Ignition problems

[ajv3diver]

OK, so I'm new to this site and I have a 69 Dodge Coronet R/T, nice shape but has been sitting for a few years. I wanted to get it rolling again so I dusted if off and changed the oil. Put a new battery in it and the gas tank was empty so I put some fresh gas in it. Tried starting it, nothing. No spark from the distributor. Changed that! Still no spark, changed rotor, points, condenser, Porcelain resistor on firewall, coil, spark plugs and no spark comes out of the coil to the distributor. It's a 440 numbers matching car and I'm going crazy trying to get it to start. I get power to the positive side of the coil and I gapped the points correctly. Not sure what else to do!! HELP!!!

 

[Meep-Meep]

Do you have the wire to the points grounded somehow? If you have power to the (+) side of the coil and ground the (-) side with a piece of wire, then release the wire, you should get a spark.

 

[ajv3diver]

the negative side of the coil wired to the distributor and connected to the points. I gapped the points correctly and it still doesn't get spark. I'm baffled.

 

[Pops1967GTX]

You need to do some troubleshooting. Before changing any parts....
Find out if the points are opening closing,make sure point gap is correct & you are seeing a arch....
if you've verified the coil is hot in both start & run positions. You might have a bad condenser...You MUST have a good condenser to make sparks.


[video]http://randysrepairshop.net/test-your-basic-ignition-coil-circuit.html[/video]

 

[67 coronet]

make sure you have power while cranking,not just in run position.also,check to make sure wire to distributor is only grounded when the points are closed.easy to have unwanted contact inside the distributor.

 

[nothingbutdarts]

??????

 

[69Ronrunner]

make sure the distributor is turning while u r cranking the engine. might have a busted timing chain?

 

[Pistol Pete]

I'd run a wire directly from the battery to the + on the coil. This will eliminate the key switch and ballast resistor. Disconnect the dizzy from the coil and run a separate (temporary) ground to the - coil. Pull the center spark plug wire from the cap and hold it near a good, clean ground not some paint covered intake bolt. Disconnect the neg. coil wire and you should get one healthy spark from the center wire (coil tower) to ground. This will prove your coil is good.

Next up, check the operation of the points. Connect a VOM between the dizzy and ground and have someone crank the motor over. You should see the needle jump back and forth between continuity and infinity as the points open and close. (This will be easier with an analog meter as opposed to a digital one) This will prove your points are opening and closing and are not shorted.

If these two tests reveal all is well, then I would look to see that the rotor is making contact with the underside of the cap, either the center post or even the outer ones for that matter.

Point gap should be in the neighborhood of .017

 

[ajv3diver]

Well, after much trouble shooting, I finally got that beast running. Thanks guys, your words of wisdom helped. Finally the brand new coil that I purchased was DOA and the points had to be re-gapped. The timing was waay out but not sure why. Anyway I appreciate your help and look forward to bouncing new ideas off of you guys again. Thanks again.

 

[Pistol Pete]

Cool beans, glad it worked out.