igniter problem? (1 Viewer)

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REKCUT

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Here is whats happening. The truck will start and run for about ten min then dies. Wait fifteen minutes and it will refire and run for about ten min. When it dies there is no spark or fire from the coil. There is power, 12v on both sides of the coil on run and start position but nothing out of it. Several times while i was working with the problem I had the truck in the on position and at about the 15 minute mark it would just start sparking and then it will start and run.

I hate these kinds of problems because its is not consistant. I dont have any idea what would make the coil work intermittently. Can the igniter heat up and have a problem, or is it in the module in the distributer that tells the igniter when to fire. Why would that heat up and not work. Any of this sound familar to anyone?

P.S. What I know it isn't is Fuel pump, filter, battery.
 
Hopefully, it isn't the igniter. They are $ 386.00 new.
I went through this with my '84 60. I started with a good corrosion cleaning, and bought the coil. Put it back together and it works fine now. I believe the coils goes slowly like that. I could tow it at speed and get it to run, then it would just die .
I would start with the coil....
 
At the dealer we saw this a lot on 4runners (prolly 'cause we saw lots o' 4runners). Heat increases resistance in electronic components. If the resistance gets high enough, the component no longer works.

Check the resistance of the signal generator. IIRC, it should be around 180ohms.
If the resistance is low when cold and then is considerably higher when the engine loses spark, then replace the sig genrator.
If sig generator is still about the same, then replace ignitor/coil.
 
I am getting 12 volts at the coil in start position and 12v in the run position. From the FSM it looks like it should be 12 volts at start mode and 6 volts run mode? Is that correct?
 
Thank you jim. I will try the signal gen test monday. I do much better when I have a position to start with and work out to the problem.
 
Hijack - - -

What is this signal generator you speak of?? Is it part of the dizzy or part of the coil/igniter? My decel fuel cut does not work properly even though it and the emissions computer are good. I keep wondering if the emissions computer is getting a bad tach signal (even though my tach works fine) Maybe the signal generator is my problem . . .
 
Sig gen is the electronic part inside the dissy.

ECU and dash tach get the same signal, so it's unlikely that a lack of RPM signal is the problem.

I'm pretty much grasping at straws here . . .

To continue the hijack, I notice the "air gap" needs to be set. I'm wondering if that is off, maybe it changes the strength of the voltage spikes. Perhaps the ECU is more tempermental about voltage than the tach? I haven't yet actually checked the air gap, but I do have a vague recollection of messing with it about a year ago when I replaced the cap/rotor/etc.

It is really bizarre - all three ECUs I tried acted the same - they fail to open the ground on the fuel cut solenoid. I figure at least one of the signals going to the ECU must be off since it is not opening the ground - but everything seems to check out.:mad: One thing is certain - the fuel cut stays open and checks OK per the FSM (even tried a second one to be sure)
 
At the dealer we saw this a lot on 4runners (prolly 'cause we saw lots o' 4runners). Heat increases resistance in electronic components. If the resistance gets high enough, the component no longer works.

Check the resistance of the signal generator. IIRC, it should be around 180ohms.
If the resistance is low when cold and then is considerably higher when the engine loses spark, then replace the sig genrator.
If sig generator is still about the same, then replace ignitor/coil.

CHanged out the assmbly and coil with a used one. Did the same thing. Unpulged the assembly from the dist. at the connection just outside the dist and tested the resistance and got 0. Not connection at all much less 180 ohms. Should i still replace the signal generator or should I look elsewhere?
 

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