lasher_350

Okay, first things first, thanks in advance to anyone who chips in their $.02. Second, I have a question regarding a no start condition pertaining to the ignition control module.

Scenario...driving down the road and all of a sudden, the engine dies. I still have full electric to everything else. Engine will rotate but not fire afterwards. I think automatically that it's the electric fuel pump, but can hear it run when the key is turned on, and there is gas coming out of the injectors (tbi). So I pull a plug wire and look for spark against a ground. There's no spark at the spark plug wire, so I pull the coil wire off and do the same test...no spark. I even go so far as to pull the coil off and check the resistance between all the connections per Chilton's Manual, coil checks good, and there's 12v going to the coil from the battery/ignition switch. So my question is, does the control module in the distributor control the sparking function of the coil, and do the modules just go out without warning or other indications theres a problem? I am going to pull the module out and take it to the parts place to have them run a test on it, but thought I'd arm myself with some good information and not O'Reilly's information, so naturally I look to you for the real deal!!!

oh yeah, engine is a 3.1 with distributor and cfi...thanks!!!

Trickster

When the engine quit on you, did you get a check engine light and if you did, what was the trouble code?

ede

i'd replace the ignition module or at least have it tested. it could pass the test ok since they sometimes will fail when hot.

EvilCartman

iTrader: (1)

They tend to just go out without warning in my experience. Went to start my car one morning and it had zero spark. Got a new module, stuck it in and fired right up. The previous night it was running just fine. Glad it didn't go out when driving it that night, miles away from help and hardly any traffic around

RB83L69

A failed ignition module does not set a trouble code. Codes won't help.

It takes about 30 seconds to get the module out of the distributor. Take it to a parts store and get it tested. Or, better yet, since they're also known to be heat sensitive (work when cold, then fail when hot), just get a new one, since it's entirely possible that it could test good now but fail again later; and they're not very expensive. Replace the rotor while you're at it, especially if you haven't done that lately.

ERICCAMARO

I have had a couple of these go out unexplainably. You have to dish out a good 40 bucks everytime it happens too. Just make sure you use the white dielectric grease it comes with properly or the life of the module will be very short.

Riley's35089rs+

Ive experienced slow death, as well as sudden death in a modual..$30 autozone

TJQIROC

iTrader: (1)

You guys are forgetting about that pickup coil, or something like that located inside the distributor, around the shaft. The only way to change that is to pull the distributor. This inexpensive part will produce the exact symptoms you had. When mine went, it was intermittent but then quit for good. I had changed the ignition module because it was easy to get to but that wasn't the problem. It was the pickup coil.

ERICCAMARO

He is right I replaced mine at the same time when I replaced the module in my distributor. I think it tookk me a total of 30 min to replace the pickup and the module Its worth it and will only cost u $12 bucks or so more.

Riley's35089rs+

when my pick-up was bad it came out in about 10 crystalized pieces...to change it pull the dist. punch the roll pin out of the end.. it will come apart at this point check the gear replace all o rings new pick up...easy as pie...dot forget to mark the rotor for timing reference...

But I would still start with the easy thing first..Module