A couple days ago my 88 Trans am killed on me, we replaced the H.E.I sensor and it ran for a couple days but then it killed its self again, this time we replaced the H.E.I, the distrubitor cap and the rotor but it still is not getting a spark does anyone have any idea of what is wrong? Or has anyone had a simlar problem and can give me ideas of where to go next

 

By "HEI sensor" do you mean the ignition control module down inside the distributor?

 

Is this really an HEI or is it an ect dizzy with a remote coil? In either case the first place I would look is if you are getting 12V to the coil. Being a trans-am I think they were ECT from the factory unless you converted to carb/ hei setup. If you get 12V to the coil, and this is an HEI (coil on cap) the next thing I would check is to see if the dizzy spins while you crank the engine. ECT I would check if you are getting spark out of the coil itself. Could have a bad wire from the coil to the cap. If you have 12V and no spark from the coil, and the dizzy is spinning, and you already changed the ignition module in the base of the dizzy, then I would bet the pickup coil in the dizzy has gone bad. From your initial symptoms I think that is the likely problem.

 

I did check for the 12V on the fat pink wire and i got like 11.47V and i made the mistake of thinking it was H.E.I but it is a remote coil, do you know of any way to check the pick up coil?

 

Repair manuals generally say to check the resistance of the pickup coil. I would have to look it up to see what the exact specifications are and what the testing points are. But I think if the coil is bad it will be either shorted to ground or open. The pickup coil has a little 2 prong plug that goes into the module. You need to unplug it from the module and check what if any resistance is between the 2 contacts. I bet it will show no resistance which would mean the coil is open. If the resistance is way below specs, then I would conclude its shorted to ground somewhere. It might be easier just to go to the parts store or junk yard and get another distributor to use as a test, then take it back if it does not work.

What I did when I was trying to determine some things out on my TPI, was that I took the dizzy out, had everything except the cap and coil plugged to the dizzy, and spun it by hand. The injectors and coil fire when the dizzy is spinning. So you will hear the injectors clicking if it is getting a signal from the pickup coil. Some of the relays also come to life once it starts spinning.

I suppose worst case may be the "driver" circuit in the ecu has blown up. Those computers are notorious for breaking connections inside.

 

This is the pick up coil i have on my caar now i dont know the make of it but im pretty sure its not stoock for a trans am, does anyone know anything about it or where i can buy one?

 

Is there a thin metal wheel with tiny little holes that this fits into?

 

Nope that literally sits on the top of the distributor and is connected to the ignition modual

 

Could you post a picture of the whole distributor and a picture showing the insides where the rotor is?

This might be an aftermarket performance distributor. I looked up the pickup and it looks nothing like yours, I have 2 stock GM distributors and 1 Cardon replacement from advance and none of them look like what you show here. So a pic of the whole thing may help.

 

Thats the distrubtor that it sits on, the pick up coil napa had for my year was a round disk but the guy i was talking to there said that the chey trucks with a 305 and a air pump had a pick up coil like mine

 

Ya this must be a distributor that was replaced at some time with the style, probably a J/Y special or perhaps the parts store sold the P/O the wrong style. In any case, The part you too out would be the pick-up, specifically a pick-up sensor, in this case it uses magnetic pulses instead of light, as some of the newer pick-ups use. Hence why I asked about a disk and holes, those are considered a cam angle sensor instead of a pick-up. I believe that is probably the source of the problems.

But if it was me, I think I would get the correct distributor for the car and see if it works. Take it back if it does not. I think they are about $70 at AZ or advance. Napa and AZ and advance all use the same Cardon part. Napa reboxes their stuff, and charges more, but it is the same part inside.

edit: I should be more precise here, the pickup in this case I believe is technically called a "Hall-effects sensor"

 

Thanks we are going to a junk yard today to pull a distruibtor out of a car hopefully it works out

 

Does the fuel pump run for 2 seconds after it stops cranking?

 

To save yourself some time, you do not have to drop the distributor into the engine to test if it fires the coil. Just ground the base, and connect the 2 cables to the module, turn the key on, and spin the distributor gear by hand. If it works you will immediately hear the fuel pump relay click on, and as you turn it, you should hear the injectors clicking too. Be careful not to get bit by the coil! Building up energy will come out and getchya. But that's how I tested my distributors out of the junkyard, which btw all worked. Then if things are clicking, then go through the trouble of dropping it in. It should drop in the way the old one comes out, but I have had to get down in there with a long flat screw driver and turn the pump shaft just a smidge.

Hope it works!

Might want to grab 2 distributors just in case 1 is bad and that was why the car got put out there in the yard Also get yourself a couple extra harnesses that go from the module to the coil. That's a possibility too, make them your pocket treasures as you are scouring the yard.

 

Yes the fuel pump runs

 

On my TPI, the fuel pumps relay clicks on and runs the pump for approx. 2-3 seconds once the key is put to "on" then shuts off till the computer "sees" a tach signal from the distributor.

 

If it runs for 2 seconds after you stop cranking then there's nothing wrong with the pickup.

 

Not necessarily, remember there is a oil pressure switch on the side of the engine above the filter that also feeds power to the pump. IF he is cranking on it long enough, he will build oil pressure, therefor engaging that switch. Only takes about 5 psi to energize that switch. You will have that easily during cranking, unless there is major clearance issues in the engine.

Coils he says is not physically firing. There are only 3 things that make that baby spark, power, module and pickup. He already said he changed out the coil, module, cap and rotor. If you read my earlier posts, he checked and had power to the coil. So there is something that is not triggering the coil to fire, either he blew his module already, or its the pickup or the harness between the module and the coil.

I guess the new coil could be defective, but the most logical step at this stage is to test the pickup. Changing the distributor would be the easiest way, if it works, then you know, if it does not then it's a wiring issue some where.

 

So don't crank it so long then.

 

Ya, well that assumes the switch is not gummed up with 20+ years of oil sludge and is not sticking. Also assuming there is not some creative wiring bypassing the relay.

 

If there's creative wiring or a stuck switch you'd know it from the pump behavior.

 

No, you think? geesh. Pointless comments are not going to help this person.

 

We got it running it was the coil not the pick up coil but when we pulled the distrubitor out we actually found out its an accel distrubitor but i cant order the pick up coil seperate i have to buy the whole thing so if anyone has a spare pick up coil or knows someone or where to get one please send me a message the distruibtor number is 60109 i think

Also the magnet is broken on the pickuup coil and we were thinking about trying the first distrubitor again sometime, would it work or not?

 

Glad you figured it out

I should have asked if, when you stated that you had replaced the "H.E.I" that had meant the coil. I had made that assumption and assumptions are like *******s, everyone has one and they usually stink. lol

I thought this looked like an aftermarket performance distributor, at least I had that right lol

If this is a 60109 accel then it is their Billetech line and they are pretty stout. I would not worry about it. If you really want a spare pickup, Jegs and Summit sell the Accel 31086 Magnetic pickup, and except for the color looks like yours. It is probably universal for all of accel distributors with this particular style pickup. If you are not sure, probably would have to give Accel a call.

 

thanks i dont think it will work with mine though cause the pick up i have has two magnets and that one only has one

 

I believe im going through the same issue. I have a 87 trans am that has a remote coil and im not getting a spark. i have changed the cap, rotor, coil, and ignition mobule. I comfirmed that im getting power to the coil (red wire on grey terminal of the coil), still no spark. Im not getting any spark from the coil. I took a screw driver to the tip of the coil terminal and had someone try to start the car. I got nothing. Would the pick up coil stop the ignition coil from transfering power to the cap? Is there anything else that could stop the power at that point?

 

The pickup coil triggers the coil to fire. If it is bad, the coil will never fire. The harness from the module to the coil could also be bad.