Yeah, it sucks. Now I know (one reason) why my car runs like crap and why I keep getting code 43. I surprised I'm even able to drive it! I checked and set my timing again, and opened up the throttle and there was no advance at all! The mark on the balancer didn't move at all. It's supposed to when you open the throttle, right? The knock sensor and ESC module are new, but how do I know for sure that it's my distributor? I have had very bad luck with parts that are supposedly 'new' being bad to begin with, so I need a fail-safe way to determine what to do here. Any suggestions?
How can I tell for sure what is wrong and why I am getting no advance?

 

the best way i can think of is to get a wiring diagram of the leads for the distrtibuter, find the signal and ground leads that are supposed to control advance and jump a test light between them. start teh car and rev it, if the light comes on it is getting signal adn not advancing, which means it is an internalt problem, if the light does not come on then it is a signal problem.
the most likely culprit is the module that the 2 connectors actually plug into. if you take the cap off you will see a black thing held down by two screws(it is the thing that sticks out of the window in teh cap for the harnes to plug into), unscrew it and go to teh parts store and get a new one, i think they are only 10 or 12 bucks. these little modules go bad from time to time, they see a lot of temp, vibration, and static electricity, so eventually they just die.

later
tim

 

Man, thanks a bunch! I never thought about checking the signal to the distributor. I was thinking of starting at the ECM and working my way forward. Your way would be much easier! You wouldn't happen to know what those $10-12 gizmos are called, would you? In fact, now that I think of it, it is very possible that that is one of my problems. That distributor sat in my garage with no cap on it for months. What other internal problems might it have?

 

yo dude, had the same prob a couple of weeks ago. Turned out some of my connections in the spark advance circuit were bad. Just a thought. Tell us how it goes.

 

Well, I took the "black thing under the distributor cap" to Hi-Lo, err, I mean O'Reilly today to get a new one, but they checked it and said it was ok. (Big Sigh) I guess that means I have a bad connection somewhere. I think that means it's carb time for me. I've been trying to get TBI to work for a year. It's time for something else. I've had way too many electrical problems, so it's time to simplify. I think that my harness is pretty screwed up. I tried a TPI swap once, and a lot of my existing wires were cut and then reconnected. I don't feel like tracing shorts the rest of my adult life. So Road Demon and Holley Street Dominator it is for me! So long TBI (for now).