I recently changed out my spark plugs so the next logical thing was to change out my cap, rotor and wires. Got some from autozone last week, took off the cap and found that the screw holding the rotor on was quite stripped. Anyways, I had to get a new screw and drilled a hole in the top of the old one allowing me to use a square bit to remove it. Then I installed the new rotor and cap, and replaced the wires making sure to keep in the correct order. The wires I got were kinda of crappy and didn't seem to wanna grab the to top of each plug as easily. Anyways, I cranked the car and it started immediately, then I went over under the hood and listened to it and revved it by moving the butterfly valve, and as it started to rev the engine killed. I went back and checked the connection on the distributor and it turned out a couple of plugs were kinda lose, so I tightened them back up, tried to start the car, now all it will do is crank. I tried switching the new wires out with the old ones, and it won't start still. Can't figure this one out...

 

So I tried connecting an old plug and setting it on the intake manifold and doing the screwdriver thing and putting it near the intake manifold and I get no spark on either. Did my coil burn out I guess from not having the wires connected properly?

 

do you have any cel on? did you gap your spark plugz?

 

check your firing order..from your spark plug wires to your distributor cap

 

Firing into an open circuit (such as having a wire fall off) can blow the coil. Take the cap off and try to draw sparks direct from the coil output to a grounded test wire (ordinary insulated wire with the end stripped, not spark plug wire). If you have only very small yellow sparks, coil is bad. I suggest you use OEM plug wires instead. Yes they are more expensive than the Autozone ones but you get what you pay for.

 

Firing order was correct, coil was bad, no spark. Replaced coil, engine starts now. Lessons learned:

1) Ensure spark plug wires are securely fastened before turning over engine.

2) Don't use autozone duralast wires, they suck and don't click when they connect.

 

I got Omnispark plug wires from O Reilly's about a year ago...still works as if I brought them the 1st day.

Everything from Duralast always seem kinda......Flaw..except their breaker bars.