ok heres the deal i have a 1991 trans am with a freshly rebuilt l98 running the hsr. well i am having a problem with it not sparking at all. i have had a msd 6al box and a msd gm blaster coil with the stock distributor and at first i thought it might be the box but after talking to the guys at msd and doing some tests they told me the box is fine and the problem is somewhere else in the system. not too much help. so its got a new coil, new cap and rotor, new ignition module and new pickup coil. so i went ahead and hooked up the system stock back to the large red to large red and so on. well i read on here that it could be the ignition module so i replaced it with a new one. still didn't help. i then thought it could only be the pickup coil left so i replaced that and the distributor was really corroded around where the magnets were and i cleaned all that up and reassembled the distributor and put it back in. i went to start it and i had the timing light on it and tryed to start it up and it kinda wanted to start for a second and the timing light didn't light at all. and it wont try to start any more. i also have a ed wright chip on it don't know if that matters at all but maybe it crapped out or something. so i have replaced pretty much everything in the ignition now. so i can't figure out what is wrong with it now. i do have 12 volts at the red wires at the coil. are there any other tests i can do to figure out whats wrong. i would love any help any of you could give.
thanks

 

Did you try replacing the pick up coil? the one you have to take the distributor out and take the gear off to get to?
http://www.oreillyauto.com/EW3/Produ...ycleCount=2052

 

What cooter said

 

well yes sir i did. when i took the shaft out it the gear had a bunch of corrosion on it so i sanded it down back to metal. maybe the distances between the gear and the pickup coil and too big. i think i am gonna try to go get a replacement distributor and see if just a new one fixes everything.

 

alright so update i have since put in a new distributor and it still didn't fix anything. still no spark. i do have 12 volts at the coil with the ignition key on. but no spark coming out. could i have shorted my coil even though it is brand new and it hasn't been run on yet?

 

Dont know if the scan posted or not but it should help you track it down. I know how your feeling, i had an 88 k1500 that was doing the same thing, thats why i thought it was the pick up coil. It didnt post, i will put it in my vb garage.

 

the pic on the vb garage is too small i can't read it. is there any way you could email it too me?

 

ok so i have some more information on this. today i thought i would remove the ed wright chip i had in it to see if by some miracle it would be the problem didn't do anything. while i was at it i decided to check the SES light for codes and i got a code 46? anti-theft system malfunction and power steering switch problem? i don't think i've ever heard of a power steering switch. well i don't know a whole lot about VATS but i didn't think that it would let it crank if it was bad. it cranks fines just doesn't fire. could the whole ecm be bad? i just need some help on this one.
thanks

 

come on please anyone have any ideas

 

Here's my real world, little bit of help. Somebody tried to steal my 1989, tripped the VATS (What an idiot), and I couldn't start the car with my own key. It wouldn't even turn over. Complete silence, so I think you are correct. I have installed an extra security device in my car, I pulled the fuse box and ran a length of wire to the ECM fuse wiring with a switch. Meaning when I switch this off, the ECM gets no power. In this condition, the car will not turn over at all. I turn the key, and complete silence. If your ECM has crapped out major, or has no power to it, it is quite possible.

BUT, I did have my ECM go caput, and it did crank, but not fire. I strongly agree with you that your VATS is probably ok. A cheap easy way is to yank one outta the junk yard. It is not too incredibly difficult to change out. Good luck.

 

ok i sort of figured it out. when it was almost stolen the guy ripped all the wires under the dash and the dash itself apart and when it was put back together the white wire from the ignition switch that i guess feeds power to the ecm i guess had come loose and i cleaned it all up and got it connected back up right and it fired up. i got rid of the VATS code but once it ran for a couple of minutes i got another code it was 42 EST problems and it would have major spark issues above 3000rpm. not exactly sure what is causing it but at least it runs now. i already swapped in a new ecm but that wasnt it so ill try some other things and if you guys have any ideas that would really help me out.
thanks