Welcome to the all new Geo Metro Forum. We hope you enjoy your visit.You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are features you can't use and images you can't see. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: Join our community! |
| no spark | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 1 2012, 06:59 PM (3,541 Views) | |
| wrong.way1960 | Mar 1 2012, 06:59 PM Post #1 |
|
New Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
i have a 92 geo metro automatic that when i crank it ,,it will not start or spark, but when i let off the key it lets out a spark, what could this be? thanks in advance |
![]() |
|
| Rooy | Mar 1 2012, 11:43 PM Post #2 |
![]()
|
I'm thinking the pickup coil inside the distributor may be bad. |
![]() |
|
| clarkdw | Mar 2 2012, 11:40 PM Post #3 |
![]()
|
Check that the distributor is turning. Broken timing belt will cause this. You are getting voltage to the coil but one of the components that interrupts that voltage to cause a spark is not working. Rooy is right about one of the possibilities. |
![]() |
|
| wrong.way1960 | Mar 8 2012, 03:21 PM Post #4 |
|
New Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
ive changed the coil, the distribator, the ignition switch and still i only get spark when i shut the key off not turn it on. i am about to go crazy, what could this be. |
![]() |
|
| geogonfa | Mar 8 2012, 03:25 PM Post #5 |
![]()
|
agree with checking to see if the cam is turning... |
![]() |
|
| idmetro | Mar 8 2012, 03:56 PM Post #6 |
![]()
|
You get spark only when you shut the key off because turning the key on "charges" the coil (may not be the correct term) and turning off the key triggers the coil to discharge. Normally the signal from the distributor to the Engine control moducle would send the signal to discharge the coil, the spark would travel to the distributor cap and out to the appropriate sparkplug, firing the cylinder. As mentioned above there is a very strong likelihood that you have broken a timing belt. Until you verify that the camshaft and the distributor shaft attached to it are actually turning there is no sense in buying more parts or changing out anythig else (I hear MWebb - who's voice I imagine sounding like the Wizard of Oz saying "Test, Do Not Guess). In a simplified explanation - If the cam is not turning then the distributor (which keys into the end of the camshaft) will not turn, if the distributor shaft does not turn then the pickup module in the distributor does not sense the shaft turning and does not send a signal to the engine control module to discharge the coil so no spark is being sent to the cylinders, consequently the car does not run... Edited by idmetro, Mar 8 2012, 04:08 PM.
|
![]() |
|
| wrong.way1960 | Mar 8 2012, 07:01 PM Post #7 |
|
New Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
timing is on and all is turning. |
![]() |
|
| idmetro | Mar 8 2012, 07:34 PM Post #8 |
![]()
|
What did the donor distributor come from and was it running when the distirbutor was donated? |
![]() |
|
| wrong.way1960 | Mar 8 2012, 09:07 PM Post #9 |
|
New Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
junk yard said engine runs |
![]() |
|
| idmetro | Mar 9 2012, 06:29 AM Post #10 |
![]()
|
Do you know if it was from the same year engine as yours? There are some differences between years so any given Metro distributor isn't interchangable across all years. Do you still have the original?
Edited by idmetro, Mar 9 2012, 06:33 AM.
|
![]() |
|
| wrong.way1960 | Mar 9 2012, 08:41 AM Post #11 |
|
New Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
no original but i have a 92 and it came out of a 93 |
![]() |
|
| idmetro | Mar 9 2012, 12:27 PM Post #12 |
![]()
|
Rockauto shows the same part number for both years so it seems likely it should work. What lead up to the current situation? Was the car running on the prior distributor and then quit? Or??? Have you tried starting the car in neutral? |
![]() |
|
| wrong.way1960 | Mar 9 2012, 04:48 PM Post #13 |
|
New Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
the car was stalling a lot and then i went out to start it - it would no longer start, but it stalled all day that day. |
![]() |
|
| idmetro | Mar 10 2012, 08:58 PM Post #14 |
![]()
|
Have you run a compression test? Cleaned the grounds on the back of the intake manifold? |
![]() |
|
| joshua | Mar 10 2012, 09:36 PM Post #15 |
|
New Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
I don’t know if this was mentioned but even if you see the cam gear turn ''cover off'' the distributor may not be turning due to a broken cam. If you pull the valve cover and have some one turn the engine over you will be able to see if that’s the case. The reason I bring this up is because I have read of this same situation on this forum on a older post and that’s what it ended being. The cam was broke under a cam holder so just by looking it looked to be fine. But when turning it over the back half of the cam was sitting still. It’s a long shot but an easy thing to check just to knock it off your list. Good luck |
![]() |
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| Go to Next Page | |
| « Previous Topic · Electrical Systems · Next Topic » |


Welcome to the all new Geo Metro Forum. We hope you enjoy your visit.


![]](http://z3.ifrm.com/static/1/pip_r.png)





9:12 AM Jul 11