No start No spark

[wheels87k5]

I know this has been beat to death, but after all the research and a few tests.............I've come to the conclusion that it would be best to return the distributor (with lifetime warranty) and get a new one that already has the ignition control module (ICM) along with the pickup coil.

I don't have any clue why this just showed up unless a short in the system caused this. After the shackle flip I went to unlock the passenger door using the driver side unlock/lock switch and had nothing. No lights, no power. Nothing. I went to check the switch under the hood and it was on battery #1 where it should have been. But the breaker had been tripped so I went to battery #2 and heard a pop and some light smoke coming from the fender opening. I immediately put the switch to OFF and it stopped. After some more checking whatever was causing the short was gone. Battery #1 was sitting at 5.5 volts and battery #2 was at full charge.

I now have no start with no spark. Motor turns over. No spark at the plugs but I have 12 volts at the coil wire that goes to the top of the distributor cap. I have also put the blazer back on #2 battery with no switch or ACR.

Thanks, ryoken for all your input.

Thankfully for the warranty it will only cost me some time and gas to get the new part. When I have it installed I'll post up the results.

 

[wheels87k5]

Not sure what to think.

Before I went to swap out the whole distributor, I went ahead and tested the pick up coil again. It passed with flying colors. I took the ICM in to be tested and after 5 tests, it also passed with flying colors. I bought a new pick up coil while I was there since they are only $22.00. Went back home and installed the existing distributor with same parts.

It fired right up.

Maybe I knocked a connector loose when I was checking the wiring by the distributor, not really sure. All I know is, it drove fine so I went and filled it up.

All is well again.............so far

 

[Bent77]

Not sure what to think.

Before I went to swap out the whole distributor, I went ahead and tested the pick up coil again. It passed with flying colors. I took the ICM in to be tested and after 5 tests, it also passed with flying colors. I bought a new pick up coil while I was there since they are only $22.00. Went back home and installed the existing distributor with same parts.

It fired right up.

Maybe I knocked a connector loose when I was checking the wiring by the distributor, not really sure. All I know is, it drove fine so I went and filled it up.

All is well again.............so far

I wanted to blame the ICM when I read this, but maybe just some corrosion or that loose wire

 

[diesel4me]

Smoking wires means something was shorted out somewhere--maybe a fusible link burnt up just enough to fry the insulation,but not long enough to make the wire inside fail completely--often this will happen and cause intermittent electrical disturbances and isn't found until it finally fails 100%...

I had the thick pink HEI power wire on one truck I had get badly corroded about a foot away from the ignition switch--for a long time,the truck would suddenly decide to stall with no warning,or refuse to start up,just spin over,no spark...

I put a complete used HEI distributor in it and it was OK for a week or so--then it did the same thing again...
I checked for power with the key on at the coil,that pink wire was "dead"...then suddenly while I had the test lamp on it,it lit up very dimly,like it was getting 2 volts,not 12..then it brightened up to full intensity,flickered a few times,then went out again..

Pulling on the wire made the light come back on,so I decided to just run a new wire from the ignition to the HEI cap ,and the truck fired right up,and ran stronger than it ever had--evidently the coil wasn't getting a full 12V consitently,and it had also blown two ignition modules in the months prior,which died from low voltage or surges most likely..

I decided to strip off all the insulation on the original pink wire,and found a spot about 2" long,where the copper was black,and only a few strands remained,and it was full of white powder,like you see on battery terminals...

I have seen many electric fuel pump wires on newer EFI trucks do the same thing too,causing the pump to be replaced for no good reason..

 

[wheels87k5]

I was standing just above the right side fender when this happened. The small trail of smoke seemed like it was coming from the opening where I ran the two wires for the fuse link just under the windshield. It only lasted a second then it was gone. No more smoke. I also heard a small, faint pop or crackling sound when the smoke appeared but I had switched the battery selector to OFF and all was good.

When I put the ohm meter on the battery it only had 5.5 volts.....that was with the switch to OFF. When I moved the switch to battery #1 the volts would drop to 1.3 volts. It may have been the ACR but right now it is working like it should. I removed the cable from the common of the switch and it didn't change the low voltage reading so right now I'm leaning towards the ACR. The smoke may have came from the breaker for that battery. It was tripped at the time.