Coil/ignition problem?

[amalventano1@comcast.net (Allyn)]

sounds like the coil is fine, as well as fuel. my guesses are:
- bad hall sender/wiring (coil firing on power up/down is expected)
- not cranking fast enough (possibly too slow for hall sender to pick up)
- the infamous 'hall sender/ign coil dont wanna fire with insufficient
voltage during cranking' delema. this happens when your ground is bad and
the current from the starter causes ground voltage to raise (effectively
lowering available voltage to the ignition). its either the hall senders or
the coils in our cars that simply wont work below a specific voltage. try
hooking up a heavy duty battery charger (or jumping it), but hook up ground
to the back of the intake manifold (where the other grounds connect), and
hook the positive to the battery (+) terminal.
- an alternate way to check for this syndrome is to unbolt the distributor
and turn the shaft by hand with the ignition on. if you get spark, you've
got the syndrome.

- oh yeah, almost forgot, it is possible for the ignition contact of the
ignition switch to get fouled and break contact while in the crank position.
this is eliminated by having the key 'on' and jumpering the starter
solenoid, as to start it locally. if it starts, the switch is the likely
culpret.

Al

Allyn Malventano, ETC(SS), USN
87 Rieger GTO Scirocco 16v (daily driver, 170k, rocco #6)
86 Kamei Twin 16V Turbo Scirocco GTX ('it has begun', rocco #7)
87 Jetta 8v Wolfsburg 2dr (daily driver, 260k, 0 rattles, original clutch,
driveshafts, wheels :)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken B" <Indiana_Red@hotmail.com>
To: <scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
Sent: Saturday, May 25, 2002 8:11 PM
Subject: Coil/ignition problem?


> When my 16v turns over it does not "fire".   I know about the basic coil
to
> ground spark test and it definately sparks (bluish silver) but.... The
spark
> comes out only as I turn the key to "ON" (don't know if that is normal)
and
> does not spark when it is cranking.  Have never done this test B4 so not
> sure what exactly I should see at each of those stages.
> Not only that, if the fuel pump is still in its 2 second spool up that it
> does imed after I stop cranking, the coil wire will spark agan when I turn
> the key to "OFF" but this time a very hearty looking yellowish color.
> But if I quit cranking and leave the key in "ON" pos. for a few seconds
for
> the fuel pump to catch up...then stop.  Then if I turn the key to "OFF",
no
> spark.
> BTW I pulled the injectors and they are wet with fuel so its not starved
for
> gas.  AFAIK
>
> This is the first time I have gotten this project to turn over with a
fresh
> battery and the muffled sound of the Borla muffler's "wump, wump, wump"
> sounds good to me allready.  It's as if it is tormenting me, like the
sirens
> did to Jason in the Odessey.
>
> -so close....
>
> Thanks as usual for any help here
>
> Ken
> 1979 Scirocco  "McFly"
> 16v conversion - Engine in, now the hard part
> Electrical  : (
> VORTEX:  "Indiana Red"
>
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