Cavalier - on behalf of a friend.

A pal who 'fixes cars' has a problem with a Cavalier. Don't know the age or model. It appears it has no spark.

It has a conventional - although weird looking distributor for one used to old Lucas - with some form of electronic ignition. The connector to the trigger in the distributor has three contacts. There is an ignition amplifier mounted under the coil. The coil shows battery voltage on both positive and negative at all times - even when cranking. He says. He's tried replacing both distributor and amplifier with secondhand components, and again says he's had them tested, and they're fine.

He's given me both distributors and asked me to test them. I've got all the usual electronic test gear including a decent 'scope. Anyone know what type the trigger is to save me some time better spent on getting the SD1 back together? ;-)

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)
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First off, get him to check whether the cam shaft is actually turning, this is the most common cause of 'no spark'

mrcheerful

Reply to
mrcheerful

Ouch. He's not going to like that one. ;-)

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

My old Mk 2 broke down one day and I figured it was the coil. I changed that but it still wouldn't run. OK - call the RAC time. The chap changed the module under the coil and said that often if the coil went it would take the module out or vice versa.

I don't know, but it fixed it

Ian

Reply to
IanDTurner

Dunno, but on my first Carlton I'd already put all new plugs and leads on it (shortly after I got it) and several months down the line it was playing up. I replaced the king lead, dizzy cap (plus a bit of plastic inside due to me not doing something right, and causing the end of the camshaft not to be properly balanced, causing it to melt), and coil and it still wouldn't run. I even went back to the place to swap the coil for a new one, in case that was at fault.

In the end I took out the crank sensor (dead simple - one small 10mm bolt), which was black. Sanded it to clean it so it was shiny again, put it back in - fired up first time.

Mine was a 2 litre, and I've heard of a few 2 litres having that problem, though I can't see why a 1.8/1.6 wouldn't be affected either - what size engine is it?

Reply to
AstraVanMan

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