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Weird Spark?

71newp

71newp

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I have a '76 Cordoba that won't start. It is getting fuel (wet plugs.) When I try to start it, it seems like it wants to start as soon as I disengage the starter, that is as soon as I release the key from the start position. I hooked up a spark tester and got the same result..as soon as I released the key I got a single flash. Any ideas???
 
when i had nearly the same trouble..... it was the coil in the end that was bad
 
Doesn't the ballast resistor add more voltage while cranking then lower voltage when released? I know points worked that way, not sure about electronic ignition.
 
Ballast resistor is a good bet. Could be the ignition switch. or the wiring between them. Time to get the multimeter out.
 
Thanks to all. I changed the coil and ballast resistor-no change. If I recall correctly, a bad ballast resistor will make it seem like the car wants to start, but then quits when the starter is released??? I had changed the coil yesterday and the ballast resistor a couple days ago.
 
I changed the coil and ballast resistor before I posted the question...sorry for any confusion. Here is what happened...
I have been getting a very infrequent miss. In the past I had a Dodge Dakota with a bad ditrib. pick-up, and that is the same early symptom it showed. So I bought a new distrib pick-up for the Cordoba. One day I decided to "pre-plan" the job, so I took off the dist cap and rotor and was looking around. I took off the coil wire to make it easier to get the cap out of the way. When I put it all back together, I forgot to hook up the coil wire. After I hooked up the wire, it wouldn't start.
gtxno1 said:
Well do you have spark or not?
Click to expand...
I only get one single "flash" from the spark tester and that is after I have released the key from the "start" position.
 
If you mean the coil high tension wire, you may have ripped the end off, and there is not a good connection.
 
I am thinking all the connections are good, because I do get spark, but only a single spark, after I release it from "start"??? I am wondering If I might have killed something else in the system by doing what I did???
 
69L48Z27 said:
Doesn't the ballast resistor add more voltage while cranking then lower voltage when released? I know points worked that way, not sure about electronic ignition.
Click to expand...
Technically the resistor doesn't "add" voltage, it reduces it. It allows a full 12v during cranking and then reduces it after start up so as not to burn out the coil after it starts. One side of the resistor has two wires (cranking side) and the other has only one (run side). It sounds like you have voltage to the cranks side. Check to see if you have voltage to the run side after the key is released.
 
Those symptoms can be the starter relay or ignition switch. There is a ballast bypass built into the starter relay so the coil gets full voltage when cranking. Sometimes it's the ignition switch. Also it can be in the bulkhead connections.
 
I have a new starter relay on hand so I will try that, then check connections.
 
It is not the starter relay. New relay same symptoms/problem.
 
I don't believe the ignition wire goes through the starter relay. Check your wiring diagram and go backwards til you find power. I think the power your looking for just goes through the ignition switch, a plug under the steering column and the plug through the fire wall.
 
I just checked a wiring diagram on line. If it is correct, go to the plug under the column, should be about 8 wires all in a row. Check for power at brown wire while cranking, if no power then you have a bad ignition switch. If there is power then you need to follow that wire to the coil looking for the bad spot or connection.
 
Years ago I had a 'Doba of same year (possibly a '75 but think it was a '76) and had recurring trouble with the computer "command" center. This feature I think was only used one year...if I recollect this was an inherent problem with the center. I ended up having to swap mine out taking a chance finding one at a bone yard. Don't know if you have this feature or if the ignition system was refurbished to dump it..
 
Update: Last fall I got out my FSM and checked the ignition system. A buddy and I checked it again this spring... he ran the test this time...Everything checks out. Coil, Dist pick-up, ECM. He also confirmed that there is no spark when the starter is engaged, but we do get spark in the run position. But of course not enough cylinders fire to get it running. When I use a remote starter I get no spark at all (yes I did this with the ignition switch in the "run" position.) I have followed the start circuit wherever the brown wire is visible. I replaced the starter and get the same symptoms. Any ideas? Thanks
 
I didn't realize I had not closed out this post. It was a bad ECM/ICM. I took off the 2 year old made in China unit and put the original 38 year old made in Canada ECM back on, and it started right away. Thanks for all the suggestions.
 
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