Crank No Start Issue

[Tknackstedt]

Hi all,

happy new year. I received my 70's Grenada about 2 months ago. was unfortunately only able to drive it twice (registration) and around town before Ohio winter and the business of the holiday season hit. I am now unfortunately unable to get the car running again...specifically, it turns over but does not start (i.e. no combustion)

 

While I am a complete novice, I realize you need fuel and a spark to drive the engine. I took the filer off the weber carb and sprayed start spray and poured gasoline down the throats without any improvement. I then pulled a random spark plug, reattached it to the ignition coil and cranked, saw no spark on the plug resting on the engine. I am in the process of conceptually working my way backwards towards distributor and power supply. 

 

In the process, I came across this loose wire. it originated form the Bosch ignition coil. Could someone confirm if this should be hooked up to the distributor or what the purpose is?

 

Thanks,

Thomas

 

[Mike Self]

Look on the dizzy--there should be a male terminal poking through the housing casting, insulated from the casting.  IIRC it should be connected to a wire coming from the coil--and I think it's the one you circled in yellow.  If that terminal on the dizzy is devoid of any connection, try connecting the loose one and see what happens.  You may be pleasantly surprised.

 

BTW, we have a loosely organized gaggle of '02ers (RGB, Rivertown Gear Busters) here in SW OH--Dayton, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Lexington, Louisville etc.  Lotsa expertise among the folks, and we have periodic getogethers.  Watch the RGB group posting here on the FAQ for any upcoming events.  And if you're thinking about attending either Mid America in April or Vintage in May, we have caravans going to both events, starting here in Dayton.

 

mike

 

 

[Son of Marty]

+1 on Mikes reply that wire should go to the spade connector next to the condenser. 

[Brandon]

I agree with the others, you definitely should have a wire connected to the condenser on the distributor and that random wire just laying there is probably it.  Hook it up and it will hopefully start up for you.

[Tknackstedt]

Appreciate the input from you all. the wiring diagram certainly also suggests that this is where the wire goes. interestingly, when i plugged it in something shorted. the ignition is now completely dead when turning the key to crank.

not sure what happened there. in the 6 fuse 1970 set up, i dont really see all of the electrical engine components having a fuse listed. all the fuses are for auxilliary stuff like gauges, lights etc.

 

any thoughts?

[Hans]

To confirm, you connected the wire to the distributor and something shorted? How did you determine that? I think #5 fuse feeds that circuit. Do you have a test light or elec. testing meter?

[Tknackstedt]

Hans, thanks for the reply.

Yes I connected the wire to the distributor and I am now getting just a single clicking when i turn the key in the ignition without any cranking/turn over. almost like with a dead battery. I wont have time to formally test it with a meter until this weekend, I was just sort of surprised that this happened.

 

Thomas

[Hans]

 

Hans, thanks for the reply.

Yes I connected the wire to the distributor and I am now getting just a single clicking when i turn the key in the ignition without any cranking/turn over. almost like with a dead battery. I wont have time to formally test it with a meter until this weekend, I was just sort of surprised that this happened.

 

Thomas

Maybe the battery is dead. Or weak. That would cause the click but no music. How many wires are attached to the coil anyway?

[Buckeye]

I have nothing to offer for troubleshooting your start issue, but looks like your distributor inserted 180 degree opposite. another word capacitor should be facing firewall. and that is not the reason your car won't start, but should be readjusted at some point time.

[Hans]

Like he said. The distributor can be any place as long as firing order and timing are set accordingly. Usually condenser is at the back, which is where the stock black wire is located. But that's unlikely to be your problem.

[Dudeland]

Any update?


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[coloincaalpine RIP 2021]

That wire that is laying there is going to the + side of the coil. If it is hooked up to the dizzy, it will create a dead short.It must  only be plugged to the  negative side of the coil .   Neg always goes to the distributor and tachometer.   + is from the ignition switch.

dq

[Hans]

 

That wire that is laying there is going to the + side of the coil. If it is hooked up to the dizzy, it will create a dead short.It must  only be plugged to the  negative side of the coil .   Neg always goes to the distributor and tachometer.   + is from the ignition switch.

dq

I wondered about that, but OP says car ran before. How did you determine that was + side?

[coloincaalpine RIP 2021]

Yeah, I saw he said it ran but............                 If you zoom in, you can see the + on the coil.   

[Tknackstedt]

?? Hans and Coloincaalpine...thank you. No update as M-F is simply to busy for me to do more than walk by the car and think "at least its art in my garage even when it isnt running"...also as you all figured out, connecting that wire to the distributor def. caused a short. So I'll likely be replacing fuses today.

 

Still pretty unclear on what to do with that wire. Now, I have learned a lot over the past 3 weeks just from reading things but I am still quite the novice. Backstory - after I drove it the first month, it sat for 4-6 weeks and then failing to start again. Sidenote: I suspect the car is also not getting fuel right now. i.e. no fuel shooting into carb with gas pedal. That may have been the initial problem. Being completely honest, the first time I coudlnt get the car to start I decided to inspect the spark plugs (without any rationale except that it sounded like a car thing to do and I had never done it). I am just wondering if I was so clumsy to dislodge that blue wire when accessing the spark plugs. Seems unlikely.

 

In any case, if Hans and Coloincaalpin have time to expand on what they think the actual place for the wire may be; Ill def owe you one. I am also crossing my fingers that this isnt a dead-end rabbit hole that I am going down and that the loose wire, in actuality, has nothing to do with the failure to spark.

 

Appreciate any comments - finally 60 in cleveland which means i wont freeze in the garage.

 

Thomas