Plug wire oops

[hazmatty3614]

I had some wires taken off the distributor today. I put the wire from the coil back on the #2 spot on the distributor and the #2 wire in the center of the distributor. I cranked it for about 5 seconds and then found the error. I fixed it but now the car won’t start it just cranks. What kind of damage could I have done? I think my battery is also shot but it’s a coincidental time to finally be shot. I’m goi g to replace the battery tomorrow but I’m worried about the coil and distributor.

[TDCTDI]

Plugs are wet with fuel, pull them, dry them, crank the engine with the plugs out, put them back in & fire it up. Check the oil & see if it smells like fuel, if so, change it.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[slalombuggy]

IF it sits over night it should be fine to start without pulling plugs. Try and start it and it it doesn't fire right away, hold the choke open (I use a screw driver handle to wedge in it) and push the gas pedal all the way to the floor WHILE you are cranking it over and hold it there till it starts. When it fires let the pedal up and remove whatever you use to hold open the choke. But after sitting all night it should dry out enough to start.

brad

[anthracitedub]

I would verify that you have actual spark... I kinda doubt you flooded it with 5 seconds of no fire cranking.

[sjbartnik]

[hazmatty3614]

I made sure the wires are correct now. I took the battery to be checked and it’s fine. I removed the plugs and dried them and reinstalled them. Verified wires again. Timed again. Accelerator pump sprayed fuel into carb. Still no starting. I’ll check spark but I’m alone here. Can’t turn the key and mess with wires at the same time.

[kiwighia68]

[xzener]

Could he have fried the coil?
_________________
My 70 beetle was totaled Now to build the Ghia I always wanted. Rest in peace Ruby, I will miss you. Hello <insert Ghia name here>!

[KGCoupe]

You can easily check for spark by pulling one of the plug wires from the spark plug.
Find yourself a large philips screwdriver (with a non-metallic handle!) that has a shaft with a diameter that will fit snugly into the end of the spark plug wire (but not so big as to widen the plug wire connector and create a loose fit for the spark plug when it is later put back in).

Holding the screwdriver by only the insulated handle, place it very close to an electrical Ground such as some clean unpainted part of the engine case (being sure to stay far away from any easily combustible source such as spilled oil/gas).
Then have someone briefly crank the engine, and if the coil is good and the ignition system is distributing power properly you should see a nice strong spark jump between the screwdriver shaft and the electrical Ground.


I also found these images showing the generic method of testing the coil with an ohm meter ...

Note those are "generic" instructions, so I'm not certain how close the expected range of readings are to what you should expect from a VW application-specific coil.
If your readings are way off, though, then the coil is most likely bad.

[sjbartnik]

[sjbartnik]

[sjbartnik]

OK take a minute and do basics. Sounds like you have fuel getting to the carb so let's focus on spark:

1) Measure the voltage across the battery terminals with a voltmeter. If it reads 12.6v, proceed. If it doesn't, put it on a battery charger until it does and then proceed. If resting battery voltage is below 12.6v, the battery is not fully charged.

2) VERIFY that the black wire coming to the coil from the ignition switch is connected to terminal 15 of the coil. (and don't skip this being like "oh I know it is" because that's how you miss stupid stuff that causes the car not to start and you end up chasing your tail.)

3) VERIFY that the (usually) green wire going to the condensor is connected to the opposite spade terminal on the coil, terminal 1.

4) Attach the positive probe of a voltmeter or test lamp to terminal 15 of the coil. Attach the negative probe to a good ground. Turn the key to ON. You should measure approximately 12v at the coil (or the test light should light up). If so, turn ignition off and proceed. If not, trace back and find out why you don't have power to the coil.

5) Verify your understanding of the cylinder numbers. Standing behind the car looking at the engine, the cylinders are numbered like so:

--front of car--
3 1
4 2

6) Looking at the distributor cap, find the wire that runs to cylinder number 1. Make a mental note of its position on the cap.

7) Remove the distributor cap. For giggles, try to turn the rotor by hand. You should not be able to do it. If you can, that was your problem - rotor not seated all the way or distributor not fully seated in drive gear. If you can't turn it, proceed.

Turn the engine over by hand until the TDC mark on the pulley (usually a dimple on the rim of the pulley) is lined up with the crankcase seam and the rotor is pointing to the spot on the distributor cap where the #1 wire connects. The distributor body should have a notch in it that the rotor is supposed to point to when you're at #1 but you can't take that at face value because someone may have installed your distributor drive gear incorrectly in the past.

9) Remove the right side valve cover and physically verify that the valves for cylinder #1 are both closed (both valve stems same height and you can wiggle the rocker arms with the normal .006" of play). If they are, re-install valve cover and proceed. If they are not, you are at TDC on the exhaust stroke for #1 and your plug wires are in the wrong place on the distributor cap - you have put #1 where #3 should be.

If that's what happened, rotate engine by hand another 360 degrees until the TDC mark on the pulley again lines up with the crankcase seam. Now verify #1 valves are both closed. If so, that is TDC on the compression stroke for #1. Whatever position on the distributor cap the rotor is pointing to (regardless of the notch) is the position on the cap for #1. Re-arrange plug wires as necessary.

10) By this point you have verified that your #1 is in the right place or you have moved it to the right place on the cap. Make sure rotor is fully seated on its shaft, then re-install distributor cap.

11) Going clockwise around the cap from #1, the next one is #4. Then #3. Then #2. And of course ensure that the center lead from the coil is connected to the center position of the distributor cap.

12) Now that your plug wires are correct, do a quick static timing verification just to ensure that the timing is close enough to allow the engine to start. Connect a test lamp or voltmeter between the coil negative terminal (the one the condensor connects to) and a good ground. Turn the engine backwards a little bit from #1 TDC. Turn the ignition on and slowly rotate the engine clockwise by hand. At the time that the timing mark on the pully lines up with the crankcase seam, you should see the test light turn on or measure ~12v on your meter (and if it's quiet where you're working you can also usually hear the click of the spark).
_________________
1965 Volkswagen 1500 Variant S
2000 Kawasaki W650

[xzener]

And to add to #2 above... If the battery only measures 10VDC... You have a bad cell and need a new battery. Just happened to me. Mine wouldn't turn over, so that's probably not it.
_________________
My 70 beetle was totaled Now to build the Ghia I always wanted. Rest in peace Ruby, I will miss you. Hello <insert Ghia name here>!

[hazmatty3614]

Plug wires are correct on distributor. The car was running albeit not very well a few days ago. Today I checked the coil and all readings were within normal ranges. I suppose tomorrow I’ll check the rotor is seated, but the cap has not been off since the car last started.

Can I connect a test light to the ends of the plug wires so I can see if the bulb lights while turning the key? I won’t have anyone to turn the key for me until at least this weekend. I need a one-man method of checking spark on the wires.

[sjbartnik]

[hazmatty3614]

I have spark on the HV wire but nothing on the plug end of each wire. The coil checks out. The battery checks out. Static timing is done. Rotor spinning with motor, seated.


Could the Pertronix points replacement be burned? Any procedure for testing it?

[jeffrey8164]

[hazmatty3614]

I did this today and the light lit up right where it usually does.

[sjbartnik]

[KGCoupe]