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240 What the Heck is Going on? 81 Volvo 242 WILL NOT SPARK HELPPPPPP PLEASE

roady61

New member
Joined
Oct 2, 2010
Please need some guidance.. 81 volvo 242 W/ B21F MPG . Chrysler ignition. 110K HELP PLEASE 81 242 B21-9/MPG HAS NO SPARK Trying to find out whats wrong . Have read everything I can find related to this issue. PARTS I have replaced ICU mod.and harness,rotor,cap, plug wires, spark pickup inside dist. rotor is turning. coil measures primary 1.3 ohm/ secondary 10.5/ checked white/red wire from icu to #1 on dist its good. checked for voltage at icu green /blue Yes. same at Dist plug both sides .cleaned and checked wires to and at coil/ starter/ micro switch/ ignition switch back. fuse panel and fuses. Any ideas? Thank You
Other coil dont know so I bought a new coil. Still no spark. batt volts. 12.54 -- With key on white/red #1 at coil 11.28. #15 at coil 11.28.-- unplug wire from #1 at coil then # 15 has .01 reading.--- Female end of plug at dist. ign. on point A yellow wire 12.44 volts. -- Point B green wire 12.44 volts -- Point C Black 12.38 Volts..-- Wires at ICU with plug still plugged in green wire 12.44 Volts. large black 12.38 volts. yellow 12.42 .small black 12.37 .orange 12.37. I have tried 3 different ICU units. all are within a small % readings of the next . Have tired 3 spark modules no change. 4 coils no change. .. Not even a tiny spark at the female end at dist at any of the 3 points connectors even with the tiniest of wire. Should there be voltage at # 15 with key on or off With Wire at # 1 disconnected? Wires to starter then to Dist.One diagram shows blue/ yellow --brown on eng. side . then which side goes to coil? then the next diagram for the same model shows a blue wire also to starter . but does not show clearly which goes here. Also is it possible that a wire in the back side of ignition switch is in the wrong hole. It cranks fine aqnd all the dash lights work with key in two positions. Any Ideas> Thank You .
 
I recommend writing in paragraphs.

Start at impulse sender. Power and ground? Then check signal out of it with an LED test light.
 
What do you mean impulse sender. I dont think this system has a impulse sender unless you mean the spark module inside the dist. I explained that all three wires at female side of plug have voltage. How do you check for ground. Please answer more of what I asked please. Thank you
 
Run through this diagnostic tree to determine the problem.

manIgnition76.jpg

image stolen from cleanflametrap.com

Which distributor do you have, the white cap Chrysler or brown cap Bosch?
 
I have went thought that flow chart 3 or 4 times. Please read what I have asked and said. Thank you
 
Yes it has new sleeves on the plug at the dist. and the icu harness it a newer Volvo one with the small smaller sleeves
 
I dont know if if the plug at dist should have voltage at the black wire. should'nt that be a ground somehow? The flow chart at bottom left corner shows check ground but this harness exactly like the old one has only two black wires bigger one that goes to dist plug and other to micro switch. I do think that's something is not grounded or the wires from the ignition switch to the starter are hooked up wrong. Should there be voltage at 15 on coil. with key on or off. there no voltage at 15 with red/white from icu disconnected.
 
Test sensor in the distributor. IDK if it's hall effect or impulse. If its three wire that should make it hall effect. Check for power on one wire, ground on the other, then signal out on the third. I recommend a scope to check the out signal. Or a LED TEST light will blink.

If it's a hall effect it will produce a square wave that can easily be seen on a scope.

Regular test light to coil negative and check for blinking while cranking is also a test that could be done.
 
Is the foil ground contact for the pick up wrapped under the base plate so that it's making contact with the distributor body? If so, is the distributor body clean where it makes contact?
 
It seems that I have used a pick up before with no foil wrapped underneath. But the almost new one im now using the foil was coming off that area so lightly glued the edges of some folded tin foil and made it so it contacted to the top and underneath. Ill have to test the pickup and make sure its making a good contact . and ill lightly brush or sand that edge. Very Good Questions. Something so simple Could be the reason Thank you very very much Would you happen to know if there should be voltage at 15 pos. with the key off ? Or with key on but Neg 1 unplugged. only getting current when cranking at 15
 
Without a good ground contact, the pick up coil won't output a signal. That foil is a weak spot in the Chrysler distributor and a common cause of problems. There's an updated Bosch distributor that's a direct replacement with the round plug so you can use your harness.

I'm not sure I understand your question. By position 15, do you mean the + side of the coil? There shouldn't be power with the key off, but there should be with the key on and cranking. Without power, the coil can't make spark.

The greenbook has nice wiring diagrams that show the power path with the engine running and stalled.

http://www.volvowiringdiagrams.com/volvo/240%20Wiring%20Diagrams/TP30414-1%201982%20240%20260%20Wiring%20Diagrams.pdf
 
^Found on later 1983 B23F cars.

Another option is to go with Bosch Breakerless. That and a B cam would give the car an extra 9 hp.

-J
 
Hello: Again I want to Thank you all input so far. First a bit of history if ok ? Calif. Car I bought in about 93 had 60k drove it daily for 6 years.to 100k since then it has sat in garage would start up very 3 or 4 months for many years but about 10 years fuel dist plunger was stuck from yearly climate changes . Had to replace that. would start and run until this year did not start up so I took plug wire off to test for spark . cranked it and it sparked a few times then right in the middle of cranking no more spark.So I started cleaning connections ect . one stupid thing I did was remove plug at ignition switch. unclipped the cap to clean the terminals and the wires came out of the holes. got it back together . Guess its right as dash lights gauges and everything else works right. Got a almost new harness and ICU .everything else was good . still no spark. Bought a new coil last week 12 volt no resistor needed I tested primary was 1.5 secondary was 8.5. now after trying the couple of tests suggested here coil was very hot. Would make spark if the neg. side wire was removed. Fixed the spark mod.plate foil wrap very nicely certain to ground it. still no spark. . Im getting voltage only at the blue wire at the icu plug { key on} icu unplugged. With The plug put in the icu I get voltage at all wires coming out by peircing insulation. I am getting today Resistance at coil unplugged 2.8 primary. 8.5 secondary. checking coil all wires on . key on at neg side 0.74 -- Positive lead of meter to neg side of coil and other to neg battery or bolt on strut... doing the pos. 15 side of coil meter .04 Think the new coil went bad already? {{ I AM READY TO TAKE A SLEDGE HAMMER TO THESE WHITE PLASTIC PARTS}} So there should be around 12 volts at 15 pos. Side of coil w/key on ? Is that with Neg side of coil wire from ICU plugged in? OR unplugged ? Anyone know at the starter motor Blue and yellow wire goes to fender side of starter right? Brown to engine side. Piggy backed brown wire or another wire from the engine side starter to Pos. 15 side of coil Is that right? Please One more question What is the model of Bosch Dist. that will just plug into the ICU I have . what year car and model. would it be on ? Thank You VERY VERY MUCH for every bit of your help. I truly do appreciate it. Roady
 
There should be 12 volts at the positive side of the coil with the key on. It shouldn't matter if the ICU is plugged in or not.

The blue/yellow starter trigger wire and brown coil wires are connected correctly.

The Bosch distributor that drops in came on some '84 cars with B23 engines. It's Volvo part #1332684.

Volvo-Ignition-Distributor-1332684-OES.jpg


Your posts would be easier to read and understand if you took the time to break them up into paragraphs.
 
There should be 12 volts at the positive side of the coil with the key on. It shouldn't matter if the ICU is plugged in or not.

The blue/yellow starter trigger wire and brown coil wires are connected correctly.

The Bosch distributor that drops in came on most '83 cars with B23 engines. It's Volvo part #1332684.

Volvo-Ignition-Distributor-1332684-OES.jpg


Your posts would be easier to read and understand if you took the time to break them up into paragraphs.

Fixed the year info. Seems that only the early 499802 and 499803 B23F engines had the Chrysler distributor. The rest used the above depicted Bosch unit with a Bosch coil. 1984 uses the flat plug hall switch, like the 1985-88 cars.



1984 version shown here on a B23F that had internal problems, hence the reason why everything was torn apart.

-J
 
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