Club 80-90 Forums

I've been having a few problems with my ignition system. The battery has enough power and is turning the starter fine. I have changed the coil for a new one and yet there is still no spark.... I have tried another Ignition Control Unit, as it seems that there is some switching in it for the coil...
I have connected a sparkplug directly to the main lead from the coil, and earthed to the engine, and nothing....

There are 4 plug that connect to the coil... a dual plug with a two green wires which fits into the top connections (just the 2 blades) and on the bottom (3 spade) connecters there are two connections with a total of 3 black wires.

Can anyone confirm which wires should be live (or earthed) at the 3 stages of ignition...

1. Ignition off (no key in ignition)
2. Ignition On (dash lights on, but starter not turning
3. Ignition On, Starter turning..

I can then check the connections and trace the wiring back....

Its a 1.9 DG engine in a 1985 van.

black wire to the + terminal green to the negative - terminal.
do you have the ignition box with the alumiunm heat sink and next to that a small box with 2 plugs in the bottom?

have you the right coil, look down the hole for the ignition lead, is it the same as the old one, there are 2 types


if you have this little black box with 2 plugs in it remove the plugs(eack plug has 3 wire from memory)
plug the plugs into each other effectivly by passing this unit.

also check the single brown wire going to earth, make sure it has a good clean connection.
sometimes it plugs onto the dizzy, other times its connected to the engine block.

Check the Hall sender unit ... they do fail. It's the small black box with a heatsink that's screwed to the engine bay near the coil. Same on most carb VWs i.e Polio, Golf Jetta etc etc

Ian.

Hi Guys,

Billy - I have tried the old coil, seems to have the same problem... :O( No little black box near the heatsync (Ignition Control Unit)

Ian - The only stuff located near to the coil is the Ignition Control Unit. I believe that I have electronic ignition, (? so the hall unit is mounted inside the distributer?)

If the hall sender was stuffed would that still mean that the coil wouldn't produce a spark? I guess the hall unit sends some sort of command to the Ignition Control Unit to switch the coil?

It's all very confusing. My engine seems to be missing little black boxes and also I can't see a idle stabiliser either...

If it's a 1915DG there should be a ignition control unit, when that dies it can just suddenly stop (Mocki's did) and then there's no spark. Swap for a known good one and it should fire up immediately.

Ian.

I bought an ignition control unit (the ally plate with a black box on, multiplug in the bottom) and it doesn't seem to make any difference. :O(

I've also tested the HT lead from the coil to the distributer which seems to be fine... I suspect its something electrical, and really really simple.. it just probably won't show itself till I have replaced every ignition componant...

You have tried the little brown earth wire onto the cylinder head haven't you ?

Ian.