New Festiva Owner With NO Spark

[Bobbyh68]

I have a new 91 Festiva with no spark. The old owner told me it was running one day and then he park it and the next day it would'nt start. The motor turns over and it does'nt fire. I pulled the coil wire going to the distributer and there is no spark. I have power going to the coil with the ignition in the run position (using a test light).
I have a 2nd festiva parts car, with a blown headgasket and locked up engine.
Here is a list of parts I have swapped-
Distributer wires rotor cap
Ignition modual
coil
Don't know what to check next, Please help!
I need this thing Running, I envy you guys gettn great gas milage. lol:cry_smile:

[25Horseplay]

Check the fusible links by the battery

[georgeb]

Swap the whole distributor from the parts car if compatible. It's about the only thing left.

[rickbz28]

Check timing belt.Had same problem,parked car one night and next morning wouldn't start.Changed a lot of electrical before realizing the distributor wasn't even turning because of broken timing belt.

[windy1]

ignition module? battery? ground wire? got me?

[Movin]

You got some great advise, nothing to add here but one was from a new member..
Welcome, and thanks for starting out helping others! If you are thinking about what
to do with a festy, look around in here there are tons of projects and ideas!

[georgeb]

You might be able to see if cam is turning through oil cap hole. If not you must remove belt cover which involves removing water pump pulley.

[Bobbyh68]

Fusible links are good, Swapped the Distributor already,Pulled the cap and checked to see if rotor button IS turning. So the timming belt is good? Right.
Please keep the ideas coming. Could it be the Ignition switch (I checked the coil is getting power)

[Flyin4stroke]

Is the main ground connected from the head to the body? If the distributor is spinning the timing belt is working.

I had a neon one time lost spark all of a sudden and couldn't get it to fire until I accidentally hit the loose wire and saw a spark, car fired right up.

[Movin]

Disconnect the timing connector wire and try it, if you have a tach, unplug it,

Edit, just saw you have a 91, but follow the train of thought anyway.

[Bobbyh68]

Disconnect the timing connector wire and try it, if you have a tach, unplug it,

Edit, just saw you have a 91, but follow the train of thought anyway.

Where is the "Timing Connector Wire", are they the wires going to the top of the distributor?

[Movin]

The 88 and 89 have that wire, but something may be grounding the ignition
coil negative circuit..your tach or your computer. If you haven't found it in
an hour or so I will check your 91 in the computer.

[georgeb]

Where is the "Timing Connector Wire", are they the wires going to the top of the distributor?

It is a single connector near the brake booster.

[Movin]

It is a single connector near the brake booster.

George, thanks, perhaps grounding the test lead will disengage the computer
from the coil tach side circuit and allow the ignition to spark if the computer
is faulty?
Do you show a tach connector for the dash that could be unhooked near
the coil?

[WmWatt]

Do you get a spark from the wire going into the distributor? I thought the distributor is what creates the spark. Someone please enlighten me. I'd've pulled the wire off the #1 spark plug and used that to check for spark. Silly me?