Questions and Answers

Volkswagen Rabbit Lost It's Spark Q. 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit. The car stopped because the timing belt went. I replaced the belt, but can't get any spark. I have tried three used distributors, two used ignition modules, two coils and three ignition switches. I have performed all the tests specified in the Shop Manual. The coil test, ignition module test, and power to distributor tested okay.

The only test that failed was the flicker of power test from the center wire of the distributor harness. Is there a relay or fuse or fuel pump relay that would prevent spark? Could there be a power surge that is burning out the hall sender in each distributor? I'm baffled.

A. Try connecting a 12 volt test light between the positive and negative terminals of the coil while grounding the coil high tension wire. Crank the engine for five seconds. The test light should flicker, if not the hall effect generator within the distributor is bad. This is what signals your ignition coil to produce spark. The flickering is an indication of the voltage break which causes the coil to fire, much like the opening and closing of conventional breaker points.

Always ensure when you are connecting diagnostic equipment or changing components that there is no power to the ignition system (key off). To save some troubleshooting time you can perform the aforementioned spark tests with the distributor grounded to the engine block and spinning the drive by hand while performing the key on spark tests.