# spark issues



## CocayneKille (Jul 28, 2013)

Also, what other components contribute to getting electricity to the spark plugs?


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## toolaholic (Jul 31, 2011)

Spark plug wires, distributor cap and rotor. Stator underneath distributor cap and rotor.


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## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

Is there spark at each plug.


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## CocayneKille (Jul 28, 2013)

There is no spark at all.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

bad dizzy. 
bad ECM
bad wires
all of the above.


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## CocayneKille (Jul 28, 2013)

I don't think that every wire would have spontaneously gone "bad" at the same time.


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## toolaholic (Jul 31, 2011)

Starter? Ignition module if it has one?


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## CocayneKille (Jul 28, 2013)

It will crank and crank, but not make a sound like it is trying to fire. Doesn't the cranking mean the starter is working?


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## CocayneKille (Jul 28, 2013)

Will have to look into the possibility of an ignition module issue, not sure if it has one.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

http://www.ifitjams.com/starting.htm

Have at it. You either do not have fuel, or do not have spark, or fuel and spark, or plugs are fouled bad with fuel, result of having too much fuel. 
If it cranks, then starter works. I had a car, Eclipse, where all 4 wires went bad. 
So if starter works, it's either spark or fuel. Or both, which is ECM. As it controls BOTH. 
Follow the flow chart for starters.


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## ddawg16 (Aug 15, 2011)

87? Then it still has a resistor for the ignition....

Back to basics......

Use a voltmeter and measure on the Pos side of the coil. With the ignition on you should have about 12v. If not, start going backwards.

And....tell us what you did before you got the start problem.

BTW....if you can crank for an hour and nothing happens....this is not an intermittent starting problem...this is a NO START problem.


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## CocayneKille (Jul 28, 2013)

Lol I say this issue is intermittent because everyday it starts. Sometimes it will start with the first or two, other times in the same day it will crank for long periods with no sound like it is trying to fire. Also, I don't believe I mentioned that sometimes it will run fine for the 5 to 10 then it will start having pop back (most irritating when trying to go up a highway hill, no enough constant power to gain any speed while it is popping back)


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## CocayneKille (Jul 28, 2013)

This truck is fairly new to me, I have not done anything to it that isn't mentioned on here (I don't think I have anyways). The first couple weeks there was no sign of any issues with this truck. Then one day on my lunch break, I get out to the truck and try to start it, did not have any luck for that entire hour. Some days it fires with no sign of an issue, other days, as stated several times now, it doesn't seen to want to fire for extended periods of time. My brother used his spark tester and we have got a definitive answer that, while it is having this issue, there is no spark. I'm 100% convinced that the issue is not fuel related because I have replaced the fuel pump and filter. I have pumped the pedal enough to where I can angel the gas, so I no there is fuel getting to the engine.


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## CocayneKille (Jul 28, 2013)

If there is something more on the information side that could help you help me diagnose this truck, let me know what else I might be able to provide. Also, if the sentences seem unorganized or incomplete, I blame my phones auto-correct. It is annoying sometimes.


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## ddawg16 (Aug 15, 2011)

On the fender or firewall is going to be a white resistor....Dodge used those pretty late in the game. Make sure you have 12v on it and after it....and the same 12v on the + side of the coil. 

When you have the problem, put your meter on the neg side...this is where an older meter with a needle works better.....as you crank it, you will see the needle jumping...if you have that...the coil and related parts are ok.

Have you checked the primary coil wire?

I have FI on my jeep...I had an intermittent miss...the problem ended up being the primary coil wire...it was open...but the HEI coil put so much voltage that it arch's across...

Pull the wire off...if you see a blue crust on either post...good chance the wire is bad. An ohm meter will confirm.


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## CocayneKille (Jul 28, 2013)

Would the distributor cap be a primary cause of this not-firing issue?


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## CocayneKille (Jul 28, 2013)

How would I go about installing a new resistor?


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

CocayneKille said:


> Would the distributor cap be a primary cause of this not-firing issue?


Could be but I've never seen it.

If you don't know what you're doing to diagnose the problem, you could end up throwing a bunch of money at it and still have a problem. Maybe change every part except the piece of wire which may be loose or partially broke some where.


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## CocayneKille (Jul 28, 2013)

Good answer, I should try that, except one problem... I have followed every wire (yes, EVERY WIRE) in the wiring harness from headlights to taillights. There is only ONE bad wire I haven't replaced. It is the little ground wire coming off the negative terminal connection. Is that particular wire the issue?


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

CocayneKille said:


> Good answer, I should try that, except one problem... I have followed every wire (yes, EVERY WIRE) in the wiring harness from headlights to taillights. There is only ONE bad wire I haven't replaced. It is the little ground wire coming off the negative terminal connection. Is that particular wire the issue?


I didn't say you have a wire problem.
I said changing parts without diagnosing things can cost a lot of money and still might not hit the problem.
The wire I mentioned was just an example of something that it might be after starting to throw parts at it.

Have you gone thru the diagnostic chart that was linked to earlier? Do you own a test light?


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## CocayneKille (Jul 28, 2013)

Yes, I understood what you were getting at with that previous post. Yes, I did look through the diagnostic chart. The starter cranks, the spark plugs don't have spark when this problem is occurring. The coil is brand new, so I cannot assume that there is a problem with it. So that leaves the rest of the ignition system: ecm, cap, rotor, resistor.. I'm not sure what else, but yes I have been looking through everything that has been posted on here. Along with brother and somewhat-cousin slightly assisting.


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## CocayneKille (Jul 28, 2013)

I keep posting on here for some guidance, and to help put my mind in different areas that I might not be thinking of without some of your input. Do you know if that particular wire on the negative post could be causing an ignition issue.


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

I had a 71 Chevelle that wouldn't start one day and found the small wire from the negative broken off. I fixed it in the parking lot where I was parked and she started right up. I remembered this let last night. So what that wire did was ground the sheet metal of the car. 

So..... take a piece of wire and run it from the negative to the body and see. I'm sure you could have done this by now.

Again, do you own a test light? Because if you don't have the simplest of tools, I don't know how you expect to diagnose you problem.
Also, you need a DVOM for checking the coil.


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## CocayneKille (Jul 28, 2013)

I understand that grounding idea, most components (in these older vehicles) have a grounded wire to the body, do you would need to have that ground circuit continuing from the body to the battery. That definitely makes since. In all honesty until right now, I have not had the time to do any of these simpler things in the past 5 to 8 days because I've been continuously working from about 9a.m. to about 1 to 4 the following morning.
I just got small spool of 12gauge wire and I'm going to try replacing that write shortly. Will update with message on here about the outcome.
And to answer your final question that I have regularly forgotten to answer, I do not have any electrical testing equipment of my own anymore, but I do have access to a mechanics setup when he is not actively using the individual tools I'm in need of.


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## CocayneKille (Jul 28, 2013)

Replacing that ground wire did not have any effect on the issue I've been having.
I did try one of the suggestions that my brother made, which was to make sure the cap contact points and the rotor was clean (he said they could have been getting gummed up) when this issue was happening.

I did clean the suggested parts when this issue was occurring, and to my surprise the truck fired right up. To make sure it didn't fire up by chance, the next day this issue occurred and I spent more time cleaning, then it fired right up and haven't had any starting issues since.


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