So can it be used? I think that my coils are shot and in a turbo magazine, I saw a guy use a 12a distributor with coils on his 3rd gen motor. I would rather do this for the time being than have to go and buy new coils. Please answer if you know because I plan on doing this tomorrow. Thanks guys.

 

Yeah, but you're losing control of the ignition retard on a turbo motor...



-Ted

 

A lot of the ones you see in magazines are 12A turbo dizzys that are set up to retard the timing under boost.

I believe you can lock it out where you want the timing to be while its on boost. Don't know how good that would be on a street car. I've never had a turbo car with a dizzy before

 

Okay. It was Carlos Gonzalas' RX3. This is also temporary to get the car going for a little bit. When I see that my car is fine, then I will fork over the money for new coils. Maybe just for the hell of it, I will by one from a turbo 12a if I can find one. Is this ignition swap pretty hard? And one more thing, how do I make sure its at TDC. Is it the yellow mark and what else. I am not stupid or anything, just a little lazy to search. I can keep from boosting like mad, so the thing about retarding the timing won't be a problem, I just want to get it out and running for a little bit. Thanks for the replies guys, keep them coming.

 

You're contemplating taking the CAS out, but still running the fuel injection?

The ECU needs the CAS to know not only when to fire the spark plugs, but to know what RPM the engine is at and when to spray the injectors. I doubt the engine would run unless you converted to carburetion at the same time.

 

Huh?! You still need coils with a dizzy!
If you only "think" your coils are shot, why don't you get them checked out before spending money on a step backwards in performance.

 

I meant the whole unit. I have coils for the distributor. It is just getting comfusing trying to check the wiring, or thinking its the coils. Sp exactly how do I check to see if my coils are bad, I read the online manual and I still don't understand. So If I have power to the check connector, then my coil unit is bad right, this is the leading coil I am talking about.

 

There's TONS of used units for sale.&nbsp Drop a line to hypntz as he typically has these parts for sale.&nbsp Even the whole coil and ignitior bunch can be typically had for under $50 each.&nbsp I find that a lot cheaper than converting everything over to a distributor...



-Ted

 

Thanks, Ted. I have plenty of coilpacks for 2nd gen, $20 each plus shipping, so you can get a known working set for $45 to your door.

hypntyz@charter.net

 

I am going to go outside and make sure that these parts are not working first, and then I will get back to you. While we are on the subject, do you have an alternator, and the round adapter plate for the driveshaft off of the TII? Thanks again guys.

 

Have you ever considered disconnecting your plug wires, removing the cas(leaving the harness connected), turn the key on, and spinning the gear on the cas and watching the spark from the wires? I've never done that or had to, but I remember someone doing that on this forum. I assume you've already laid a plug wire close to one of the mounting studs for the strut towers and spun the engine over looking for spark. Darn, I can pull one of the lead wires out of the coil and spin the engine and the spark will jump from the inner part of the coil to the structure around the coil. Just a thought. Not too conventional way to see if the coil works.You seem to be looking for the unconventional methods.

 

I have 86-8 alternators and 89-91 alternator. From what Im told you can run an NA alternator on a turbo motor by loosening, rotating, and tightening the arm on the back for the battery lead. I have plenty of NA alternators $50 each.

 

I have held the sparkplug wires close to the body, but not the strut tower studs, does that make a difference? And I have also ran a wire from the coil, to the body in case the wires were bad, and no luck.

Hailers, can explain what to do with the removing of the CAS. I don't quite understand.

hypntyz7, I will consider that.

 

A couple more things. Is it possible that the conectors do not have good contact? I am using a voltmeter and the two posts + and - make that beeping sound when I put the prongs on them, but when I put them on the nuts, or on the connectors themselves, I don't hear a thing.

 

Why don't we see if your volt meter is any good? Select DC volts on the meter, put the positive lead on the positive post of the battery and the negative lead on the negative terminal of the battery. Should read generaly about 12v. I don't understand the Beeping. I don't get around much and I'm not familiar with a meter that beeps, unless you select ohms, and touch the ends together or touch two pieces of metal that are bonded together. It does sound like your coils are not working and it would help if we had confidence in your meter so we can check for voltage at the small connectors at the coil assy. On the lead coil there is a small white plug with a black and yellow wire that should have 12v on it. At the trail coil assy, there are two plugs. One of those plugs has two black and yellow wires that should have 12v on each wire. The second plug at the trail coils has four wires. One wire should have 12v and another(this one is brown/yellow) has about 4-5 volts. If you have none of these voltages, thats your problem and we need to find the source of the lack of voltage. One place to look would be the fuses under the hood. That black rectangular box of fuses on the drivers side. See if the fuses are burnt out. Just forget about taking the crank angle sensor out right now. That was probably a crank thought anyway.

 

The voltmeter works, $100 unit, and it is automatic, so you just turn it on. The thing where I hold it to the black and yellow and such, do I have to have someone turn the key to start? And How do I know if the fuses are blown? Thanks Hailers.

 

What he's saying is this is a method to check and see that the car is getting spark form each plugwire, if you dont have a helper to crank the car for you. The CAS is the flat black round part ont he front left of your engine. IT is held onto it by a 10mm nut. IT pulls straight out, and is gear driven off the e-shaft.IF you take it out, with the key ON, and spin it, the ecu sees the pickups and thinks the engine is turning, so it supplies sparks. You can check each of your wires this way by spinning it. The only drawback to this is that its a bitch to get it back in realigned right the first time, cause of the way the gear on the e-shaft is cut, its easy to be a tooth off either way.

Id use the strut tower bolts like Hailers does, I do too, because theyre not covered by paint and tightly secured and grounded to the chassis.

I would say no, just spin the CAS likle I just talked about, which will imitate the ecu trying to fire each coil. In reality, you probably dont even have to do that, just have the key ON. Ive never had to troubleshoot a ignition problem this far, the 2nd gen system is bulletproof. Either you have plenty of spark or you do not, and there are only a few things to keep you from not having spark. In general if you have spark on one plug you have it on all plugs.

Dont take this the wrong way, but if you have to ask that question you probably shouldnt be troubleshooting a distributorless electronic ignition system. Take the fuse out, and look at the bridge inside the glass. IF it is connected, the fuse is good. IF there's any doubt, use your ohmmeter on the terminals.

 

Well, if the meter is good, then you should just have to turn the key to ON. Do not have to crank the engine.Just to the on position, where you'll probably see some idiot light lite up, and just leave the key in that position for now. Then put your meters negative lead to a good ground, like the battery negative terminal. After you do that, locate the LEAD coil assy. Its the one fwd of the l/h strut tower and near the battery. You'll see that the LEAD coil assy has but one small white plug. Seperate that plug and put you meters positive lead on the black wire with a yellow stripe. That should be the half of the plug that does not go to the coil assy but the other half. It should read 12v approx. Then check the other wire and see if you read approx 4 to 5 volts on it. You seem to be willing to learn. It seems like this might be your first effort on this car, but, hey, you gotta start somewhere. Would help if you could find a reliable partener that has some experience. Might go faster. Keep pluggin away. On the fuses, just pull straight up on them and they come out. Then put the meter on ohms and put one lead on one blade and the other on the other blade. The meter should read something similar to .001. If it does not, then its blown and you need another. Remember the middle fuse does not pull straight up. Its screwed on. Let it go for right now.

 

The reason I asked about the fuses is because I have never seen fuses that big on a car before. I had a friend hold the positive and the negative in the plug, but nothing. I will also try the way you told me. And one other thing, what is that one black wire coming out of the coil, with the one connector just hanging off the coil? The connector is also black. Right now if that does not work, I am going to go over the wiring harness again. Thanks guys.

 

Okay, I just did what you told me to Hailers, and I got nothing. I am going to look over the wiring harness again.

 

The plug coming off of the CAS, is that suppose to go to the alternator, or is it suppose to go to the wiring harness?

 

I figured the cas connector out, but still, no readings on the voltmeter.

 

There is no reading to be had on the cas. I was talking about the plug on the lead coil assy and trail coil assy. I suggest you start another thread, we are not getting anywhere here and I imagine most people have lost interest in this thread. I'm giving it up. Too hard for me to access this site in a timely manner. Have fun. THIS SITE IS TOO DARN SLOW. THIS SITE IS TOO DARN SLOW. THIS DARN SITE IS TOO DARN SLOW. THIS SITE IS TOO DARN SLOW. THIS SITE IS TOO DARN SLOW. THIS SITE IS TOO DARN SLOW. THIS SITE IS TOO DARN SLOW. THIS SITE IS TOO DARN SLOW. THIS SITE IS TOO DARN SLOW. THIS SITE IS TOO DARN SLOW.

 

Okay, maybe I should start another thread, but I'd probably get banned.

ANy optional sites out there we can go to that's a bit more stable???



-Ted

 

I got a perfectly working/clean pair of Ebay for $10 plus shipping