Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting NEED HELP ELEC. PROBLEM. CAR HAS NO SPARK

HI FOLKS, CAR HAD SPARK. BUT WOULD NOT START BUT WOULD TURN OVER. THEN CHANGED CRANK TRIGGER PICK UP.STILL HAD SPARK BUT STILL WOULD NOT START. THEN THE BATTERY WENT LOW AND TRIED TO BOOST IT AND THEN IT STILL WOULD NOT START AND THEN LOST THE SPARK ALL TOGHTHER. THEN WENT TO JUNK YARD AND PICKED UP USED COIL PACK MODULE AND COMPUTER. SWITCHED THEM BUT STILL HAVE NO SPARK AND TURNS OVER. NEED TO FIQUE OUT HOW TO RESTORE THE SPARK AND THEN FIND OUT WHY IT DOES NOT WANT TO RUN. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHATS UP WITH NO SPARK. I GUESS WE BLEW SOME THING WHEN WE TRIED BOOSTING IT. I AM NOT SAVY WITH AN OHM METER AND DO NOT HAVE A CODE READER HANDY. PLEASE LET ME KNOW ON THE HOWS TO CHECK AND WHAT TO CHECK PLEASE THANX JOHN 95 FORD CONTOUR 2.5 LITER

Check if the coil is getting power, first of all. Then, test the resistances through the coil as specified by a service manual, or maybe by someone on this board if you're lucky. It's possible that both coils were bad. Also, it seems stupid, but make sure your wires and plugs are good.

thanx, but changed to new plugs, after replacing crank trigger sensor. had spark before and after. lost spark only after boosting it. possibly have blown some thing by a power surge. but what did we blow to cause no spark. thanx

Did you reverse the booster cables?

Read the first several sentencees of mcgarvey's suggesttion and follow them. Don't skip over the parts you don't like.

FWIW, the coil gets its power via a fuse in the engine compartment fusebox labeled IGNITION/(DRL). This fuse is supplied by the IGN RELAY in the I/P fusepanel. This relay should energize in RUN. This same fuse supplioes the PCM POWER relay. If the CEL does not come on during bulb proveout, it is a strong indication that this circuit is at fault.

Steve

You said you are not savvy with an ohm meter, but this is a good time to invest in one and learn to use it. It's very simple and worth the twenty dollars.

Remember that in addition to a blown fuse, a fusible link can fry, though it takes quite a bit of juice. Keep this in mind if the coil is not, in fact, getting power.

Welcome, 526 turbo .

hi guys thanx for the input. just need to know how to use a ohm meter. thats why i just go to the junk yard and grab all the electrical parts i can then swap them. thats why i am still pulling out the rest of my hair that i have left. need a how to in testing the coil pack and module, crank trigger sensor, and the main engine fuses exspecially the brown ones that are for spark horn, fuel pump.also would like to know how to check the fuses under the dash. not the see through ones but the 2 black ones which are for ignition and reverse voltage protection. what are the specs for them when i test the with the ohm meter.

Turn the DVOM to Ohm. Then test the ends (or pins) of the part. If it resistance is close to zero, part is fine. If it is high to infinite, then you have a broken circuit/part.

Autozone has most of the tests for most of the parts.
Click here

Here are the basics to using an ohm meter to test circuits and sensors on your vehicle:

Many sensors operate as variable resistors. Throttle position sensor, for example, gives one resistance value at closed throttle, a greater one at half open throttle, and an even greater one at wide open. A service manual will tell you the specifications for this resistance in ohms. Compare the values you measure with those in the manual. If they do not match, the sensor is likely bad.

Fuses are designed to have either no resistance at all (zero ohms), or, if they burn out, to open the circuit (infinite ohms). If there's any doubt as to whether they're fried, pull them out and measure the resistance across them.

Use the volt meter function to see if components such as your ignition coil are getting power. The battery and charging system should supply everything with about 13.5 DC volts. If no voltage is present in a circuit, something is wrong like a blown fuse. If there is a lower voltage, check for bad grounds or a possible faulty battery or alternator.

I know this is all in pretty vague terms as far as your problem goes. I don't have my service manual handy so I can't give you any specifics on resistance specs. Hopefully, though, you now have a better basic understanding of how to use a multimeter.

hi guys did some testing with a friend, it turns out there is no power going to the coil plug harness wires. checked fuses and relays. what wire or fuse or relay or fusable link gets the power first. i must of fried some thing when i boosted it with another car thats when i lost the spark. need a wiring diagram to trace the power wire and where the coil wire gets it power from when you turn on the key. could it be a fusable link the lights go on. turns over fine. let me know guys and also thanx for your input its a great site with great peolple who help.