I'm not getting a spark out of my coil. I tested the primary and secondary on the coil and it checks out. I even bought a new coil and nothing (I'm back to the old coil). I turn the key on and I have 12 volts at the coil. Does anyone know the exact procedures for trouble shooting the coil? Or how to determine why I'm not getting a spark out of it? I messed around with the FP Relay, soldered a few areas on it, and it seems to be OK. If I understand correctly, the fuel pumps, or the FPR won't work if I have no spark.

While working with the coil, I have been shocked a couple of times! But, when I try to do the wire to ground thing - NO Spark! Some type of "controlling unit"?

I might be missing something here. But could it be the timing belt? Ie. If the rotor isn't spinning then there wouldn't be any spark?

I believe that the other day, when I actually took out spark plug #1, I heard compression comming out of the hole when I cranked the car. Today I will be trouble shooting again. I'll post my findings.

Ish

Okay. So you hadn't considered the timing belt. The reason I thought it might be the cause is because the ignition coil appeared to be ok, but you weren't getting spark at the plugs. The timing belt turns the idler gear (as noted by Manolo) which turns the rotor (in the distributor) which distributes the spark to the different plugs. If the belt is damaged (eg. a few teeth sheared off at the crankshaft) it won't move and turn the idler, even though the crankshaft and pistons are moving. To check if this is the problem, remove the distributor cover and note the rotor position. Crank the engine and see if the rotor has moved. If it hasn't then you'll be back asking for help re: timing belt replacement.

Trev's suggestion was excellent. Look through the oil fill cap and make sure that the cam is rotating when you crank the car, or better yet, pull off the distributor cap and watch the rotor to be sure it turns. I don't recall what the distributor drives off of, but I think that it is an idler shaft that is cam-belt-driven. If so, failed timing belt would mean no distributor rotation and no spark signal.

Low-probability - there is also probably a roll key that locks the drive gear to the distributor shaft. I saw a V-6 Chevy loose its roll key once. The mechanic (who worked in the bay opposite mine) almost went crazy trying to figure out what was wrong.

If both valves happen to be stopped in the closed position on the #1 cylinder, you would hear air rushing out (and in) through the open spark plug hole when you were cranking.

I'm totally unfamiliar with the specifics of an '82 ignition, but I can give you some thoughts to ponder until someone better informed weighs in.

Coils rarely fail on Volvos, but you could probably ruin one if you let it fire with no place for the spark to go (coil wire dangling in air or missing while someone tries to start the car.

It is unrelated to your current no-spark problem, but any fuel injection system should have a relay that will only allow the fuel pump to run if there is a spark signal on the primary circuit of the coil. That keeps the fuel pump from pumping the contents of the gas tank out onto the ground after a collision.

COIL THEORY
If the coil can shock you, you are pretty safe in assuming that it is OK. The problem is that it is not getting a signal pulse. The coil builds an electromagnetic field while current flows through it to ground. That current is flowing from one of the small connectors on your coil to the other. When one of those connectors 'see's voltage and the other 'see's ground, current is flowing. When the current flow is interrupted, the field collapses and the secondary circuit of the coil fires a spark.

There are two ways to interrupt the current: either shut off the source of current, or disconnect the ground. Before the 1970s, cars had mechanical contact points that would open and break the ground connection to fire the coil. Since then, cars have used an array of different magnetic sensors to detect engine position, and semiconductor switches and amplifiers to turn that weak signal into a signal strong enough to power the primary side of your coil.

WHAT TO CHECK
Start with the small wire connections at your distributor. Whatever senses engine position and initiates the signal that controls your distributor is likly located inside the distributor. Trace that wire as far as you can, checking for bad insulation and corrosion in connectors. If you don't find the problem, you'll need a manual or advice from someone who knows your system.

Hope this helps.

So, if the signal pulse can originate in the distributor, are you saying that I shouldn't be able to test the coil (by disconnecting the coil wire at the distributor) like I would test the spark at the spark plugs? And that the problem could be in the distributor?

Based on your input, and other research that I have done, here's my plan of action:

1. Check the wiring harness at the ECU,
2. Take off the dist Cap and take a look in there,
3. Trace wires leading out of the coil and the dist,
4. Check all other wiring, especially near the coil.

Thanks,
Ish

You are doing the right things. If the problem is not visible, you'll have to invest in a manual and a voltmeter.

When you said that you got shocked, I presumed that you got shocked while connecting and disconnecting live wires from the primary (small) connections on the coil, not while the engine was being cranked. Is that right?

When you say that you are testing the coil by disconnecting the coil wire at the distributor, you mean that you are pulling the secondary (e.g. high voltage, thick) wire from the middle of the distributor cap and holding it near a good ground to see if a nice blue spark jumps to ground, right? Don't hold the wire more than a quarter inch or so from ground

That is the way that you determine if you have spark from the coil, but but a no-spark condition is usually not a coil failure. There are a lot of components and connections that can fail, resulting in no spark.

If I misunderstood, and you are getting sparks to ground from the coil wire as the engine is being cranked over, but you are not getting sparks at the spark plugs, then the fix will be simple, since it is a failure in the cap or rotor (burned up) or the secondary wire(s) are chaffed and shorting to ground instead of firing the plugs. Crank the engine in a dark garage and watch for sparks,

If you have no spark to ground from the secondary coil wire while cranking, what you will be looking for inside the distributor is signs of wear or failure in the components down in the bottom of the distributor, below the rotor (if you can see anything down there, it may be sealed).

If the center shaft on the distributor is worn such that the shaft rattles sideways more than a few thousandths of an inch, that can cause problems for the signal generator in the bottom of the distributor, but that usually comes on slowly, with erratic misfiring developing over a period of years. (straight up-and-down movement in the shaft is OK)

Appreciate your help. I do have a voltmeter and 3 manuals, including the Haynes. Not very helpful, at least not to me-maybe it's because I don't fiddle with it enough.

I got shocked when the key was turned to the on position, but before the engine was cranked. Sounds right according to what you said in your earlier reply.

That is correct, I pulled it out of the middle of the dist cap, and held about a quarter of an inch from a good/tested ground - No sparks.

I will be taking a hard look under the distributor cap tomorrow when it warms up a little. It's been below freezing here for the last 2 days. Thanks for your help, and I'll post my findings tomorrow.

Ish

How is your harness? I THINK the ECU controls the coil from the side wires of the coil. Disconnect battery before messing with the ECU harness- It could cause a tiny spark in the ECU-YUCK. The sensor thing in the dist. is the Hall Effect switch ( at least in my 83 with Bosch dist cap). Is your cap white?(Chrysler ign.)

Hope this helps- do you have a Haynes or Bentleys manual?
--
Breadman '83 244GL 220K

Haven't looked at the ECU harness yet, it's been below freezing here for the last couple of days. Thanks for the tip about disconnecting the battery before I mess with it.

Yes, my distributor cap is white, I believe "Chrysler". Why? Also it is secured by screws, vs clips. I will be taking a hard look under the distributor cap tomorrow when it warms up. I'll post my findings. See my previous postings. Appreciate your help.

Ish