89 nissan sentra.

Can anyone please help me find the problem:

Car was running fine...my brother put the cap on wrong and it cracked the cap and now it wont start. I replaced cap and rotor and it almost starts but wont completely fire up and run.

I dont have the manual and know a bit about cars. I used a haynes manuel...too broad...but I traced it to either a transistor connected to the coil or Im guessing it damaged the ignition modual inside the distributor. I dont have the manuel to test and check either one.

Maybe someone can please help me or tell me how to test it.

Ive got spark from the coil....and very weak spark to the plugs. Im sure the coil is working fine as tested and grounded...has hot spark.
I dont know if the circuit that acts like the points could have went bad or if the ignition module inside the distributor is bad. I tested the plug to it...it has 5 volt reference signal and 12volt power...plug seems fine.

This all happend after he went for a drive and it worked and ran great. He took off the cap and checked the rotor as it was loose and moved before (didnt have the hold down screw) but I found that the rotor had slipped and was off when firing..hence the poping and loss of power. So I repostioned the rotor where it should be but didnt have the screw yet to keep it in place.

It ran great!.....so after driving it.....he pulled the cap off to check if the rotor had moved....he must have put the cap on the distributor back on wrong...he started it up and it cracked the cap and the rotor chewed up the inside terminals.

After that, I replaced with new cap and rotor and rotor hold down screw.....NOW the car wants to start up but wont!

Please any suggestions!
Thanks in advance and sorry for the long discription of the problem.
I wish I had the manuel to test.

Thankyou!!
Eric

 

does it have an external coil?
there is a metal wheel inside under a cover beneath the rotor take it off carefully and see if it is dirty or cracked or damaged in any way it tells the computer when to fire the coil

 

Regards to first response:

Yes, it does have an external coil and a transistor which acts like points to charge and discharge the coil. I tested the old transistor chip with directions from a haynes manuel....it tested bad according to the book....I replace the chip today but tested the new transistor chip with my ohms meter as directed....it tested basically the same as the old chip.....I replaced the chip.....no dice...it still wont start. 90 bux gone..uggh.

I did check the reluctor wheel inside the distributor...it looks completely fine...clean,,no cracks or marks...untouched as it has a cover to keep it from harm.

I was thinking it was the pickup unit inside the distributor........so I retested the coil first.....great spark when grounded.....so I pulled each plug at a time and connected to sparkplug wire and grounded plug....brother cranked the engine....each plug fired great....put all plugs back in the engine and attempted to start......wants to kick over but wont....Throttle body injector....I floored the pedal and cranked,,,engine sped up to want to start but wont start.

Im still at a loss as to what could have happen.

Any other suggestion, please and thankyou!!!

 

I feel your pain. I just had my sentra towed to the mechanic for a nearly identical problem. Good luck. I'll let you know what was wrong with mine. Hopefully '85 and '89 are close enough to matter.

 

can anyone elaborate on this test, the "5 volt reference" part.

and another question below

 

and this transistor he is speaking of...I am looking at one for a 87-88 ...a little different ,the test proceedure states "check with positive lead on 1 or 3 and negative lead on 4.
if continuity is NG ( something like that,anyway)
when it says 1 or 3 does it mean 1 and 3 ? if either has continuity to 4 it is bad ?

I am working with a carbureted, but simular ignition system

Does anyone have knowledge to share about this?

 

He was talking about a different part,newer than the one I referenced in last question..


Is it common to call this "power transistor" an "ignition control module" ?
Does it have any other names?