Hey guys I am new to 2nd gens and I bought the car it started and it was great. But now I have no spark neither in the leading or trailing. I have checked the main fuse box inside the engine and the one inside the car and all the fuses are fine. I don't thing both coils wpuld go bad all of a sudden. I don't know were else to check, any sujestion. An 88 convertable

 

How do you know you don't have spark? When you crank the car does the tach rpm bounce a little? Have you checked codes yet?

 

i know i dont have spark because i disconnect one of the leading wires to the spark plug and put a screwdriver inside and test on metal to see if i get a spark to arc from metal to metal and i am not getting any spark. the tach i dont know if it bounces, i have to check, what does that let me know if it bounces or not? codes i dont have anything to check for codes and i dounbt it would be codes because it turned on 3 days ago perfect w/o a problem, but then m y alternator belt broke and now is when i installed it and it just decided not to have spark. all the fuses are good, although there are alot of slots in the fuse box that are empty, dont know why, i dont know if thats how its supposed to be.

 

Trailing coil is connected to the tach. If it, trailing coil, fires on start up then it pulses the tach needle.

 

K ill check that out tomorrow morning, if the tach is not bouncing and neither the leading or trailing are firing, and the fuses are all fine, then were would I go from there?

 

As noted by "Hailers,"

Fuses that make the engine run are the Engine fuse in the interior.......and the two EGI fuse in the engnine bay.

If the Main Relay pulls in you know the Engine fuse is good. IF you pull any of the elect plugs off the various solenoids on the left side of the engine and you have batt pwer on the Black/White wire of any of those connectors, then the EGI COMP fuse is good (plus it agains confirms the main relay is good and the engine fuse is good). If you pull the small plug off the ECU and the Black/White wire has batt power, then the EGI INJ fuse is good.

 

i know in the interior all the fuses are fine, the 2 egi ones in the engine bay, were are they? what do you mean if the engine relay pulls? ill check all the other ones tomorrow thank you

 

How to read codes:

http://www.teamfc3s.org/info/article...odes/main.html

 

There is a fuse box in the engine compartment that is bolted to the driver's side fender between the battery and the front part of the fender. You could look and test the individual fuses but if you do as was posted you will be able to accomplish more.

Secondly, just because the fuse is good does not mean in any way shape or form that the wires connected to the fuse or components connected to the fuse are operational!

The main relay has an internal relay which has two positions. One is open the other is closed. If the relay is open then a current cannot pass through but if it is closed then it can.

Lastly, what exactly occurs when you put the key in the ignition and turn it to start? You're providing very little info for the board members to work with.

 

sorry, i turn on the ignition, all the lights come on and i cranck and the engine crancks, but does not start because there is no spark in either coil.

 

He's providing plenty of information.

He let us know that he visually confirmed that he did not have spark with the screwdriver test :p

I really think it's your EGI fuse under the hood. Should see a black box with your typical fuse outlines on the driver's fender. May be open or closed, depending on how nice your car is under the hood

They're big 30 and 40 amp fuses, can't really miss them. Pull them out and see if they're blown.

 

Buy a digital meter from Harbour Freight for ten bucks.

Fuses that have to be good for the engine to get spark and fuel injection/fuel pump are: the ENGINE fuse. The EGI INJ fuse and the EGI COMP fuses.

How do I know if those three fuses are good? I try to start the engine and watch the tachometers needle to see if it makes small bumps up/down as the engine is turned over. IF it does, then all three fuse are good.

How do I know if the ENGINE fuse is good? I turn the key to ON only and listen for the MAIN RELAY in the engine bay pull in. IF the Main Relay pulls in, the ENGINE fuse is good because that is the fuse that powers it. Common sense thing. The MAIN RELAY is large and near the Trail coil assy. It has two elect plugs going to it. IF you pull the two wire plug off that relay, and have the key to ON, the relay will make a sound as you pull the plug off. When you put the plug back on it'll make a click sound. IF it makes the click sound then the ENGIEN fuse is good and most likely the Main RElay itself is good.,

How do I know the EGI COMP fuse is good? I put the key to ON and then pull the elect plug off any of the solenoids on the left side of the engine. IF the black/white wire in that two wire plug has batt voltage I know the EGI COMP fuse is good.

How do I know the EGI INJ fuse is good? I pull the small plug off the ECU and see if the LIGHT GREEN wires in that plug have batt voltage. If they do, then the EGI INJ fuse is good along with the Main RElay being good also.

Buy a digital meter and you won't have to post on this forum for answers if you have a FSM and wiring diagram downloaded to your computer.

It would help if you sorta mentioned whether or not the tach needle makes the small bumps when trying to start the engine. That tach movement is a well known method of figuring out if you have spark and if the Main Relay and EGI fuses are good or not. Takes but moments to figure out if those three items are good or not (along with the ENGINE fuse).

Most other fuses are not required for starting the engine. Just those three fuses and Main Relay.

 

k guys, it started, it was the 40 amp fuse, the second coming from top to bottom looking at it from driver side, it was not blown but it was kind of in bad shape so it started when it decided to work, changed it and it started right up. now there is one thing though, before, all the lights in the clock control thing turned on when i put the key to on, but now only the e brake one turns on when i put the key to on, i still havent checked the fuses after that happened, but i wanna know why would all the other ones go out but the e brake one? if the fuse for that goes out, woudent all the lights go out?

 

It's possible there is a cold solder problem with the unit. You remove the plastic shroud from in front of the unit and then unscrew the screws located on either side (2 total) and pull the unit foward (it will only come out so much). Then turn the key to the on position and wiggle the plug in the back and see if that gets the lights to come on. Also, you could pull the top plug off of your CPU and locate the yellow with blue stripe wire (Y/L) and put a ground to it and then turn the key to on. The lights shoud turn on. This info was taken from another post and is credited to Hailers whoever he is!

 

its possible it could be the airflow meter. when those things die they sometimes cut ignition.

un plug it, and if it fires right up, thats your problem.

 

Turn the key to just ON......all warning lights should come on.

Start the engine..........they should go out except for those that have a problem (hand brake up).

IF they all do not come on when the key is put to ON, and the car is a series four, them MOST LIKELY there are some cold solder joints in the warning light assy and that is the problem. Reflow the solder joints to fix.

The warning light assy on a series four gets a ground from the white/black wire on the back of the alternator when the alternator is not turning. That gnd is put on a alternator relay inside the CPU which in turn pulls in and puts the gnd I mentioned on the warning light assy to make all the idiot lights come on.

IF the volt gauge shows the alternator is charging, then there is no REAL problem with the charging system.