SES light is on.. but only giving code 12.. nothing else.. and yes im sure.

the engine turns over, i have fuel because i can see my TBI injectors spraying, but the engine is just not kicking over. im thinking the spark is not there. i have an accel coil(about 2 months old). i took off the dist cap, looks very clean(2 months old also). some damn reason its just not firing.

i checked out the coil with my ohmmeter, like the Haynes manual says to, and it looks ok. should i be going after the ignition module? if so how can i check it with my Ohmmeter? please help thanks

 

The pick up coil in the distributor went out on mine once.I don't know of a way to check it ,I just got lucky and asked the AZ guy what do they sell a lot of.

 

theres no real way to check the ignition module w/o an ign. module tester. Its obviously still sending a reference pulse to the computer since the injectors fire so the pickup is probably still good, could be bad, though. Try testing for spark by removign one of the plugs and with the wire still attached, hold the ground electrode against the cyl. head. Unhook the injectors and have someone turn the engine over. While turning the engine over, there should be an equally spaced number of spark plug fires. If there are none or just a few erratic fires, the coil and/or module is probably toast.

 

oh, make sure you check all the connections as well. Never know what may have come loose.

 

ok now i really REALLY hate this car... NOW... its giving code 53.

ok so since this is "system over voltage" and my battery is near dead.. is my ECM jacked? im starting to think its the ECM since my battery has a slow drain, and its now giving codes that really dont match whats going on.

any other advice?

 

Take your ohm meter and set it to 30 volts and check for 12 volts at the pink wire on the coil. If not there might be ign. sw. related.
If you have 12 volts there, then look for something in the way of dist. malf. or coil.

 

the coil being an accel, I would look there first, last 2 that I had experience with, one lasted 2 weeks the other 3 months. the worst was trying everything else cause we didnt think it was the new coil.

 

if you still have the stock coil and it was working fine, put it back on and see if it starts.

 

ok this is really really stupid...

i originally had a MSD 6A hooked up to the car but i took it off cause i didnt think it was helping all the much..

so now the car is NOT giving code 53, but 12... SES light is on.. and just giving 12..

so just for the hell of it... i decide to plug the MSD back into the coil and all that...

the damn thing starts!!!

why is it that it will NOT start with out it and starts with it?? what the hell is going on??

anyone ever have that problem at all????

 

Im not too familiar with the aftermarket ign. controllers and how they hook up but to me that sounds like a dead module in the dist. Replace the module and you should be good to go.

 

Man that is weird.

I don't know much about ignition boxes, but whatever that MSD 6a's taking the place of is what I would look to. Also, if the box overrides a check that the ECM usually has to do that could be failing, I'd check there also.

I'm assuming the MSD box still has to get a signal through the pickup coil and the ign. module, so my guess is the newer coil is bad and the test just isnt showing it. The box just puts out a hotter spark in place of the coil, correct? Just throwing in my suggestions!

 

i replaced the module last night before rehooked everything back up. it didnt help.

i think you're correct James, because i tested the coil and from my stand point it checks out OK.. i no longer have a stock one cause i tossed it. im going to buy a new one and see if that works. my last resort is going to be the pick up coil, because that will be the only thing i have not yet replaced.

on a side note, the idle is kinda rough and "lumpy" only slightly though. my timing is set to 5* advance, and im using the stock chip and 89 octane gas. so as far as the heavy idle, im going to get a new stock coil and see if thats the cause.


keep the idea's coming guys, it really helps.