How do i check to see if the electronic distributor is working with limited tools. i have a prob

Start from your plugs and work your way back. Next thing to check would be your plug wires, and/or your coilpacks.

SARA
there is no such thing here. (USA cars,on USA forum)
why not post the symptoms
and not ask for silly hopeless Easter egg hunts
why not?
car stalls
wont start or wont even crank.
starts and stalls,
loss of engine power
car bucks
shakes
smokes
funny noises or all above,omg
or ? do tell
type it in MS notepad, and past it here.
easy no?

ever get a full tuneup this DECADE?
maybe nows that magic moment.

this is the left bank
there are 8 cop coils on V8
seen here, the magic of electronics fires them
directly, making a distributor GONE
in fact one could say it's spark coil distributed now.

Although I am not familiar with your particular engine, some have a "rev limiter" which can fail and cause your issue. Older cars had a rotor button in the distributor which would open the spark circuit when a certain speed is reached, but yours probably has and electronic limiter. Also, some ignition modules have a low speed and separate high speed module, which may have failed. May be best to let a dealer do the diagnostics, then fix the problem yourself once you know what it is.

bad rev limiter in the distributor. replace distributor electronic ignition module. it is under the dist cap.

i had a prob like that once on my 93 ford f150. did u smell burning plastic or wire in the cab when the problem occared. if so it could be the electronic control comp. after i changed all the other stuff becouse of other ppls advice it turned out to be the ecc wihich was my first guess. if u can find it take it out and smell it it will smell burnt usually

check ht leads are ok and spray with wd40 to make sure no damp in them ,check spark plugs if this deos not work prob. need new distributer

Does this engine have a self contained distributor with points and condenser? If so, check the point gap and condition of the points. With the points open, measure the movable side for battery voltage (12.6 volts?) When the points close, there should be no voltage at the movable arm (if there is, the point surfaces may be dirty). The point gap should be about .018" when on the high point of the cam. If you read no voltage, check at the coil small terminals for 12.6 volts. If still nothing, make sure the ignition switch is turning on power to the coil. There should be a heavy resistor located between the ignition switch and the coil (check for power at both ends). If the distributor is an electronic one, repairs are limited to replacing modules, one in the distributor and one exterior. Check the under side of the rotor for a white spot which indicates a shorted part--replace it. With luck, this will get you running!

Check the distributor stator and the TFI ignition moduel, the problem is most likely thre.

hi jantopina,

i was able to work for a 1986 pulsar before and you know what, we were able to trace the problem to the distributor .

the distributor is an electronic part and it uses a plate with slots and these slots passes thru a LED and a receiver to indicate a pulse. the problem with these electronics are temperature.

as the engine heats up, these diodes would not emit light or would not receive light that is why the engine would stall because the spark would not come out. after the diode in the distributor, there is also a big metal transistor that triggers the ignition coil. sometimes this transistor also malfunction.

we were able to trace the problem by using special tool like the pulse generator and the pulse sensor.


tnx 4 using fixya,

drcool

This is a very common problem. You have a faulty TCC solenoid. I have replaced this sensor with very simple tools (a 10 mm socket, a rachet, a gasket scraper, a T15 or T20 Torx driver, and replacement parts). It took me about 1 hour to complete having never done this job befor