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| No Start Problem | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 24 2016, 07:45 PM (286 Views) | |
| Richard123vmt | Dec 24 2016, 07:45 PM Post #1 |
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Car has been starting and running fine. I disconnected the heater hoses for the purpose of shunting out the heater. I then intended to drive to the car wash and flush out the heater. But the car would not start, although it turned over normally. I couldn't find anything wrong under the hood. I hadn't gotten the distributor or wiring wet. I put the battery on the charger since I had run it down somewhat. Then with the charger on it started. I drove to the car wash as I had planned and could see crap come out of the heater. i did this with the car running since i was insecure about it starting again. When I got home I tried to restart it and it started. I restored the hoses to the heater but this time once again no start. I put it on the charger, no start. Then, based on advice from my Haynes manual I intended to check for spark from the coil but when I pulled out the wire from the distributor the wire came out without the contact. I had a spare coil wire and put that in. Now the car started. But I am not convinced it was not a coincidence. The old wire seemed to have about 3.9 k ohms which is good. What could I be over looking here? I don't see why the coil wire would work fine then suddenly go while the car is not running. It doesn't make sense. Does anyone see a pattern? Edited by Richard123vmt, Dec 24 2016, 07:47 PM.
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| freegeo | Dec 24 2016, 08:41 PM Post #2 |
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When working on the engine it sometimes can be very easy to pull the plug wire loose from the coil. I would try and see what it does since you replaced it. |
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| Richard123vmt | Dec 24 2016, 11:18 PM Post #3 |
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It runs. Against my usual policy i took it out for a test drive at night. Aside from the start question there is also the leak possibility. Anyway, being as it is Xmas Eve, I chanced it and I had no problem. Plus I had heat. Which this winter I can certainly use. Not always, but this is a CA winter where Ella Fitzgerald complained of CA "...it's cold & it's damp." So apparently she was in Northern CA., Frisco I would gauge. But next I have to deal with the cables to get my defroster working as well. The importance of this is proved by the fact I ran over a divider in the rain last month. Although, on that occasion visibility was so poor, it would happen anyway. It is fairly simple to hook up that cable. There is only one. The heat cable is already on. I am still suspicious about how easy that coil wire solution went. I am not that lucky. But I can't see how water could get to anything that would be responsible. Only the low voltage leads to the distributor and that seems unlikely. |
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| freegeo | Dec 25 2016, 08:57 AM Post #4 |
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I wouldn't be surprised if this time you luck changed. |
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| Richard123vmt | Dec 25 2016, 05:16 PM Post #5 |
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Today the car is running & that's what counts. In the interest of "science" I put back the old wire (without clip) and as I suspected the car started right up. So the score is science 0, the unknown 100%. |
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| Metromightymouse | Dec 25 2016, 05:28 PM Post #6 |
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Powdercoat Wizard
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without the clip it will stay close enough for the spark to jump from the coil to the wire for awhile. Over time or after you bump the wire, it will pull away and the spark has further to jump causing misses or failure to start or poor running. |
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