a few days ago my 1978 corolla decided to poop out on a drive to the local grocery store. after getting her towed home i replaced the distributor, she started up and everything was well. next day went
Asked by Aubree Nov 16, 2017 at 07:07 PM about the 1978 Toyota Corolla DX
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
a few days ago my 1978 corolla decided to poop out on a drive to the local
grocery store. after getting her towed home i replaced the distributor, she
started up and everything was well. next day went for drive and she quit again
,i fiddled with the distributor and she started up. i checked the coil to see if i
was getting fire and no fire from coil lead going to distributor. Bought a new
coil put it in and she fired up for all of 20 seconds, she stopped running and i
smell a burning type smell. and now no fire from the coil (again).. im at a loss.
not sure if the ignitor assy that sits on the coil could be bad or maybe a ballast
resistor sending all 12 volts to the coil and fried it. Any ideas would be helpful
12 Answers
Check for spark at the plugs, not at the distributor. The coil only fires when the distributor triggers it.
Since the car started when you fiddled with the distributor I think the timing is off, perhaps because the hold down bolt is loose.
Btw when I said distributor I meant distributor cap. Sorry
Also. I took the lead off the coil and tested it by grounding it to the motor. Could that have burned out the coil
I changed the rotar and distributor cap, after it quit the first time
Grounding the coil can't be good. Maybe you do need a new one.
Does the cap fit firmly on the distributor or is it loose? I don't remember if these caps screw on or use spring clips. Also make sure you did not over tighten it and crack it.
I shouldnt say I grounded it, I held it close just to see if ideas getting spark
Make sure the center button in the cap did not fall out or get damaged.
