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No spark?

Discussion in 'Mini Lounge' started by Paco, Oct 26, 2020.

  1. Paco

    Paco New Member

    So I hop into my mini to go check in on my bar, I go in for about 15 min. Come out start her up runs about 2 min. And shuts down.
    It will not start, first thing I thought timing belt. No not broken, next a shot of starting fluid nothing. Grabbed a new splash. Plug pulled a plug wire snapped in the new one cranked her over no spark. Do these trucks have a fused ignition? Any ideas will help in my diagnosis tomorrow. Thanks guys. Paco
     
  2. Limestone

    Limestone Well-Known Member

    I don't even know and remember what you've got! With no signature description, heck, I can't remember! At 2 in the morning, I couldn't sleep, and I'm not even sure what you've got Paco! I'm lost, Sorry!
     
    Paco likes this.
  3. Limestone

    Limestone Well-Known Member

    So I went upstairs, back to bed, and now I've got Paco on my mind! Paco, this isn't good!LOL! So, I'm thinking, no spark! Coil comes to mind, first, at this late hour! I'd check to see if you've got spark from the coil. Okay, good night Paco! I feel better now!
    Limestone
     
    Paco likes this.
  4. Limestone

    Limestone Well-Known Member

    So, I go back upstairs, now I got my wife stirred up with me in and out of bed, and she turns over to me and asks if I'm alright, and I say yeah, and she asks what's wrong, in reference to me tossing and turning, and I say Paco's go no spark! LOL!!! She says, WHAT? HAHAHA:D:):D! She thinks I'm nuts any way's and rolls back over. So now I get back up, and here I am again! LOL! So, I'm thinking, It cranks, that's why the starting fluid, so juice to the starter, but are you getting juice to the coil? Did a wire come loose? Or off? I'm a little North of you in Ohio, and I'ts damp and rainy and wet outside, your in WV, probably same type of weather, this time of year. That's what I'd be looking at, first. It never, ever, hurts to check, fuses!Okay, that's it! Good Luck, Paco!
    Limestone
     
    Paco likes this.
  5. Paco

    Paco New Member

    Hey thanks for thinking about it for me limestone, yes I’ve been doing research on this freaking thing all day I have some ideas now going to check in the morning. 330 am now for me if I don’t get some sleep I won’t get up in the morning. Thanks
     
  6. Jigs-n-fixtures

    Jigs-n-fixtures Well-Known Member

    Paco, go into your profile and add the information on your truck to your signature line. It makes it lots easier for folks to help you out. Most of our trucks are in the period where they had done as much as they could with vacuum systems to control emissions, and were in the process of switching to electronic engine management, and coils on the plugs.

    Some years had either depending on which option/trim level they were. So, it gets important when we are trying to give advice, to know what you’re running.

    And, yes most years had a fuse for the engine or engine management system.
     
    Limestone and Paco like this.
  7. Paco

    Paco New Member

    Well Guys. Mini is kicking my ass.. Still no Spark, Ive checked every connector on the whole lil truck even under the dash. No blown fuses. cut the wires off of the coil grounded the black wire. ran a hot wire off the battery touched to hot side of the coil got spark. for some reason she is not getting power to the coil.
    Ive checked for corrosion broken wires. Does she have an ECM hidden somewhere. Has anybody Put in a Mallory ignition system in one of these Lil trucks.
    This has me pulling the rest of my hair out.. Its already wavy, waving goodbye.
     
  8. Limestone

    Limestone Well-Known Member

    Paco,
    On mine, there is a main fuse, under the center console, I think, 50 amp, large main electrical mgmnt. fuse! Center of vehicle, kinda under seat, fore ward! Trace the wire backwards and fore wards, and test continuity in the wire to the coil, by disconnecting it completely from both ends, and find out what you've got in between, if any thing!
    Limestone
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2020
  9. Jigs-n-fixtures

    Jigs-n-fixtures Well-Known Member

    Do you have points, or a trigger system? If it has a trigger and not points there is an engine control module. And sorry, but I don’t know for sure where it lives.

    Limestone installed a Pertronix ignition system and coil on his. I originally bought it for mine, discovered that I had no points and sold it to him.
     
  10. Paco

    Paco New Member

    It has a trigger system on her Jigs, I think I have found the ECM its behind the glove box.
    Ok Limestone going to find the main fuse but I kinda think the fuse is
    OK because I have power to the ignition at the switch, yes I took the column apart, well plastic anyways.
    I have found a few wires that looked corroded but still have good continuity and dielectric gelled them all to prevent further corrosion.
    what is the Pertronix ignition system? Will the ECM just crap out like that and cause no spark?
    Thanks for the thoughts guys. Paco
     
  11. Jigs-n-fixtures

    Jigs-n-fixtures Well-Known Member

    The ecm could fail, and I have no idea how to test one of them.

    Also, there could be a resistor in line to the coil which can go bad. A lot of vehicles had resistors on the lead to the coil, on my Hijet S110P, it is mounted on the coil bracket, there can be separate resistors for the run and start.

    Chrysler used to have a 4 and 20-ohm resistor set, in one ceramic rectangle mounted to the fire wall, right behind the coil. 4-Ohm on the start wire, and 20-Ohm in the run wire. I had one of those get an intermittent fault, so the car would crank and run, but die for a second anytime I hit a bump. Took some head scratching to figure it out. I’d test in the driveway, and things were fine. Only had the problem when driving, just an intermittent miss. My dad finally located it for me, by tapping the ceramic housing with a screw driver handle.
     
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  12. Limestone

    Limestone Well-Known Member

    That reminds me Jigs, once again you are correct, there was a fusible link, on mine, to the coil, but I had continuity through it, at every test, on more than one occasion! Paco, the Pertronix Ignition system, that I got from Jigs, is an electronic, component that screws into the distributor, replacing your points, for a more consistent, hotter, and regular spark if you will! He even had the Flame thrower, hotter coil, that I put on! I really like it! It was super easy to install, instructions were very complete and easy to understand!
    Limestone
     
  13. Jigs-n-fixtures

    Jigs-n-fixtures Well-Known Member

    Paco, you could check out the Pertronix website. They have conversion systems to eliminate the points on older collector vehicles, that keep everything inside the distributor, to retains stock appearance. They even have stock looking high performance coils to accentuate that effort. And, they have a line of high performance aftermarket engine management systems.

    And, they have two of their point to pointless units that fit the 3-cylinder Denso distributors, one for clock wise and one for counter clockwise rotor rotation.

    You could probably replace the guts of your distributor with them, or possible find one of the Denso distributors in a wrecking yard or on eBay. The Denso is used on a bunch of small 3-cylinder engines in things like garden tractors, and propane fired forklifts. Or there may be someone on the forum with one they would part with reasonably inexpensively.
     
    Limestone likes this.
  14. Paco

    Paco New Member

    Hey Thanks Jigs My mini already has electronic ignition and I think the ECM has burnt out and at $462 for a used one is just crazy.
    I plan on visiting the Pertronix web site after I finish this post. Thanks for the help... Paco
     
  15. Paco

    Paco New Member

    Howdy guys, Well solved the problem. After checking the Pertronix web site and speeding with Chris I found out that they didn’t have a conversation for the engine in my mini?.
    So I started tracing wires and found a power wire that was pulled from the plug connector under the shifter cover pushed it back in and she runs. I glued it into place w 3m weather strip adhesive, better known as gorilla snot. Just want to thank all for the input, and especially limestone who lost sleep over trying to come up with ideas.
    So Limestone or Jigs if you’re ever in around Pennsboro Wv stop into Pacos Tacos for lunch and beers on me.

    Now wondering if the weather is going to hold to get her Rhino lined b4 winter.
     
  16. Limestone

    Limestone Well-Known Member

    Paco,
    So glad you were able to work it out, and find that wire that was pulled out! That's what goes on, when were trying to suggest from a far, and not being there, and actually physically there to work on it and hoping to hit it on the head and help figure it out. In many cases it can be more than one thing! Wire's and wire connections can get old, and even somewhat brittle, from age, hot and cold,(temp. variations), and need to be refreshed, and or repaired, and replaced! I do find it somewhat amazing that Pertronix, didn't match you up with anything, like mine, for you 3 cyl. Mini! Mine is working great and I'm very happy with it! Hey thanks, for your concern, on my sleep. LOL! My wife and I are still laughing about that one! I had a friend of mine down in your area some years back. H e went by the name of "Wild Bill' ! He had a heart attack, about 12-15 yrs. ago! Great guy, could fix, build, and do just about anything! He used to own a Texaco gas station yrs. ago in my pats, and my brother in law worked for him! I might just take you up on the Taco's and Beer one of these days! Take Care!
    Limestone
     

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