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On Sun, 2 Nov 1997, Melissa & Jim wrote: The problem that I am having is that upon cranking the car, everything seems to be operating fine, as in choke opening, gas getting to carb, etc, but the engine is not starting. Timing has been double and triple checked. I have tested juice to the dist from the coil my detaching the the wire from it's connection to the center of the dist cap and holding ti close to ground and having someone crank the car with the starter. The spark that is produced is very weak--won't jump a gap of more that a millimeter and is white to yellow in color. Upon finding that, I swapped in a new coil. Same result. That's when I started the volt measurements. I have also tried to observe a spark at the plugs, but none is present. That has been my most recent quandry. Bryan > On 31 Oct 97, Carlson Bryan J wrote: > > > I have had some time today to look at my car. Using a voltmeter, > > the voltage from the primary wire to the coil is 12v, the voltage > > from the distributor back to the coil is 11v, and the voltage from > > the coil wire to the center of the dist cap is 11v. > > These are perfectly normal if the points are open. > If the points are closed they ground the wire between the coil and > the dist so you will measure 0v there. > > > These > > measurements were all taken by turning the engine over by hand. > > Doesn't matter how you got there. > > > Curiously, my tester light lit upon touching the + lead of the coil > > and the - lead of the coil, but not when touching the coil wire to > > the dist, either when detached fron the cap or when attached and > > touched to the inside center of the cap. Gave a voltage reading, > > though > > Normal again, due to the large resistance of the coil secondary > winding. > > . Another curiosity: The wire from the dist to the coil > > (connected to term 1) would only light the tester light when the > > points were open. I know that this is not entirely clear, but I'll > > leave it at that. > > Normal, when that wire is grounded there will be no voltage there. > > I hope to get some time tomorrow to fiddle > > around, so give me some suggestions. Your previous suggestions have > > helped, although the spring on the points was not grounding to the > > side of the dist and all of my battery connections and ground straps > > are in good shape > > The spring on the points is not supposed to touch the side of the > distributor. Electrical contact is made, however via the spring, > base plate,and flexible wire braid to the dist ground. > > So far everything you have described is normal. What have you > observed that leads you to believe that you have an ignition problem? > > Jim > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > Melissa Kepner Jim Adney > Laura Kepner-Adney > jadney@vwtype3.org > Madison, Wisconsin > --------------------------------------------------------------------- >