I've been playing with the GTA today. This is what I've found. To review...
A year ago, the car suddenly decided it didn't want to crank up and run anymore, except once in a blue moon. When it did, it would run flawlessly until I shut it down. After that, it would just crank and crank, but never fire up.
I've recently found a broken wire from the coil to the ignition module and replaced it. In the meantime, that broken wire had burned out my brand new MSD coil and a stock replacement one from Autozone. It had also burned out an ignition module. Both have been replaced with new units. The ignition module I even had tested before I walked out of the store with it.
Okay, just a little while ago, I started back at square one and decided to run through the diagnostic procedures from the beginning. If you follow the chart below, you can see where I ended up.
I was using a timing light for the test light. The thing is, all the plug wires on the driver's side are firing the timing light if I put the inductive connector on up to about six inches away from the cap. If I put the connector down by the plugs, only the #3 cylinder wire is firing the light. The other three wires aren't even firing the light unless I place the connector somewhere in the middle, between the cap and plug. Any closer than that to the plug and I get nothing. All wires are checking for continuity though, so I'm kind of baffled. If I take these wires off the plugs and lay them on a ground, I can hear them firing (faintly), but can't see the least little bit of a spark.
Should I just replace all the wires and hope for the best? I'm thinking of replacing each wire with the #3 wire and testing first, just to make sure. My suspicion is that by having that one little wire broken in half, it caused my entire ignition system to short itself out from the coil all the way down the plugs.
Anyone willing to second that notion?

 

I'm not certain since this been going for a while, but I think I mentioned moving the known good wire around. I would get a set of wires (either from another car or a set of el cheapos for testing) and replace all of them. If the insulation and core inside the wires are broken, the current will only travel as far as the break. Heck, you've changed almost everything else in the ignition circuit except that.

 

I went to Autozone a minute ago and bought a set of the el-cheapo lifetime warranty wires. Wasn't too bad, considering I get the "friends and family discount" from a friend that works there.

If it's under $20, I don't care either way.

 

The el-cheapo plug wires didn't work.
HOWEVER...
I got frustrated and decided to experiment a little bit. I got a good spark plug out of my handy-dandy parts box and connected it to the #1 pin on the dizzy with one of the old plug wires and layed the plug on the body next to the hood hinge. I had the timing light hooked up a few inches down the line from the plug. The plug fired bright and blue and the timing light was firing bright. I then tried the same thing, except with the new plug wire on #1 and got the same results.
I took the plug out of the #1 cylinder and did the exact same test with both wires. Both times, the timing light did not light up, but I did see a very, very, very faint yellow spark. I then switched that plug out with the spare on that gave me good results and viola! I got the same bright blue spark and bright flash from the timing light again!
It never even occured to me to test the spark plugs because they were only a couple months old when the car died. I'm wondering if maybe the grounds within the spark plugs haven't all gotten weak from the rest of the system being fried. It kind of makes sense though. The spark will only travel down the wires a certain distance before it fades out, unless there's somewhere for it to end up.


I think I'm on the right track now. I'm going to go back into town tonight for a new set of these shorty plugs. I'll keep you updated.

 

Cool!!!!!!!!!The next time I hear from you, I want to hear that the problem is solved and that you're out cruizing the town checking out the sights.:lala: :lala: