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Resistance in the carbon brush inside your distributor cap should read zero Ohms. Zero Ohms in the plug wires is good, but having some resistance actually drives up the output from your coil, resulting in a hotter spark at the plug.
Switch on ignition, but do not crank the engine over. Hold the coil HT lead near the tip of the rotor, and flick the points open. You will get spark as the points open. If the spark jumps from the HT lead to the rotor, then the rotor is bad and is grounding the spark to the rotor drive shaft.
This may lead to corrosion. This, therefore, means that you need to replace the distributor cap gasket if you notice a loose distributor cap. For you to get rid of corrosion, you should clean the distributor cap with wd40.
Replacing the distributor cap and rotor at the same time should be completed every 50,000 miles, regardless of whether or not they are damaged. If your vehicle does not put on a lot of miles every year, it’s also a good idea to replace them every three years.
Turn off the vehicle and spray the spark plug wires and the inside and outside of your distributor cap with WD-40. … Using WD-40 to repel water from spark plugs, distributors, alternators, and batteries is a good way to prevent corrosion and keep moisture away.
A burnt distributor cap can cause an engine to run or idle rough and vibrate excessively. Burnt areas on distributor caps are usually caused by arcing because of carbon deposits. …
Unplug high tension wire from coil that goes to distributor and insert a short spark plug wire. 3. Turn the ignition on and check with test light or volt meter at the battery side of the coil to make sure you have proper voltage there.
On distributors with the pickup separate from the module assembly, you can check the pickup using your Ohm meter. Connect the leads from your Ohm meter to the 2 leads of the pickup. If you show a resistance of 50 to 200 Ohms, the pickup is functioning correctly.
When any changes are made to the engine of a car, the ignition timing is adjusted accordingly. If not, you could experience several problems with your engine with improper ignition timing like knocking, hard to start, increase fuel usage, overheating, and reduced power.
Unexplainable Shaking
A classic telltale sign that your distributor is going bad is unexplained shaking whenever the car is running. This can range from a vibrating sensation to a more pronounced shaking that can be felt throughout the vehicle.
The only safe way to test for spark is to use a spark plug tester tool. If a coil problem is suspected, measure the coil’s primary and secondary resistance with an ohmmeter. If either is out of specifications, the coil needs to be replaced. A coil can be easily bench tested with a digital 10 megaohm impedance ohmmeter.
The distributor cap are tasked with passing voltage from the ignition coils to the engine’s cylinders through the spark plug wires and plugs themselves to ignite the air and fuel mix. A failing distributor cap will result in rough idle because the voltage is not being sent to the plugs at the proper time, or at all.
Bad spark plugs, fouled-up plug wires or a cracked distributor cap can cause spark loss, while compression loss — in which too much of the air-fuel mixture flees a cylinder before going bang — commonly arises from a leaky exhaust valve or a blown head gasket [sources: B&B; O’Reilly].
Connect the ground lead from the 12-volt test light to the negative terminal on the ignition coil. Have your partner crank the engine over several times. Your test light should flicker on and off. If so, your module is working properly and no further testing is necessary.
How long should a distributor last? Replacing the distributor cap and rotor at the same time should be completed every 50,000 miles, regardless of whether or not they are damaged. If your vehicle does not put on a lot of miles every year, it’s also a good idea to replace them every three years.
Some rotors fit freely on the distributor shaft; while others are secured with a screw. If your vehicle has a rotor secured with a screw; always use the new screw. According to most service manuals, the job of removing the distributor cap and rotor itself is only about one hour to complete.
When you need to replace your distributor cap and rotor because they have gone bad, you can expect to pay anywhere from $70 to $130 for the job. This total includes both parts and labor costs together. What is this? In most cases, expect to pay somewhere between $30 and $60 for parts and another $40 to $70 in labor.
Loss of spark is caused by anything that prevents coil voltage from jumping the electrode gap at the end of the spark plug. This includes worn, fouled or damaged spark plugs, bad plug wires or a cracked distributor cap.
The distributor is like a traffic cop for electricity. The distributor contains, among other parts, a rotor that spins, and a number of contacts mounted to the distributor cap. Power from the ignition coil is supplied to the rotor. The rotor spins in time with the engine.
Turn off the vehicle and spray the spark plug wires and the inside and outside of your distributor cap with WD-40. Using WD-40 to repel water from spark plugs, distributors, alternators, and batteries is a good way to prevent corrosion and keep moisture away.
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