Cranks, but doesen't spark?

[tobes50]

Well I got done replacing the spark plugs/wire,seals, and timing belt. At first it had spark but it wouldn't start. Now it has no spark but the rpms are around 500 when I crank it over. Could this be the crank position sensor? The car did run a days ago,but then had to be torn down to fix a leaking waterpump.

Thanks,
Toby

 

[luigisho]

All that fiddling around in there makes it sound very likely. Did you check the cps gap?

 

[Mr Anonymous]

Check all your electrical ground connections, especially the route from the DIS on the crossover tube to the rear surge tank and the strap to the firewall -- a bad ground can result in a no-spark condition.

Also double-check the plug routing and firing order -- the Chilton's books have the WRONG firing order which has resulted in more than a few SHOwners having starting troubles.

The fact that you're seeing the tach move while cranking indicates that the CPS is functioning properly. Double-check all the ignition-related wiring and you should be able to get it running.

 

[tobes50]

Last night we got the car to start for a split second and then it died immedietly. After that we had no luck. I tried it this morning and it started. I didn't drive it because I didn't have the accesory belt or pulleys on ( I wanted to make sure it started first) but it seemed to run fine. then I turned it off, put everything together, went to start it and now its not getting spark again.

Is it possible for the tach to work with a faulty CPS?

SHOooo: What do you mean by the DIS ground? Are you talking about where the DIS mounts to the intake?

Please Help,
Toby

 

[Mr Anonymous]

I'm astonished that someone would actually intentionally start a car without the accessory belt installed! Without the water pump turning to provide coolant circulation, you could literally destroy your engine in mere minutes. Perhaps you already have...

In any case, try running a search and look for 'DIS ground', 'no spark' and similar keywords and you'll find lots of information about the DIS ground path, the ignition system, etc. that might serve to help you diagnose your problems.

Unbelieveable!

 

[Trojan Man]

When you crnak it over, put the pedal to the floor. I was having the EXACT SAME problem as you. It would crank and crank, CPS was fine, etc, but it just wouldn't start. So I did the whole upper end of the 60k thinking my wires and plugs were just entirly shot. I put it back together and it still does this occasionally. 90% of the time it's fine, but maybe once every two weeks it won't start. Put your gas pedal to the floor and hopefully it'll work for you like it did to me.

My theory on what's going on is this: I believe that for some unknown reason, every once in a while the car won't spark on it's first turnover. Then, once it does spark, the engine is too flooded to start. Putting the pedal to the floor lets more air in, allowing it to start.

Once again, this is only my personal expierience, and my theory could be totally wrong and this may not work for you. But it did and still does work for me, so give it a try.

 

[jthomas68]

No,it`s not possible for the tach to move with a bad CPS.If the cps is bad,it doesn`t pick up any signal from the crank,hence,no tach reading.

 

[sdpatt]

Check the plug wire sequence here. The DIS ground path is another possibility. You can also run the KOEO test without starting the car to have the EEC test the sensors and tell you if there is a problem. Did you use a lot of intake cleaner spray in the head ports? The engine is flooded and may take several long minutes to clear it out. The throttle fully open will help that.