the connections by the trailing coil diconected, the car runs better. WTF? But I still don't get the only a spark every once in awhile thing. It is still happening.
Well how damn interesting. With both of the connections by the trailing coil diconected, the car runs better. WTF? But I still don't get the only a spark every once in awhile thing. It is still happening.
Edit: with only the leading coil, does the motor jump around in the mounts? Is it idling nice and smooth?