No spark......need help!!! updated (not good)

[dirtygertie]

I'll start at the beginning.....1982 2l Aircooled.

drove perfectly well on wednesday, parked overnight on the drive - none starter on Thursday. The van will turn over but no spark at all

we have so far changed the ignition coil
we have changed the distributor and distributor cap
we have tried a part that we believe is the ignition amp that Daz (Watson) gave us

still no spark

tester readings show there is 12v from the coil (this is dropping when we try to turn the van over) 12v to the distributor cap from coil (so no lead issues)

this is how it is set up - the black 'thing' on the far right is the part we've had from daz that we believe to be the ignition amp


closer pic


it does differ a little to the one we took off....are there different kinds? we thought they were mostly the same


can anyone offer any other theories to why the van will turn over but no spark at all? I was due to go on my jollies tomorrow (bloody typical) so I'm begging & pleading here!!!!

[BOXY]

At the dizzie end of the loom from the amp is the plug that goes on to the dizzie and a brown earth lead that attaches to the engine casing. If this earth lead is iffy you'll lose your spark.

Also try plugging the idle stabilizer plugs (the one beside the amp) together as well just to take that out as a possible cause. The van will run happily without it.

[dirtygertie]

At the dizzie end of the loom from the amp is the plug that goes on to the dizzie and a brown earth lead that attaches to the engine casing. If this earth lead is iffy you'll lose your spark.

thankyou

I will be getting hubby up at silly O'clock in the morning to try all of the suggestions posted here.......come hell or high water I want my holiday!!!!

[dirtygertie]

have checked the earth; have tried plugging the plugs from the other box together - still no spark at all.

there is a slight chance that the ignition amp that Daz gave us doesn't work so will see if we can try another (cup of coffee & bacon sandwich 1st )

[BOXY]

Here's a post about checking the Hall sensor and dizzie look if it's any help.

https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... ilit=+hall" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[dirtygertie]

Thanks Boxy its sorted!!!!

Nige checked & cleaned all the earth wires this morning; we checked all the connectins & all that jazz but it still didn't work........we went in for a cup of coffee & bacon butty, my dad turned up to offer his 2p worth; went out side & it started!!

so now I have a spare coil, spare dizzy cap (the rotor arm was damaged) & can give Daz Watson his ignition amp back

[kevtherev]

So was it the rotor arm?

[dirtygertie]

So was it the rotor arm?

we replaced the rotor arm yesterday Kev & it still wouldn't spark - from no spark this morning after checking everything again to it firing up the only change was that we'd taken 1/2 hour out to have breakie! I'm wondering if the mechanic fairy visited while we were inside

I really, really wish I knew what it actually was because if it happens again I need to know how to rectify it

[kevtherev]

When you say no spark, was that at the plug or from the king lead from the coil?

[dirtygertie]

When you say no spark, was that at the plug or from the king lead from the coil?

no spark from anywhere......

[kevtherev]

No spark from the king lead suggests a hall sender fault, earth or ignition amp issue... to me any how

[boatdog]

hi dont know if this help but i had a simalar problem on my van posted on here post still on, when you say you sorted it, are you sure its fixed? i ordered a new ignition amp for mine but while i was waiting for postie i turned the van over it had been stood for day and it fired up! ran for a while then died, i fitted new ignition amp when it arrived and it been ok since lokk at my post it maybe of some use

[dirtygertie]

i might order a new ignition amp just to be on the safe side. I'm on my holiday now so i just hope it was just a dodgy connection

[dirtygertie]

ok....update

after the van inexplicably started working again I went on my merry way to Wales where I have spent all week trundling around with no problems....until Friday. The van cut out whilst going up a very steep hill; I managed to start up again & all was well again until today when I was on my way home.

I left Capel Curig & drove for about 1/2 hour - the van started 'jumping' like it was cutting out for a split second & back fired a couple of times; I slowed down slightly on the approach to some green traffic lights & the van cut out completely. It wouldn't start back up again for a little while (about 3 light changes) I got it going again & pulled off to a safe spot where it cut out again, this time it wouldn't re-start.

I called the AA out; the guy tried a new ignition amp & got the van started - I got my hopes up that it might be a simple fix; the van ticked over merrily for about 5mins or so then cut out again
AA man put the old ignition amp back on & it started up again with no problems - we left it ticking over for about 10 mins or so without any trouble at all. AA man followed me to LLangollen to make sure I was ok. No sooner had he gone the van started 'jumping' again; it did this off & on all the way home - the tickover was a bit irregular at times when I slowed down for traffic.

got home & now its fine again.
AA man thinks it may be the lead from the ignition amp or the distributor on its way out but he really wasn't sure - so we're back to square one......

[BOXY]

It's probably the Hall sensor in the dizzie. When I fitted an electronic standard dizzie on mine the van ran for a couple of weeks before cutting out with no spark. I took the dizzie off and wired an LED across the loom to test it and it all looked ok. I refitted it and the van cut-out ???? My guess is one of the three thin wires that connect the sensor to the plug on the dizzie is partially broken and causing the spark to be intermitant. I put my 009 dizzie back on and put fitting the electronic system on the back burner.