Hi all, my A15 has no spark and it's the wrong time of year to get a sparky in my area. I'm hoping the accumulated knowledge here can help me out.

It's an A15 with EI, it has power at the coil (positive and negative terminals) and power at the distributor where the 4 wires go in (connected to something similar-looking to a ballast resistor) but, with the engine turning over, it is not sending a spark through the ignition lead to the cap.

I have replaced the coil with a brand new unit same part number.

It's seems to be a Scorcher Dizzy but I gather from the previous owner it's atandard L series. Does this sound right?

Any help would be gratefully appreciated, I can just tell the car is getting impatient sitting there.....

Standard L-series distributor won't bolt into a 1200. The gear must be changed, but more improbably the shaft would have to be modified too. I haven't seen it done.

The special EI L-series distributor from a Bluebird 910 is modified to use in a 1200.

That's my dizzy, and under the cover on the left hand side is the ballast-resistor looking thing with 4 wires attached.

Any ideas on where i'm loosing spark?

Probably in the ignitor (electronic part) a.k.a. the control module.

See Bluebird EI. The ignition control module is said to fail frequently, unlike the Hitachi units. Hopefully the contacts are just slightly corroded and it will start working after a clean and re-tighten.

I had already taken those 4 wires off and cleaned the terminals but to no avail. Hopefully the local Auto parts store has something suitable.

And, incidentally, my dizzy has the Austin-style clamp which I really haven't been happy with.


Edit: Did a bit more poking with a testing light and found the coil and module have power with no key in the ignition but with ignition on or engine turning over, there is no power at + or - terminals on coil or at module on the dizzy.

Does this still point to a faulty module? Can't get any parts till tomoz so trying to get more answers.....

Bloody cars........

I got the new module and installed it in the sweltering heat of the shed. Screwed it all in nicely, careful with the paste, and tentatively reached for the key. Nothing.

Motor turns over fine but makes no attempt to fire except for occasionally giving a small over-run when I stop cranking. Only for 1/2 a rev or so.

Put a timing light on the coil lead and turned it over. We have flashing but no firing from the eng. Put the light on 1st cyl lead and signal is being sent to the plug. Same on number 2. It should have enough spark there to at least attempt a fart of life, but nothing. Just keeps turning over.

As I was turning it over it would occasionally stop as if vapour locked so I pulled all the plugs out to see if it was flooded, but they were dry.

Sprayed some fuel down the carbies thinking fuel problem somewhere? But didn't get even the smallest kick.

I remembered the Tacho had gone a wild for a couple of days before the car just stopped so maybe it was faulty and causing a weak signal somewhere after the coil. I disconnected the Tacho wires from the coil and still nothing.

The new module finally got the coil working again but any ideas why the bloody thing still won't start?

Engines need four things to run:

1. Air/fuel ratio in a narrow range. Approximately 14:1 to start an engine at 32C degrees, but 7:1 at freezing temps. "Flooding" the carburetor makes it too rich to run.

2. Spark.

3. Compression. At least 600 rpm starting speed + cylinders must compress the charge.

4. Timing. The spark must happen somewhere between 20 degrees BTDC down to 0 degrees. And the order of the plug wires (1-3-4-2 on inline 4-cylinder engines).

Keeping in mind the car had been running fine for the 6 months prior since I put the A15 in, and that the just car suddenly stopped, no coughing or spluttering to indicate a fuel issue:


1) The twin Dellortos mixtures hadn't been tampered with, and even if a carby had failed, the other 2 cylinders would still fire.

2) What I have been chasing. It now has spark at the plugs, which it didn't have yesterday, due to the new module. With a screwdriver in the coil lead the spark jumps 10-15mm earthed to the strut tower. In the 1st cylinder ignition lead the sparks jumps about 7-8mm the same earth. Spark is Orange. Plug in the lead also has spark so plug seems ok.

3) I haven't compression tested but turned it over by hand and it makes and the compression noises and resistance. I can't imagine how I would lose compression to all cylinder instantaneously to shut the motor down. Not without something being obvious anyway; a hole in the block etc.

4) Thinking this i took the rocker cover off, turned the motor over by hand to TDC and checked the rotor button. It was pointing to 1st cylinder lead on dizzy cap as it should. The Dizzy mount bolt was still tight where it was before the motor stopped.


I really appreciate your comments dd but I honestly think it would be better if you just popped over here to the east coast Australia and got hands on with this.

If I had a plane ticket I'd be right over!

Have you tried ether spray?

Would this be to burn the car to the ground?

Hmmm............Interesting..........