Hi Folks. My first post here, but already made a lot of progress searching previous posts.

I have a '93 Del Sol Si which does not start, and appears to have no spark. Nothing happened...just went to start it in the driveway one morning and no start.

Fuel checks out fine with the expected 2 sec spray after the I turn the key on.

I've already put in new plugs, wires & cap, which were all needed anyway.

I've checked the fuses and verified 12V on the black/yellow ignition power wire.

Checking ground resistance, I get 3 ohms between the distributor housing and battery ground.

When I check for spark at coil tower (using old plug wire and plug to ground), I get nothing.

Thinking possibly a bad coil or control unit?

First problem I have is a frozen rotor screw. Any ideas for how to get it out? Is there a way to get some heat on it? I haven't stripped the screw head yet...but can't seem to loosen it with conventional means.

After that's off I assume there's some resistance measurements I can make that might identify a problem with the ignition? Would greatly appreciate a pointer to a thread that describes this procedure and expected values.

Thanks!

 

The distributor does rotate when you crank? Stripped timing belt will cause no wpark because the distributor doesn't turn.

You may need to take the distributor off and drill out the screw on the bench. Or get a rebuilt unit and let someone else deal with it. A rebuilt one gets new coil and ICM is likely to solve the problem. (NEVER trade in your "core" unit until the new one is on the car and working!)

 

Yup, the rotor turns and the timing belt seems fine.

I would consider a rebuilt distributor, but want to confirm the fail mode first.

 

I tried again to get that rotor screw out with no luck.

I have a heavy duty soldering iron I tried using to get some heat on the screw, but none of the screwdrivers I have were able to crack it loose before slipping.

Anyone have ideas for getting that rotor screw out?

I was thinking about cutting the plastic rotor off, and getting in there with vice grips on the head.

 

After looking at price and availability of rebuilt distributors for my Del Sol, I'm warming up to the idea.

It would solve 3 problems: I broke one of the cap screws and had to drill it out, damaging the original threads...the rotor screw is frozen as described above...and something in the distributor appears to have failed leading to no spark.

Question is...can I verify that that swapping the distributor will get my spark back?

Are there tests I can do on the distributor to confirm health of the components?

I've seen some other posts that discuss expected resistance values...but can't find a reference for where/how they are tested. Can these be done without removing the rotor and cover below it?

 

If you have the same screw/bolt, you can use a socket wrench to take it out.

 

Thanks axis...mine has just a Philips head...no hex to grab on.

 

I'm wondering if I've checked enough to conclude something in my distributor is causing no spark.

Things checked/replaced (motor is stock):

Fuel pressure verified at filter
Main relay resoldered
Ground to thermostat housing clean and tight
12V verified on Bk/Yl ignition wire (only checked on, not start)
Plugs, wires, cap changed (rotor cleaned up OK...screw frozen)
No spark verified at coil tower
Jumpering ECU shows solid CEL, no blinks
Timing belt verified

Can't remove rotor screw, so no further checks done. Any checks I can do through the connector?

Planning to get a rebuilt distributor locally for $160 (Cardone...are these OK?). Hopefully that will solve the spark problem, rotor screw, and busted cap screw.

Can I be relatively convinced this will fix me up?

Thanks!

 

With test jumper out, turn key on but don't crank. The CEL should come on for 2 seconds and then go out. During that time the fuel pump should run and then stop. That indicates the ECU is booting up and running at least to some degree. If your car does that, the problem is almost certainly in the distributor.

 

Yup that seems to work just as you described, reliably.

When I tested for fuel pressure, I cracked the filter outlet fitting, and got the short spray when I turned the key to on...twice.

Is there anything I should do or mark before removing the distributor?

Any key points for the swap?

I assume I'll have timing questions later...

Thanks!