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Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:05 pm

SO, on the way home from school today my fasty started chugging and jerking real bad and lost all power then backfired and died. I had to push it onto the shoulder and then got a ride home from a friend. I thought i might of just got too low on gas (the fuel gauge read low but not too low) so i put a couple of gallons in ands she fired right up but as soon as i got on the road it started doing the same thing and died again, and now it wont start at all. We where able to tow it home. Now at home im trying to get it running. I changed the fuel filter thinking it might be clogged but that didnt help. I am getting fuel to the injectors, 30 psi. But im just not getting spark from the coil. If you unhook the wire that goes from the coil to the center of the distributer cap and hold it 3/8inch from the engine tin or metal like the bently says while someone cranks the engine there is no spark. Im pretty sure the coil is good because i put it in my bus and it worked, and if you put a test light to the positive terminal it shows its getting power. All fuses are good and there is spark at the points. What should i check next?
69 fastback with Fuel Injection

Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:25 pm

If your gas tank has never been cleaned, and your over flow hose under the R front fender is broken. (Probably), You will have crud in the bottom of your gas tank plugging the fuel well sump.
Then, if you get below about 1/4 tank, the car will act like it is out of gas.
Pull the fuel sender out of the top of the tank, and look in with a flash light to see what the inside of the tank looks like.
If you have not replaced that over flow hose, you should get one on order, or do something to keep the front tires from throwing crap up and into the tank.

Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:27 pm

Try 1/8 of an inch to a GOOD ground. Did you crank the engine by hand or with the key? Are your points opening and closing? Check your gap.

Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:32 pm

vwcrazybus wrote: Try 1/8 of an inch to a GOOD ground. Did you crank the engine by hand or with the key? Are your points opening and closing? Check your gap. The rotor is turning and the points are opening and closing and sparking and the gap is good according to the bently manual. And i dont think this is a fuel issue because it wont even fire if you shoot starting fluid into the throttle body and there is NO spark to the plugs, and i have 12.55 volts at the battery and 11.73 volts at the coil with ignition on.

Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:38 pm

If you have spark at the coil, and none at the plugs, then check the resistance of the rotor.
Or the carbon brush in the rotor.
If you get not spark at the coil, and the points are opening and closing, check the voltage at the distributor terminal of the coil.
You should have 12V there when the points are open, and 0V when the points are closed.
Check the little ground braid on the distributor breaker plate. I needs to be intact.

Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:39 pm

It has to be your coil, that is where your plugs get their spark. I know this might sound silly but did you make sure your connections, the wire from the coil to the distributor are both tight fitting? When you crank the engine over you hear it trying to crank, right?

Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:42 pm

Russ Wolfe wrote: If you have spark at the coil, and none at the plugs, then check the resistance of the rotor.
Or the carbon brush in the rotor.
If you get not spark at the coil, and the points are opening and closing, check the voltage at the distributor terminal of the coil.
You should have 12V there when the points are open, and 0V when the points are closed.
Check the little ground braid on the distributor breaker plate. I needs to be intact.

Russ, he said he has NO spark at the coil as per the coil test.

Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:43 pm

vwcrazybus wrote: It has to be your coil, that is where your plugs get their spark. I know this might sound silly but did you make sure your connections, the wire from the coil to the distributor are both tight fitting? When you crank the engine over you hear it trying to crank, right? I put a known good coil in it and that didnt help, all the connections seem good, the coil is getting power.
Thanks

Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:45 pm

Russ Wolfe wrote:
Check the little ground braid on the distributor breaker plate. I needs to be intact. Im not sure on this one, what does that look like?

Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:45 pm

I apologize, I read it as you had no spark from your coil.

Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:47 pm

vwcrazybus wrote: I apologize, I read it as you had no spark from your coil. I do have NO SPARK FROM THE COIL as in the main wire coming from the coil to the distributer cap is not supplying the cap with spark, however the POINTS do spark as they open and close.

Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:48 pm

volksjunky41 wrote: Russ Wolfe wrote:
Check the little ground braid on the distributor breaker plate. I needs to be intact. Im not sure on this one, what does that look like?

Pictures on page 51 of the Bentley.

Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:49 pm

In the engine section.

Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:53 pm

vwcrazybus wrote: volksjunky41 wrote: Russ Wolfe wrote:
Check the little ground braid on the distributor breaker plate. I needs to be intact. Im not sure on this one, what does that look like?

Pictures on page 51 of the Bentley. Ok i found the ground in the distributer and it is intact.

Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:00 pm

volksjunky41 wrote: vwcrazybus wrote: I apologize, I read it as you had no spark from your coil. I do have NO SPARK FROM THE COIL as in the main wire coming from the coil to the distributer cap is not supplying the cap with spark, however the POINTS do spark as they open and close.

What do you mean they "spark" when they open and close?

Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:07 pm

vwcrazybus wrote: volksjunky41 wrote: vwcrazybus wrote: I apologize, I read it as you had no spark from your coil. I do have NO SPARK FROM THE COIL as in the main wire coming from the coil to the distributer cap is not supplying the cap with spark, however the POINTS do spark as they open and close.

What do you mean they "spark" when they open and close? With ignition on if you touch them with a screw driver or somethin metal you can see a spark, and a test light confirms i have power to the points, sorry i kind had my words mixed up.

Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:26 pm

Rob the wire from the center of the coil to center of the distributor from your bus and try it on your fastback. Seriously..do it, if it works then easy fix.

Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:29 pm

vwcrazybus wrote: Rob the wire from the center of the coil to center of the distributor from your bus and try it on your fastback. Seriously..do it, if it works then easy fix. Already tried that and no bieno. Could a bad condensor cause this? Also ive read that with the cap off if you turn the rotor a little bit by hand it should spring back, mine doesnt is my distributer toast?

Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:52 pm

Yes, it should spring back! BUT you still should have spark when you pull the center wire from the distributor and hold it super close to a ground while cranking the engine over. What kind of distributor do you have?

Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:59 pm

The condenser breaks the primary circuit in the coil allowing the secondary windings in the coil to buildup voltage. So Yes! if your condenser is crap then your not gonna get enough voltage to make the spark to the distributor.