Terel will not start - No Spark . . . but

Guido72 · Post by **Guido72** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 1:58 pm

I am a new poster, but have been lurking and reading site for a while. I an not figure this one out. 1985 Toyota with 3AC-SCV engine manual trans. When I got her she had a bad oil leak which had a number of various and dubious "fixes" . It leaked at oil pan and had been fixed with any number of household sealants and anything else 'sticky'. Pulled pan off, not an easy or quick job as I had to almost remove the front end to get it off. Anyway, cleaned the sealant(s) sanded and trued pan - affixed automotive sealant and reinstalled. Still had small leak - that was traced to oil sending unit. Fixed and let idle 30 or so minutes. Sine then will not start. Fuel - Check. Air - Check. Compression - yes. Spark a big no. So have tries about everything to diagnose and hopefully repair. First thing was to replace the "internal" coil. Ordered one and fitted and still no spark. Another used one and still no start. Have chased every wire and tube under hood and am now at wits end. I am guessing it must be something simple, but tried the ' set your tools down and come back to it in a few days' routine, but still don't know what I have missed. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. PS New to site and have continually been astounded by the amount of knowledge parsed out over this BB. Thanks in advance, Mike

Post by **Petros** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 3:29 pm

Welcome to the forum,

make sure you have 12 v to the distributor (check the connector, wires etc.).

also, verify that your timing belt is good, sometimes the timing belt breaks and will not turn cam or distributor, so people assume it is the distributor because they get no spark.

Guido72 · Post by **Guido72** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 4:17 pm

Timing belt ok - never thought I would hope to have a broken timing belt. Will try to check voltage but not my strong suit. Mike

Post by **Petros** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 10:38 pm

easy, unplug the distributor at the connector. Put a volt meter on one of the two contacts within the connector and turn the ignition key to "run", should show 12-13 volts. There are two contacts, one is for the tach signal, the other powers the coil, check both for 12v. You may need to slip a paper clip or small nail into it to get a contact to check the voltage.

If you do not have a volt meter you can improvise one with a 12v light bulb and a length of wire. Just make sure it does not ground out against anything. You likely can rent a volt meter from an Autozone or other parts store, or just buy one, they do not cost much.

If you do not have 12 v at the connector when ignition key is on "run", than you have to work back from there and check the connections up to the source of power.

If you do have 12v there, than the problem is in the distributor. I would just swap out a used one from a wrecking yard. do not spend the money for a manufactured distributor, most are junk out of the box and too costly. cheaper to replace the internal parts if you need to.

You might also just double check the distributor is turning, it is really rare, but one forum member once found the pin that holds the distributor gear on the shaft sheared off so the shaft did not turn. Not sure how that can happen, but it did at least once.

marlinh · Post by **marlinh** » Fri Sep 02, 2016 9:56 am

Check this post by irowiki.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9750

Guido72 · Post by **Guido72** » Fri Sep 02, 2016 10:22 am

First I need to correct engine as I said it was a 3AC-SCV. If it matters its a 3A-SCV. Ok now my distributor has two connectors. First is a single blue wire and the other has two wires coming from the "resistor/electrical part which I am throwing out a name so I seem half intelligent. Does the resistor thing go bad - if so do the "balloon' out the bottom as they do on a air conditioning unit? I am in Nashville and have been hunting the yards for a part source but no luck. Not sure what other vehicles are part sources other than the MR2s etc of like age. Will try to check the connectors and report back. Last use of multimeter was at y sisters where the voltage at the socket was such that it literally blew the Black lead away - still not found. Told her that it meant that an electrician should be called ASAP. If eory serves the Idiots who rewired her house somehow got 220 going to the bottom outlet - do not now how they did it - but do know when to say when. Will test and search the local pull a parts etc for a donor - Mike

Guido72 · Post by **Guido72** » Fri Sep 02, 2016 10:31 am

also I do not have the super rare Terel - I have a Tercel and a computer keyboard that does not like to type some letters such as c and m. If the blue is the Tach lead then I am unsure why mine was / is connected to a wire if it does not have a tach. Also, for what its worth I did have two blown fuses in the panel inside on the drivers side. Two 7.5 fuses on to of each other in the front row if memory serves. I have checked them periodically but they and the others are good. MIKE

rer233 · Post by **rer233** » Fri Sep 02, 2016 12:47 pm

All Tercel wagons are wired for a tach. All you need to do is install an SR5 cluster and you're good to go. Strictly plug n play.

Guido72 · Post by **Guido72** » Fri Sep 02, 2016 1:11 pm

Cool as far as tach b/c have one for it. just wondering why mine has the tach line "hooked" up all though it does not have a facotry tach; or aftermarket one as far as that goes. just thought maybe it was hooked to something erroneously. I ill shoot some pics. Mike

Post by **Petros** » Fri Sep 02, 2016 5:01 pm

you can make a test lead, and just jump a wire directly from 12 v side of battery or under hood fuse box directly to the correct lead on the distributor (check the wire diagram for the correct color wire) and see if it starts. that will by pass the ignition switch and wire harness, and confirm if the problem is in the distributor or in the power supply wire.

do not leave this wire on the distributor when it is not running, the 12 v supply will burn out the distributor when it is not running.

Guido72 · Post by **Guido72** » Fri Sep 02, 2016 10:02 pm

Nice easy to understand idea. I will check in the AM to see if it works. Seems that a "remote Starter" would work in the scenario i.e. connect clip to positive and other to lead - push button and then it should work in the scenario unless missing something. Have a remote starter from Harbor freight so will give it a shot. Seems like a good hot wireish way to see. I can follow this a bit better so we will see. Hope to the big guy upstairs that this will work as I seem to be going round and round - knowing that igt has to be something simple as it worked after repair but it did begin to burn up some of the literally inch thick buildup from someone addressing leak with poor fixes and gallons of oil. can't wait to get her to a wash to shoot the gunk off. The previous owner bought car new and at 102 yrs of age sold it. HE did keep up with the maintenance as a binder documenting even the most trivial work done to the car - i.e. oil chaange. filled up and its getting 32 MPG etc. Probably not many one owners out ther.e Good Night and thanks again to all. Mike

Guido72 · Post by **Guido72** » Sun Sep 04, 2016 3:06 pm

A bit confused . . . Some say I exist in a constant state of confusion, but perhaps a little more help can get me over hup. Have wire coing from battery to connector. If not plugged together than starter will not turn. When connected starter turns, but as the whole point of this column, will not start due to no spark. Have been trying to get a sort of hot wire situation as described above. Three 3 wires from distributor with one 1 blue being to tach or in my case, do not know b/c has no tach. So other two that go to connector with two 2 wires is what I take it are thwe wires to get around ignition. Should the connector go from beforementioned wire that needs to be connected to get starter to turn to one of the distributor wires. Kf so which of the two should I be tryi g to get connected to if either. I got car due to frustration with hunting down faulty sensors on other newer cars with obd2w etc. Cant let my wife when this one. Any further help is appreciated. Heading back out to it. Mike

Post by **Petros** » Mon Sep 05, 2016 4:41 pm

I have not tried it, but as far as I understand this wire system, you should not affect the starter by adding a wire to the distributor.

the starter has a the heavy 12v wire from the battery, and a smaller wire (green I think) that goes to solenoid. That smaller solenoid wire is the one from the "start" position on the ignition switch (the key), when you turn to start position the solenoid is engaged and the engine cranks. You can take the distributor out of the car and the starter will still work and crank the engine. they are not tied together, except through the ignition switch. possible your ignition switch is all buggered up and shorting all the wires together, though that seems very unlikely.

There is one connector off the distributor that has two contacts in it, one is for the tach, the other is for a 12v power supply when in the "run" position from ignition switch. Make sure you have the key in the run position if you try jumping the wire, there are other parts of the system that need 12v to run the engine, not just the distributor. the simple thing is really just to verify the distributor wire has 12 volts when in the run position, if so the problem is in the distributor.

Really, if the car was running before, you need to think through everything you altered, changed, or even removed and reinstalled since then, and check them all again to make sure it was not something you did. sometimes you have several things go wrong together, you fix one and it still will not run so you think your "fix" did not work. But that is really rare, so it is usually safe to assume it was something you disturbed that will not allow it to run.

Likely is it something easy to fix, the hard part is finding what that thing is that is not allowing it to run. So make sure you stay focused on what could be the cause.

good luck

Guido72 · Post by **Guido72** » Fri Sep 09, 2016 5:06 pm

Ok ... About at wits end. Three wires coing fro distributor. Black and yellow and black wire that are together in same connector. Second connection has one wire that is blue. Blue single wire was "I thought " the tach wire. I do not know and right now a not sure abbout anything other than it will crank all day but not even "hit" even once. The blue wire has power coming from it??? I know as i hit it to the fan wire and the fan began to run. I tested it to make sure by hitting it on the air conditioning wire and it sparked and began to start. I've tried every combo of connecting wires and thMike

Guido72 · Post by **Guido72** » Fri Sep 09, 2016 5:11 pm

Consistent with everthing else my whole post did not make it. Poured fuel in carb and tank. Tried jumping wires with connection and reote starter for what i believe to be power to distributor. Who knows... why does the tach wire power the fan???? What does it power and why. Must have power to distributor as it is putting out power???? At wits end. Have craigslist add ringing in ears. What is going on and what am missing. Can't go for the tow to Expert either monetarily or by pride. HElp. Any obile experts in Nashville TN area... Thanks, Mike

Tercel4WD.com

Terel will not start - No Spark . . . but

Terel will not start - No Spark . . . but

Re: Terel will not start - No Spark . . . but

Re: Terel will not start - No Spark . . . but

Re: Terel will not start - No Spark . . . but

Re: Terel will not start - No Spark . . . but

Re: Terel will not start - No Spark . . . but

Re: Terel will not start - No Spark . . . but

Re: Terel will not start - No Spark . . . but

Re: Terel will not start - No Spark . . . but

Re: Terel will not start - No Spark . . . but

Re: Terel will not start - No Spark . . . but

Re: Terel will not start - No Spark . . . but

Re: Terel will not start - No Spark . . . but

Re: Terel will not start - No Spark . . . but

Re: Terel will not start - No Spark . . . but