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Sun Nov 24, 2024 1:47 pm

Had to take my beetle in for a vehicle inspection a few weeks back and it drove there perfectly fine, when it came time to drive it in for the inspection it just outright wouldn’t start and I had to get it towed home. I did the old spark plug test to see if it was getting any spark and it wasn’t. Since then I’ve replaced the ignition coil and the distributor and rewired the ignition switch to the coil and it still isn’t getting any spark. It’s definitely getting power from the switch back to the coil as well. I’d like to point out as well, the spark plugs and spark plug wires are fairly new as well. They were replaced about 2 years ago when I started this project and it’s not like I’ve drove it too terribly much, maybe a dozen miles or so. I’m really not sure what else it could be at this point, any suggestions or advice?

Sun Nov 24, 2024 1:53 pm

Points and condenser or Electronic ignition?

The electronic ignitions just stop working sometimes. Especially when they are incorrectly wired.

Points and condensers are dead simple.

How are you verifying that you have power to the #15 post on the coil?

Sun Nov 24, 2024 2:04 pm

Points. I’m just using a simple voltage tester that lights up when it gets power and grounded. Bad way of checking or no?

Sun Nov 24, 2024 2:46 pm

Daniel1120 wrote: Points. I’m just using a simple voltage tester that lights up when it gets power and grounded. Bad way of checking or no?
A test light is fine.

If you have a volt ohm meter. Set to ohms and take readings from the coil #15 to #4 posts.
Then check again #15 and the secondary coil out.
I cannot remember off the top of my head what the correct readings are supposed to be are. But that'll give you an idea if the coil is good or bad.
Yes new coils can be bad right out of the box.

Sun Nov 24, 2024 2:53 pm

I’ll test it again but this is the third coil I’ve tried. First one is the one that worked then randomly stopped, second one brand new and no spark, now on the third one and still nothing. They’re the cheap 12v duralast coils….think that has anything to do with it?

Sun Nov 24, 2024 2:57 pm

It is rather odd that 2 new coils could be faulty. But things happen.

What are your points set at? Usually .016" will get an engine running.

Also, is the little carbon button in the distributor cap inplace?
I've had one disappear once and the engine would not fire.

Sun Nov 24, 2024 3:04 pm

The distributor I got, the description states it comes factory set .016-.020 yet I can’t even get it to sputter. What do you mean by carbon button?

Sun Nov 24, 2024 3:37 pm

Daniel1120 wrote: The distributor I got, the description states it comes factory set .016-.020 yet I can’t even get it to sputter. What do you mean by carbon button?
Inside the distributor cap where the coil wire attaches, there is a spring loaded carbon button that makes contact with the rotor.
When the coil fires, the spark is transferred through the carbon button to the rotor and then the rotor sends the spark to each sparkplug wire it is timed to.

See the link below. Look for condition #3 start at line item 6.
http://www.vw-resource.com/car_wont_start.html#rotates

Sun Nov 24, 2024 5:03 pm

Check the point gap.

check that you got the wire from dizzie to coil on the correct side of coil terminal make sure that wire is not on the terminal that has the electric choke or ignition supply wire attached, the wire to the dizzie should be the only wire on that coil terminal (unless you have an aftermarket tachometer)

confirm the center high tension wire is good, correctly install in cap and to coil.

If so equiped, does the electric choke get hot with key switched on?

The carbon button is spring loaded, it is inside the cap under the center high tension wire. make sure it is spring loaded, not missing

make sure the braided ground wire to the breaker plate inside the distributor is not busted.

Mon Nov 25, 2024 7:40 am

Mon Nov 25, 2024 2:45 pm

zerotofifty wrote:

The carbon button is spring loaded, it is inside the cap under the center high tension wire. make sure it is spring loaded, not missing

make sure the braided ground wire to the breaker plate inside the distributor is not busted.

^^^This.

I've had both these issues on various cars fail.

Tue Nov 26, 2024 1:03 pm

Replace the condenser.

Wed Nov 27, 2024 6:36 am

Where are you in Ohio? I am in the Dayton area and would be happy to come look at your car if you aren't too far away.

More information about your car would help here.
What year?
What engine?
What modifications?

Wed Nov 27, 2024 8:47 am

Do you have power going to the cool? Maybe the ignition switch left the chat.