My car sat for 1 week. I jacked it up and changed the tires. I also disconnected the battery and charged it. ( That is all that has been done to it.)
Anyway, I tried to start it today and got nothing. Checked fuel and it is getting fuel. When I checked the power, I found that I am not getting power to the coil. I checked all fuses in the dash and they are good.
Has anyone else had this problem? I am sure that it is simple, because it hasn't even been driven Just running at an idle.

 

Have you ensured that the grounds are all good and that your BAT cable isn't disconnected from the dizzy on accident?

 

First, what YEAR??? What does, "got nothing" mean? the starter doesn't turn the engine over, or the engine cranked but didn't sound as though it was hitting on any of the cylinders? How did you check to determine that "it is getting fuel"? Did you also check the fuel pressure? That is one of the first things to do. When you "checked the power"? How? Where? How did you determine that "I am not getting power to the coil"? Getting fuel (but with no pressure reading) and no power to the coil are are unusual initial diagnostic reports for a C4 that won't start. I suspect there is more here than meets the eye.

I am CFI-EFI, and I approve of this message.

RACE ON!!!

 

You provide a very poor description of your situation. If you want anyone to help you, you need a better explanation of what happens when you attempt to start your car. Does the starter motor crank the engine? If it does and it won't start, then you should go through the standard common sense tests to determine where your problem is. Use a timing light while cranking to see if you have spark and spark at the right time. Use a fuel pressure gauge on the end of the fuel rail to determine if you have fuel pressure with the ignition on. With the ignition off, notice how long it takes to lose fuel pressure, a rapid drop could mean leaky injectors causing a too rich condition to start. Use a noid light or a low power 12v lamp like a 194 side marker light and connect it across an unplugged injector wire to see if it pulses during cranking to show that the injectors are being pulsed by the ECM.
You say the coil isn't getting power, I assume you mean the spark coil in the distrubutor. The distributor gets power from the pink wire which goes to the ignition switch. The ignition switch has several switch contacts and one supplies 12v to the distributor. If no 12v on the pink wire, then you need to determine if the ignition switch is getting 12v power from its large red wire that goes to a fusible link and also see if the ignition switch is being activated by the rod from the ignition tumbler. The actual ignition switch is actually behind the instrument panel and on the left side of the steering column.

 

Ok I apologize for the post with not enough information. I kinda through it up there during a break from trying to figure this thing out.
It is an 85 like the title says. I checked it with an ohm meter.
The engine will turn over, but it will not start.
I am not getting any spark at the wires so I pulled the wire on the coil on top of the distributer that is marked BAT. I am not sure if it is pink or not. anyway, no power getting to that coil on top of the distributor.

jbf , I have no idea what you are talking about with the rich fuel. I have never seen a vehicle that will shut off power to itself by detecting rich fuel.


It is almost like a hidden alarm system igniion cut off.

 

evmlarry. I am not sure what a dizzy is, but it may be possible being as how the battery is the only thing on the car that I touched from the time it went from running to not running. I didn't even drive it anywhere, just ran it.

What is a dizzy?
Thanks

 

Distributor

 

Sorry I didn't make it out there last night. Grandmother came up with some chores at the last minute. Call me when you wake up. Laterz

 

Open the gas cap and have a friend turn the key on. You should get a check engine light. If you dont here a fuel pump though the fuel fill port or get a check engine light then you ecm isnt getting turned on. I just had this problem.

 

You better check the alarm system.

You jacked the car up. That is a clue. A lot can happen in 22 years, who knows what screwy alarm system was put on there and what sensor may have been tripped, cutting the juice to the ignition system.

 

I didn't say rich fuel condition would shut off power to your distributor, I said the engine won't start if the fuel/air mixture is too rich. Leaky injectors cause so rich a mixture that a spark will not cause the cylinder to fire!
If you don't have 12v on the BAT terminal on your distributor, you need to find out why your ignition switch isn't providing it. Read the last paragraph in my first post.

 

I attempted to mess with it today. I charged the battery and then hooked it up. As soon as i turn on the ignition, the dash lights come up very dim. The turn signal lights on the dash are light constant and bright as well as the highbeam light. Even when I switched the highbeam switch, the light stays on. The security light on the dash turns of and the check engine light comes on. Just checking to see if anyone has an idea before I put it on a trailer and take it to somebody.
Thanks,
Chris

 

The turn signal lights are in parallel with the outside turn signal lamps, see if they too are on. The high beam light is in parallel with the outside headlight high beam lamps, see if the high beams are on. If neither the turn signals or high beams are on, then you have a broken ground on the instrument cluster and the cluster current is going through the turn signal and high beam dash indicator lamps to ground through the outside lamps which are grounded. No power on the distributor still needs to be traced back to the ignition switch which supplies 12v to the distributor as soon as you turn on the ign sw.

 

Ok........ I found that connection to the o2 sensor had fallen down and melted on the exhaust. I removed it from the exhaust and got rid of my short, but the car is still not starting. Do yall think that my problem is related to the connector melting and making contact with the metal on the exhaust or do you think it is unrelated?
Thanks for all of your help.
Chris

 

You probably blew a fuse. Do you have a factory service manual(s)?

 

Not a factory srvice manual, but I do have a Chiltons. I checked all the fuses that I could find, I will check again.
Thanks,
Chris

 

A few items to check (I think you may have already done some). Just throwing out a few thing..

1) checked all of the fuse..
2) Check the fuel pressure with a gauge
3) Check to make sure you have 12+v to the large wire at the distributor (Red, may look pink).
4) Getting spark at the plugs
5) Check the plugs.. are you getting any wet gas ones ?
6) You may also need to check the Distributors ign module. If that fail that will keep the engine from starting.. They are know to just quit at time and other time cause intermittent problems before dying...
7) check the Rotor in the Distributor for arcing and burn through the center. Check for Arcing in the Distributor cap form term to term. (replace?)

Guys.. does the 85 have VAT problems ?? another item to check if it does.. bypass it or something.. If you do have a VAT.. check the key resistor to see if it is in range.

 

1) checked fuses
2) not checked with gauge
3) No power on the pink wire to dist ( checked with ohm meter )
4) No spark to the plugs
5) i didn't see any gas on plugs
6) I will check electronic module

If I am not getting power to that pink wire, am I still getting power to module in the distributor?

Thanks,
Chris

 

If your not gettng power to the pink wire leading to the distributor, you need to check the circuit from the distributor pink B+ to the Ign switch. I don't have a FSM, maybe someone can point you to where it is routed or which connectors / pins it is routed through.

Could be a bad Ign switch.

 

Well guys and gals. I finally got it fixed...........
It turned out to be the pickup coil
Thanks for all of your help