2. There are 2 main signs indicating a malfunction of the ignition system: either the engine does not start and "shoots", or it doesn’t start well and misses the flash. If the omission becomes regular, i.e. the engine only runs on two or three cylinders, the problem most likely lies in the secondary circuit (high voltage circuit). If the flash skip appears and disappears, either of the two circuits may be faulty. If the engine suddenly stalls or does not start at all, the primary circuit is most likely faulty (low voltage). Loss of power and engine overheating can be caused not only by a poorly adjusted carburetor, but also by a faulty distributor or poorly adjusted ignition.
The engine will not start
3. If the engine does not start and everything was fine the last time you used the car, you should first check whether there is fuel in the tank. If the engine cranks normally with the starter and the battery is well charged, then the problem most likely lies in the high or low voltage circuit. Check the high voltage circuit first.
4. One of the common causes of engine starting problems is damp ignition wires and distributor cap. Remove the distributor cover. If there are traces of moisture inside, wipe the cover and wires dry. To eliminate the problem at once, you can spray a little Holts Wet Start on the wires and the inner surface of the distributor cover. As a preventative measure, Holts Damp Start can be used from time to time to form a protective coating that prevents moisture from accumulating in the ignition system. Holts Cold Start will help start the engine even with a very poor spark. When finished, replace the distributor cap.
5. If after this the engine does not start, check whether current is flowing to the spark plugs. To do this, disconnect the wire from each spark plug in turn and, holding it at a distance of 6 mm from the cylinder block, crank the engine with the starter.
Note: Do not turn on the starter with the ignition wires disconnected (except for the above case), because this may damage ignition system parts.
6. There should be strong sparking with a regular blue spark between the end of the wire and the block. (The wire should be handled with rubber gloves to avoid electric shock). If you are sure that the current reaches all the spark plugs, you should remove them, clean them and adjust the gaps. After this, the engine should start.
7. If the current does not reach the spark plugs, disconnect the high voltage wire from the central terminal on the distributor cover and bring it to the cylinder block, as before. Crank the engine with the starter. A rapid succession of blue sparks between the end of the wire and the block indicates that the ignition coil is good and the problem lies in a cracked distributor cap, a faulty slider, or lack of good contact between "coal" on the distributor cover and a spring on the slider.
8. If there is no spark between the end of the wire and the block, check its connection to the coil. If it is OK, proceed to check the low voltage circuit. The breaker contacts may be in poor condition. Clean the contacts and adjust the gap between them as indicated in this chapter, section 3.
9. Use a 12V voltmeter or test lamp. With the ignition on and the contacts open, check the voltage between the low voltage wire going to the coil and "mass". The absence of voltage indicates a break in the supply wire coming from the ignition switch. Inspect the contacts on the switch to make sure that none of the wires have come loose. Reconnect the wires and the engine should start. If the voltmeter or lamp shows voltage, the coil or capacitor is faulty, or there is a break in the wire between the coil and the distributor.
10. Disconnect the capacitor wire from the breaker contacts and, with the contacts open, check the voltage between the moving contact and "mass". If there is voltage, the fault lies in the capacitor. Replace the capacitor and the car should start.
11. If there is no voltage between the moving contact and "mass" measure the voltage between "mass" and the distributor terminal on the coil. If there is voltage, there is a break in the wiring between the coil and the distributor. The absence of voltage confirms that the coil is faulty and must be replaced, after which the engine should start. Don't forget to reinstall the capacitor wire. When carrying out the test, it is enough to insert a piece of paper between the contacts in order to maintain them in an open state.
Engine misses flash
12. If the flash regularly misses, start the engine at fast idle. Remove the spark plug caps one by one, listening to the engine noise. (The cap should be held with a rubber gloved hand or a dry cloth to avoid electric shock).
13. When removing the cap from a non-functioning spark plug, the engine noise will not change; in other cases, the misfire will increase.
14. Disconnect the wire from the idle spark plug and holding its end 6 mm from the cylinder block, start the engine again. With strong regular sparking, the problem lies in the spark plug.
15. The spark plug may become loose, its insulator may have a crack, or the electrodes may be burned so that the gap between them becomes too large for a spark to occur. In the worst case scenario, one of the electrodes may break off. Depending on the situation, replace the spark plug or clean it and adjust the spark gap. Repeat the check again.
16. If there is no sparking between the block and the end of the wire, or if there is poor irregular sparking, check the ignition wire. If its insulation is cracked or worn, the wire should be replaced. Check the wire connection to the distributor cover.
17. If after this a spark does not appear, inspect the distributor cover for tracking marks (very thin black lines running between the electrodes or between the electrodes and other parts of the cap. Along these lines, the current passes along the surface of the cover to "mass"). If tracking traces are detected, the only solution is to replace the cover.
18. In addition to the incorrect ignition timing, misfire can be caused by other reasons:
- A. Coil malfunction (irregular flash skipping)
- b. Damaged wire or poor contact in the low voltage circuit
- V. Capacitor failure
- d. Mechanical malfunction of the distributor (damaged roller or broken contact breaker spring).
19. If the ignition is too late, the engine will tend to overheat and its power will be noticeably reduced. If the engine overheats and does not operate at full power, and the ignition timing is set correctly, you should check the condition and adjustment of the carburetor.
20. If the ballast resistor is disconnected or damaged, the engine will turn on when the starter is turned on "fire", but it won't start. The problem will be resolved if you replace the ballast resistor. Do not try to replace it with ordinary wire, because... this will cause the coil to overheat.
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