I am not getting any spark to the spark plugs?

Tiny
RSHOONOVER
  • MEMBER
  • HONDA CIVIC
1992 Honda Civic SI with 225,000 miles. 1600 CC engine.
I am not getting any spark to the spark plugs. I have checked all the fuses, replaced the ignitor, checked the distributor cap, checked the coil which is a little weak(10,000 volts). There is no check engine lite on. There is electricity getting to the starter because it turns the engine. I figure it is a relay. Where could it be?
Saturday, November 17th, 2007 AT 1:03 PM

7 Replies

Tiny
FISHERMAN
  • MECHANIC
  • 937 POSTS
Hello !

How about a pick-up coil?

Check the coil input by connecting a test light (12vdc) on low voltage side of the coil (+) and (-) the light should "blink" on-off-on-off when cranking.

Let us know!
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Saturday, November 17th, 2007 AT 11:20 PM
Tiny
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The Primary coil resistance is.6 ohms and the Secondary coil resistance is 10.2K ohms. I do not have a test light, so I used a meter. I connected to the + and - lead and set the meter on 20. The reading fluctuated between 0.4 and 0.7.
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Sunday, November 18th, 2007 AT 12:28 PM
Tiny
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Hello !

Well the primary its good but the secondary its to high (should be 12,900 to 19,300).

Checking the "blinking" on-off-on-off with a meter its hard because the switching (on-off) its to fast try to get a 99cents light tester.

Have you tried to "cook the spark"?
I mean disconnecting the negative side of the coil (leave the positive that comes from the ignition) pulse a ground to the negative side of the coil and check for spark. (As you checked).

That way we know for sure that if the coil still good or not.

Let me know to continue with the troubleshooting!

Hey I saw that you Donate for our site!

Thanks a Lot we appreciate that!
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Sunday, November 18th, 2007 AT 12:38 PM
Tiny
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Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I have not been able to get out to check on the car until now.
I checked the coil and am getting a good spark from the coil. I got a new distributor cap just to make sure it was not the cap. It has been a while since the cap and rotor were replaced. Still no fire to the plugs. Could it be the cam sensor?
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Thursday, November 22nd, 2007 AT 8:32 AM
Tiny
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Hello !

Question: How do you check the coil for spark?

Did you test the "blinking" 12 VDC light?

If the "feed section" of the coil its good, I mean if the coil its getting the "On-Off-On-Off" 12 volt pulses from the igniter and pick-up coil the cam sensor its good. Everything "behind" its good the problem its on the distribution of the "spark".

And if the pulses are not present then the problem its behind distributor.

Did you replaced the rotor?

How about the wires/ are good? Did you check for spark with a spark plug or an screwdriver?

I`ll be around. Let me know.

Good Luck!
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Thursday, November 22nd, 2007 AT 4:16 PM
Tiny
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Hey, Hope your haveing a great day. I checked the coil with a 12v light. It is going on and off as the engine is turned. I went ahead and replaced the Distributor cap and Rotor and the wires. I also checked the spark plugs. No spark to the plugs still.
Before changing the rotor cap and wires, I ran one of the plug wires directly from the coil to a spark plug. There was spark produced when the engine was turned. What next? I am baffled. Is the coil just not delivering enough voltage to fire the plugs though the rotor?
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Sunday, November 25th, 2007 AT 2:29 PM
Tiny
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Hey !
How are you? How was your long weekend?

Well. Lets continue.

When was the last time you replaced the spark plugs?
Are the spark plugs right for your car? (I saw some cases when the spark plugs. All of them! Fail at the same time because they are the wrong kind)

if good then I been thinking in the possibility of a weak ignition coil. As you check the secondary its the resistance to "low" and the "spark" its not strong enough to "travel all the way to the Plugs".

(I think we have the same "feeling")

when you tested directly to the coil seems good but to "jump" from the rotor to the cap post and then to the plug could be lost by then.

Let me know what do you think.

I`ll be around.

Good Luck!
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Sunday, November 25th, 2007 AT 4:14 PM

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