TheSamba.com :: View topic - New/rebuilt distributor killed my car. AAAHHHHHHHH

Sat Jun 01, 2024 11:04 am

I just installed a rebuilt distributor and my car wouldn't start. I put the old one back in and it started right up, ran for about a minute and then sharply stopped.

Now I have no spark???? I checked both cylinder 1&2. I rested the plug on the generator mount and turned the engine over with the key on and nothing I tried a new cap and rotor but no luck. Is there a fuse that could have blown? What next?

1971
1600 DP
Dvda Distrubutor
34 pict 3 carb

Context- The vac can on my old distributor was shot and the advance plate was really hard to move so I ordered a rebuilt original. The car ran fine before but I was trying to get everything dialed in right.
Thanks

Sat Jun 01, 2024 11:11 am

The green wire is on the wrong terminal, it should have nothing else connected on that one.
You may have smoked the ignition power wire coming from up front.

Sat Jun 01, 2024 11:18 am

The solid green wire (towards the Front of ca)r) goes to the condenser on the distributor and the white w/ green stripe (closer to the rear of the car) didn't get moved. The only thing i unplugged was the solid green wire to the condenser. The car cranks but has no spark.

Thanks for your help

Sat Jun 01, 2024 11:21 am

The black #15 wire from the harness to the front is un-fused unless a previous owner added an in-line fuse. So check for 12 volts positive at the positive (#15) terminal on the coil with key in "run" position.

Sat Jun 01, 2024 11:25 am

Verify the green wire is on the negative of the coil. If you have a tach you might have two wires on the negative terminal. My eye spies a non seated distributor. Check that the shaft is fully engaged.

Sat Jun 01, 2024 11:35 am

I have 11.9v at the + terminal on the coil. There is a fuse on the black wire coming off the + side of the coil. The fuse looks ok and the black wire goes to the pass side and through the fire wall to the front of the car.

bsairhead- That's a pic of the rebuilt distributor which is now sitting on my work bench. The old distributor is back in and seated correctly. The rotor turns with the engine. Good eye though.

Sat Jun 01, 2024 11:38 am

Green wire is in the 1 side which is negative, I believe. There is another wire that goes into the wire harness. White with green stripe. No tach.

Sat Jun 01, 2024 11:45 am

I have had two distributors rebuilt years ago. (205T)I bought one from Jay Salser which is in my beetle and he did a great job. My original 205T was sent off to someone else on here to fix. I received it back in terrible condition. Wrong washers, slop in the shaft, old grease. Total mess. I Sent it to Glenn and he fixed it for me the right way.
Nowadays I'd probably just recondition it myself. (Nothing against Glenn) I just know things more than I did back then. But the "rebuild" may be not a good one.

Sat Jun 01, 2024 11:50 am

Frodge wrote: I have had two distributors rebuilt years ago. (205T)I bought one from Jay Salser which is in my beetle and he did a great job. My original 205T was sent off to someone else on here to fix. I received it back in terrible condition. Wrong washers, slop in the shaft, old grease. Total mess. I Sent it to Glenn and he fixed it for me the right way.
Nowadays I'd probably just recondition it myself. (Nothing against Glenn) I just know things Noemi didn't back then. But the "rebuild" may be not a good one.

That's quite possible. The car would not run with the rebuilt distributor. I put he old one back in and it started right up, ran for about a minute and then died. Now nothing. My old distributor is currently in the car.

Sat Jun 01, 2024 12:19 pm

Black wire to a fuse holder should be for the reverse lights. It should go to the left side. You said passenger side and I suspect you have a left hand drive car so that's not right. You know passenger side and drivers side varies

Sat Jun 01, 2024 12:35 pm

bsairhead wrote: Black wire to a fuse holder should be for the reverse lights. It should go to the left side. You said passenger side and I suspect you have a left hand drive car so that's not right. You know passenger side and drivers side varies

The lights work fine. I don't know what to say? This is a Ghia. Maybe that's why?

I pulled the coil out and I got 8.17 from the center to either terminal. 4.1 from the 15 to 1.

I can't find any specs for my coil. 113 905 115c. Is there a chart that someone knows of?

Sat Jun 01, 2024 12:56 pm

n1 wrote: bsairhead wrote: Black wire to a fuse holder should be for the reverse lights. It should go to the left side. You said passenger side and I suspect you have a left hand drive car so that's not right. You know passenger side and drivers side varies

The lights work fine. I don't know what to say? This is a Ghia. Maybe that's why?

I pulled the coil out and I got 8.17 from the center to either terminal. 4.1 from the 15 to 1.

I can't find any specs for my coil. 113 905 115c. Is there a chart that someone knows of? If the reverse lights work fine you have power to the coil. Coil could be fried but I doubt it. More likely your condenser cooked.

Sat Jun 01, 2024 1:41 pm

I think you nailed it. I was informed that I needed to set the points on the rebuilt distributor. I set them, installed it and the car fired up. I'll time it in a little bit and hopefully I'm all set.

Thanks to everyone for your help. Solved. (I hope)

Sat Jun 01, 2024 2:01 pm

n1 wrote: I think you nailed it. I was informed that I needed to set the points on the rebuilt distributor. I set them, installed it and the car fired up. I'll time it in a little bit and hopefully I'm all set.

Thanks to everyone for your help. Solved. (I hope) You were informed to set the points. Come on man.

Sat Jun 01, 2024 2:11 pm

The seller of the distributor saw this thread and PMed me. I guess I assumed they would be set. Shame on me and great service from the seller. I rebuilt the motor last year and I'm still getting everything in its right place. I'm learning all the time. Thanks again for the help.

Sat Jun 01, 2024 2:20 pm

n1 wrote: The seller of the distributor saw this thread and PMed me. I guess I assumed they would be set. Shame on me and great service from the seller. I rebuilt the motor last year and I'm still getting everything in its right place. I'm learning all the time. Thanks again for the help. I would have assumed they were not. And been impressed if they were. Nothing against the seller, but when you assume. You know.