No spark

[agnew1985]

Hi everyone, still having no end of problems after an engine rebuild last year. Ended up getting another car to tide me over but that has now reached the end of its life so getting the van started is a real priority. Anyway! I currently have no sparks. The battery is reading 12.8 volts and I'm getting 11.8 at the ht lead from the coil. I got no flash from the timing gun so took the plug out and earthed it and got nothing. Ive put new ht leads, plugs, rotor arm and dizzy cap. I am woefully ignorant of electrics so any help would be great.

Thanks in advance,

Nick

[agnew1985]

Also, I have 11 volts from the red and black wire at the connector on the side of the distributor.

Nick

[itchyfeet]

Welcome back Nick
8 pages here and you had leccy problems then
https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=134245" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

so remind us becuase nobody is going to read 8 pages,
1.9 Late DG?
Origional electronic ignition with module?
summary of past ignition problem?

start with a good picture or several of the coil to ignition module to dizzy wiring area so we can see if it looks right.

[ghost123uk]

Aye, do as itchy says and he/we will work through it,

but...

I'm getting 11.8 at the ht lead from the coil.

That ain't right. The HT lead from the coil should have nowt on it when not running or cranking, and when running or cranking should have about 100,000 Volts on it (which produces the sparks). 100,000 Volts can kill you, if it doesn't it sure as hell hurts. Don't ever try to measure Voltage on HT leads

Having a voltage on the HT lead though, when not running, does indicate a faulty coil (where the 2 internal windings are shorting together).

In view of that ^^^, if this were my van, I would test if it was the coil by substitution with a known good one, borrowed off another T25 (or just buy one).

[bigherb]

Aye, do as itchy says and he/we will work through it,

but...

I'm getting 11.8 at the ht lead from the coil.

That ain't right. The HT lead from the coil should have nowt on it when not running or cranking, and when running or cranking should have about 100,000 Volts on it (which produces the sparks). 100,000 Volts can kill you, if it doesn't it sure as hell hurts. Don't ever try to measure Voltage on HT leads

You will get 12v from the ht lead with just the ignition switched on as the secondary winding is connected to the primary winding. But it is only a check to see if the secondary winding is open circuit it doesn't really tell you much other than that.

Save me writing it again check it as in my post hear.
https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... l#p7807953" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[agnew1985]

Thanks for the replys. I've got an 88 dg van. I rebuilt the engine back in July and it's not been running since. I've had intermittent problems with the starter but that seems to have gone away at the moment. I think the cable from the ignition switch to solonoid could do with replacing. I had the van running, but idling very roughly and cutting out with throttle and loud, explosive bangs. Thought it might have been an air leak somewhere so I took the inlet manifold off to apply sealant to the gaskets and while I was there, realised the dizzy drive gear/ shaft thing was a cog out so moved that to what seems to be the correct position by haynes. Then the engine stopped firing all together. That is when the current problem of no spark arose. Pretty sure I've got fuel - new pump and been pumping quite happily up to now. I did as bigherb suggested and yes i got a spark from the king lead and 11 volts between the 2 outside pins of the three pin plug. Here are some pics. So sorry one of them is really blurry which I hadn't realised but I hope they're useful!

IMG_20150211_180232.jpg

IMG_20150211_180322.jpg

IMG_20150211_180737.jpg

Thanks a lot.

[itchyfeet]

Never seen a coil like that on a t3
sounds like dizzy/ drive setup is wrong to me or just leads on wrong

[bigherb]

I did as bigherb suggested and yes i got a spark from the king lead and 11 volts between the 2 outside pins of the three pin plug.

Then your problem is with the distributor, is the shaft/rotor arm turning when you crank over the engine?

[kevtherev]

That distributor looks wrong..
Looks to me like the leads are wrong, like they all need stepping on by one clockwise

[MidLifeCrisis]

Bit tough to see - but is that a weird coil??

[bigherb]

Bit tough to see - but is that a weird coil??

It is an air cooled as opposed to oil cooled coil, fitted to SA T25's and other VW's

[kevtherev]

I have to admit I have never seen one of those air cooled coils.
What's the thinking there?

[itchyfeet]

That distributor looks wrong..
Looks to me like the leads are wrong, like they all need stepping on by one clockwise

the drive shaft can go in 180 out but afaik has several teeth so can be inserted in many positions so whats important is the rotor arm points to no 1 lead at approx tdc on no 1 then count around the cap 1432

[agnew1985]

I agree, the coil has always bothered me as I didn't know why it was different to all available from JK, brickwerks, etc... but it has never given me cause to think it wasn't working well. I'm leaning towards the hall sensor but obviously would like to be sure! I am pretty sure that the shaft is in the right way round and the leads are in the correct order. Also, the shaft and rotor arm are turning with the engine. I've put some pics below showing the rotor arm position at tdc on no.1 compression (obviously, the cap matches position roughly with no.1 lead). Also I did notice there are only two spades in the three pin connector on the side of the dizzy. Is this normal?! it is at the end where the brown and white cable should connect. I've put a pic of this too. I 've also put a clearer pic of the coil for anyones interest!

rotor arm.jpg

3pin.jpg

coil.jpg

Thanks for any thoughts.

[BOXY]

I'm pretty sure when I took a dizzie apart last year that there was a red, black and a green wire each going to a spade connector in the plug on the dizzie.