Check engine light will not come on when key is turned on. Cranks but no start, no spark. Negative side of coil has big voltage drop with wire attached.

The hot coil is what happens if you plut a battery across it for more than a few minutes.
Replace the damaged coil and check for a spark. If no spark, check the points gap and condeser.
Never leave the ignition on for more than a minute without the engine running, it damages the coil!

Check for voltage at the negative (-) side when the positive (+) side has power. There should be voltage on both. If not, you have a bad coil

https://s8.postimg.org/x2zc7x2bp/ignition_coil.jpg
Click on the link.
Did you check primary voltage to ignition coil? Goes hot with key on, red wire with green tracer. you can use a test light to check voltage.
For testing you can use digital multimeter across battery posts, have helper turn key to crank, how far does the reading drop? If it drops to zero, it is probable you won't have any spark. Generally it should not drop below 9 volts. Make sure battery has a full charge and battery connections all good. As far as testing, if the battery is down, we're just spinning our wheels.

1. • 1 Turn the key on until the lights on the dash come on. If the dash lights fail to come on, the battery or battery connections are suspect, and you have eliminated an engine performance problem. If the lights come on, try to start the engine. If the engine does not turn over (it just makes a clicking sound), the battery is suspect. If the lights are on, and the engine turns over, but does not start, the issue is with performance. Go to Step 2 if the engine does not turn over. Go to Step 6 if the engine cranks but does not start.
     
   • 2 Inspect the battery terminal for corrosion and security. Clean the terminals if necessary by wetting them with water and pouring baking soda on the terminals. The baking soda neutralizes the acid and cleans the terminals. Wait for the terminals to stop foaming and clean with water. Take off the negative terminal and clean it with a wire brush. Leaving the negative terminal off, remove the positive and clean it with a wire brush. Reinstall the terminals with the positive first. Check to see if that solved the problem. If not take the voltmeter and check the voltage across the terminals, red lead of voltmeter on positive terminal and black on negative. There should be showing 12.3 or better volts. If the voltage is low it is under charged or incapable of holding a charge. Take the caps off the battery and check the cells one at a time with the hydrometer. The hydrometer reading should be the same on all cells if all cells are good. A fully charged battery will show 1,260 specific gravity on the hydrometer. Check the water level in the battery and fill as necessary with distilled water.
     
   • 3 Replace the caps on the battery and hook the load tester to the battery. Watch the voltage as you press the load button for five seconds. Note how much the voltage dropped while the load was being applied. Look on the battery label on top and look for the CCA, or cold cranking amps. Compare this with the diagrams on the load tester for that size battery. For example, a 550 cold cranking amp battery should not drop below 10.5 volts when a load is applied. This would indicate a bad cell in the battery and require replacement of battery.
     
   • 4 Check the black negative cable where it attaches to the engine and make sure it is tight. Check the positive cable and be sure it is tight on the starter.
     
   • 5 Disconnect the small wire from the starter solenoid. Clip the red lead on the voltmeter to the small wire and clip the black lead on the voltmeter to the battery. Have a friend turn the key to the start position. There should be power to the wire every time the ignition is turned to start. If there is power then the starter is the problem and needs to be replaced. If there is no power, check the fuse in the relay box on the driver's side fenderwell. If it is good then pull the starter relay out and check for power at one terminal. Put the red positive lead of the voltmeter in the relay terminal and touch the negative to the negative battery post to check for power. If there is power then have the assistant turn the key to the start position and check to see if another terminal has power. There should be two terminals with power when the ignition is in start. If there is power at a second terminal turn the key off. Take a jumper wire and jump the terminal with the power on constantly with one of the terminals that had no power. Try the next terminal if no response at the starter. When jumped, if the starter engages, the relay is at fault and needs to be replaced. If there was no power to the relay when the key was in the start position, then the ignition switch is at fault.
     
   • 6 Insert an extra spark plug into the end of one of the spark plug wires. Do not take a spark plug out of the engine for this test. If it is a coil over system, remove the 10 millimeter bolts from the coil and pull it out of the head and insert the plug and lay it on the valve cover or in a spot where the plug is grounded by touching metal. Do not touch this during this test or you will get shocked. Have the helper turn the engine over. Look at the plug for a spark every few revolutions. If there is no spark, there is an issue with the engine management system. Take the car to a shop with the right test equipment. If you see spark, the problem is in the fuel system.
     
   • 7 Look at the top of the engine and locate the fuel rail on the injectors. There should be a Schrader valve on the rail. Make sure to extinguish any cigarettes or heat source like an electric light bulb during this step. Take a small screwdriver or a nail and push in on the Schrader valve. Have the helper turn the key on and look for fuel pressure at the valve. If there was no Schrader on the rail, just loosen the fuel line for the same results. If there is no fuel expelled, check the fuel pump fuse and relay located in the relay box. If these are not faulty, the fuel pump has failed and is need of replacement.
     

Try this tips:
1. Check the battery voltage at the battery with the digital volt/ohm meter. Set the meter to "Volts D/C" and touch the black meter lead to the negative battery post and the red meter lead to the positive post. A fully charged battery will measure 12.7 volts or more. A measurement of 12.5 volts is considered discharged, and the battery should be charged before any further testing. Any measurement below 11 volts indicates a severely discharged battery--the battery is most likely damaged and should be replaced. If the battery measures above 12.7 volts, proceed to the next step.

2. Check the starter for battery voltage by touching the red (positive) meter lead to the battery cable terminal on the back of the starter and the black (negative) lead to the chassis. The voltage reading should be approximately the same as the measurement at the battery. If the reading is lower than battery voltage, check for bad connections at the cables on the battery and the starter or ground cable.

Check for ignition switch signal at the purple wire on the back of the starter. When the key is turned to the "Start" position this wire should measure battery voltage. If the reading is less than battery voltage, or zero volts, check the fusible links (orange wires) on the back of the starter. If the fusible links are intact and not burned or broken, replace the ignition switch. If battery voltage is present at the purple wire, and the starter doesn't turn, replace the starter. If the voltage measurements at the starter are correct, and the starter cranks the engine over when the key is turned to the start position, proceed to the next step.

3. Remove the air duct attached to the throttle body, and spray a liberal amount of the carburetor spray into the throttle body. Replace the hose, and try to start the engine. If the engine starts, the fuel pump is not supplying fuel or the ignition module is not pulsing the injectors. Check the fuel pump fuse located in the under-hood fuse block. If it is good, check for power at the fuel pump electrical connector located near the rear of the fuel tank on the driver's side of the van. In the Chevy Astro van, power is supplied to the fuel pump by the the gray wire on the electrical connector when the engine is being cranked. If power is supplied, hitting the fuel tank with the flat side of a hammer while someone else is turning the ignition key to start will sometimes bump the fuel pump enough to allow it to start. If the fuel pump checks good, proceed to the next step.

4. Check for spark. Disconnect the coil wire at the ignition coil, and try to start the engine. If no spark occurs, replace the coil and ignition module. If a strong spark occurs, plug the wire back in, and remove a spark plug wire from a spark plug and repeat the test. If a spark is not present, replace the spark plug wires, and distributor cap and rotor.


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Yes it is very much possible.But there are many other possibilities too,including starter and spark plugs issue.

If your engine cranks normally but will not start because it has no spark, or it stalls and won't restart because it has no spark.

You can also do a test to confirm the problem .The procedure to do the test is as follows:---

If your engine has spark plug wires, disconnect one of the plug wires from a spark plug and place the end of the wire near a metal surface on the engine. Then insert a small Phillips screwdriver into the end of the wire (the plug boot), or a small bolt or nail to provide a conductive path. Then crank the engine and look for a spark to jump from the screwdriver, bolt or nail in the end of the plug wire to the engine. If you do not see a spark, there is an ignition problem.

OR-----------

If your engine has a coil-on-plug ignition system with no plug wires, In that case remove one of the coils from the spark plug and insert an old spark plug, a spark plug tester or a screwdriver into the end of the coil. Ground the spark plug or plug tester to the engine, then crank the engine and look for a spark. No spark indicates an ignition problem.If the engine has no spark, check for voltage at the coil positive terminal when the ignition key is on. If NO voltage, then problem is on the trigger side of the coil (pickup, crank sensor, ignition module or primary wiring circuit).

But If there is NO voltage at the coil itself, then in that case the problem is on the supply side (the ignition switch or ignition wiring circuit).-----------------

Jeep cranks but no start:----------------

A jeep that cranks over but doesn't start, in many cases will be due to a bad fuel pump, a broken timing belt, an inoperative cam sensor or crank sensor. Also these problems are related to faulty spark plug. Check the spark at spark plugs when you start the jeep. Do you notice any spark. Actually you should see. If in case there is no spark then it's a spark plug problem. Also the coil pack gives power to spark plug. So check the voltage at coil pack. It will show 12 volt. If there is no voltage noticed at coil pack then its faulty coil pack that has to be replaced. If all the possible options checked out ok then check the car starter. The starter gets power from battery to start the jeep. If the starter is faulty then it will not let the car to start. Also check and confirm that there is fuel in the jeep. If its very low fuel then in some cases this causes the problem. Also check and confirm that fuel pump is functioning properly and the fuel filter is not clogged. One of the easiest ways to check for a fuel pump related problem is to spray a little starting fluid into the air intake while trying to start the jeep. If the car starts momentarily, then there's a good chance the fuel pump is not working or the jeep is out of gas. You can also listen for the fuel pump's humming sound when the key is first turned on. Also if a inoperative fuel pump is suspected, a good technician will always check to verify there is power and ground being supplied to the pump, to eliminate the possibility of a bad relay or electrical issue. Fuel pressure can be checked with a pressure gauge and if there is pressure, pulse can be checked at the fuel injectors in several ways including the most common, with the use of noid lights. If the injectors don't have pulse the engine won't start. ---------- This troubleshooting tips will help you to solve the problem. Thanks. Helpmech.

Either the spark plug is faulty or the coil pack is faulty.The spark plugs get power to spark from coil packs.

If the engine has no spark, check for voltage at the coil positive terminal when the ignition key is on. If NO voltage, then problem is on the trigger side of the coil (pickup, crank sensor, ignition module or primary wiring circuit).

But If there is NO voltage at the coil itself, then in that case the problem is on the supply side (the ignition switch or ignition wiring circuit).

But if the coil has voltage, then problem may be a bad high voltage output wire from the coil to spark plugs or hairline cracks in the coil output tower.------Getting this all possibilities checked will point towards the exact faulty part which is to be replaced.----------This should help.Thanks.Helpmech.

with parking brake set and transmission in neutral or park, use a test light or voltmeter to check for voltage at coil positive terminal with key turned in start position. Connect the negative side to ground--not the other coil terminal.

If there is no voltage to the coil, check ignition fuse. If good, suspect ignition switch or wiring.

If there is voltage to the coil, either the coil or modulator is bad.
With the key in the on position, remove the coil wire from the distributor and hold it near a ground point while you briefly ground the negative coil terminal. If a spark jumps when the ground is removed, the coil is good and the modulator is bad.

Please see my tip at http://www.fixya.com/cars/r5821173-doesnt_car_start_gasoline_engines . These are generic instructions. If you get stuck or need specific instructions for your car, please get back to me with model, year and engine info.

ENGINE CRANKS BUT WILL NOT START
When the engine cranks normally but won't start, you need to check ignition, fuel and"http://www.aa1car.com/library/compression.htm". Ignition is easy enough to check with a spark tester or by positioning a plug wire near a good ground. No spark? The most likely causes would be a failed ignition module, distributor pickup or "http://www.aa1car.com/library/crank_sensors.htm".
A tool such as an Ignition System Simulator can speed the diagnosis by quickly telling you if the ignition module and coil are capable of producing a spark with a simulated timing input signal. If the simulated signal generates a spark, the problem is a bad distributor pickup or crankshaft position sensor. No spark would point to a bad module or coil. Measuring ignition coil primary and secondary resistance can rule out that component as the culprit.
Module problems as well as pickup problems are often caused by loose, broken or corroded wiring terminals and connectors. Older HEI ignition modules are notorious for this. If you are working on a distributorless ignition system with a Hall effect crankshaft position sensor, check the sensor's reference voltage (VRef) and ground. The sensor must have 5 volts or it will remain permanently off and not generate a crank signal (which should set a fault code). Measure VRef between the sensor power supply wire and ground (use the engine block for a ground, not the sensor ground circuit wire). Don't see 5 volts? Then check the sensor wiring harness for loose or corroded connectors. A poor ground connection will have the same effect on the sensor operation as a bad VRef supply. Measure the voltage drop between the sensor ground wire and the engine block. More than a 0.1 voltage drop indicates a bad ground connection. Check the sensor mounting and wiring harness.
If a Hall effect crank sensor has power and ground, the next thing to check would be its output. With nothing in the sensor window, the sensor should be "on" and read 5 volts (VRef). Measure the sensor D.C. output voltage between the sensor signal output wire and ground (use the engine block again, not the ground wire). When the engine is cranked, the sensor output should drop to zero every time the shutter blade, notch, magnetic button or gear tooth passes through the sensor. No change in voltage would indicate a bad sensor that needs to be replaced.
If the primary side of the ignition system seems to be producing a trigger signal for the coil but the voltage is not reaching the plugs, a visual inspection of the coil tower, distributor cap, rotor and plug wires should be made to identify any defects that might be preventing the spark from reaching its intended destination.----
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