Spark plug differences

Can you pull a plug out and ground it to something or get a sparkplug tester and make sure you're getting spark?

 

*in Data’s voice from the Goonies* - “That’s what I said.” Lol. Hopefully you know the movie. I’m going to try that tomorrow. I don’t want to keep cranking the engine when it’s so late. (EST). I’ll post again tomorrow heh

 

Sorry yes I see that now. Trying to reply between maint calls at work. Brains in a few different places. I think when you said ground strap I was thinking something else, idk.
Hopefully that will point you in some sort of direction.

 

Hopefully. When I look inside the coils, I see a “coiled spring,” but only the end of the spring seems to touch the spark plugs. The spring might compress a quarter of an inch, but it doesn’t seem to actually lock on to the plug. I’m not sure how it’s supposed to be, but, it doesn’t really look like a solid collection to my novice eyes

 

Once you get the rubber boot off the end, you'll see that the spring does not lock onto the plug. I'd also stick to your original comment many posts back and get new OEM coils.

 

While I suspect your issue has to be something related to actions you've taken, like maybe forgetting to fully seat a coil pack power connector or reattaching something, this may help with some things to troubleshoot. Normally only share it on 'no start' threads, but could be worth checking out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jWouSQYTnU

 

No spark. I did not test the two “bigger style” ignition fuses:

33 AM2 30 Ignition system
34 AM1 40 Ignition system

because I didn’t know about them / how to test them. Will test those tonight.

The air intake sensor looks new, and the engine is getting fuel, so I’m thinking it’s not getting spark anymore for some reason. Hopefully it’s one of those fuses; everything else seems right.

 

As in on all cylinders ? Also, how are you checking for spark ?
Still no codes ?

edit....re-read back thru thread concerning parts changed and serpentine belt caught my eye. My first WAG(wild ass guess), they did not by chance screw up the install of that belt and damage crank sensor harness ? If not done properly, it'll wear right thru the crank sensor wire eventually.

 

Still no codes.

I propped the ground electrode on a metal part of the engine and tried starting it. I’ve done this on a couple of cars and this diagnostic method worked for me.. I just learned about the spark tester tool, and don’t have one yet.

I only tested one

 

Test one from the opposite bank too. I'm sure it won't spark either, but never hurts too check.

 

Grab that plug. It doesnt hurt as much as you think, and if its a really weak shock, could be coil.

 

Thank you for the leads guys. Not sure about grabbing the spark plug though

Also, I took off one of the timing belt covers just to investigate, and it’s not broke, and it looked good.

Will check the 2 bigger ignition fuses, look around the serpentine belt, and check for spark on the cylinder opposite the one I checked - tonight when I get home. The darkness will be a better environment to check for spark in!

 

Check a few plugs. The front 2 are on different circuits.

I think 1, 4, 6, &7 are on one, and the other 4 are on another.

 

Will do, thank you

 

Fuses lit up, serpentine belt was unobstructed, and no spark on 1, 2, 4, or 6 according to the picture above. Didn’t think it was necessary to check the remaining 4.

I reversed the test light and connected the alligator clip to positive, and tested the negative battery terminal and it lit up, but when I touched other ground points including the brackets on the intake plenum, I got nothing. I don’t know if that indicates something.

Also, when I connect the alligator clip to negative, and probe the positive battery terminal, it lights up, but not when I touch any of the metal connected to it including the wire under the 30amp fuse. I’m not sure if that indicates something either, but the fuses light up when I touch them, and the engine cranks, so it seems like maybe it’s okay, but I figured I’d mention it just in case.

Oh yea and I guess I should have mentioned that the battery light is on on the dash. So is the check engine light, but the scanner says 0 codes.

I also tried jump starting it to no avail (to see if maybe my battery is no good)

 

All those lights are normal with the engine not running.
Maybe have good ground to starter but bad ground to the coils. Could check for continuity on the grounds going to each coil. Whichever wire that may be in the individual coil plugs.

 

Thanks for the info and quick response, and, I’m done for the night and will wait till morning to see what else you awesome helpful people may recognize

 

The truck started fine before when I would occasionally start it, then it ran really rough, I moved it 100’ to a different spot in my yard, and now it doesn’t start.

It tried to start a little bit when my friend sprayed carb cleaner in there. But, the plugs are getting wet and it smells like fuel so I don’t get why that worked, because it seems like it’s getting fuel. This was with the old plugs.

Idk if something could have broke when continuously cranking until the battery died.

But maybe it’s not getting fuel, maybe that’s just the residual carb cleaner in there. And so let’s say there’s no fuel and no spark, but it cranks. I had the same issue in my kid’s 2000 Accord. Turned out to be the ACGS fuse. I didn’t check that fuse because I had no idea what it was but it turned out to be part of the ignition circuit. I had changed main fuel pump relay, the fuel pump, and the ignition switch, then come to find out this fuse controlled all 3. Anyways I mention this because this situation is seeming similar.

 

That is not good and need to check into that further. Good Grounds every where are imperative.

Same as above, need to check that further.

That terribly corroded connector makes me think further connections would look same. Trying to visually know where that corroded wire is so possibly back away a bit for a better location shot ?

Also, would you mind taking more under the hood pictures in particular battery along with ground connections on the side and firewall locations. The one marked EC is ground for all the coils.

 

That corroded terminal is the one under the black housing under the 30 amp fuse connected to the positive battery terminal. I’ll take a pic soon.

 

Personally, there's too much going on with those battery connections. My first step would be to replace most of all of the positive terminal connectors, nuts, bolts. The Negative has it's own issues also. Your spinning wheels until all those connections are fixed properly. Also, have you had the big plastic tube off of the throttle body to see how dirty it might be and have you ever cleaned the MAF sensor mentioned earlier.

Mind take a downward looking picture of battery in order to see the connectors better. Zooming in loses some of the focus/clarity of battery. Have a few other items I noticed on E/G but will save those comments for later. Also curious to see what that black box on positive batt terminal with terribly corroded red/yellow wire.

Hopefully a 2002 owner comes along and knows what that 30amp F/L contraption is.

 

Battery and black box:

 

What I presume to be the MAF sensor and throttle body:

 

The level of corrosion I'm seeing reeks of potential electrical/connection nightmare. Clearly you're in a rust belt state?

I agree with Bubba. I suspect addressing the rust, which has slowly eroded at the ground and power circuits, is your best-next-step.

I think you've be doing yourself a favor even if you just undid all electrical connections one-by-one, wire brushed them to clean metal, then dielectric grease them and reassemble, then dielectric grease over that may see some joy?

 

Holy crap, just saw this!

 

Last but not least, the thing that my hand is on, I think called the throttle cable, I think is supposed to control what I think is called the butterfly valve in the throttle body. Well, as you can see in the two pictures, that valve doesn’t move when I twist the throttle cable.

 

what in the sam hill? Must’ve triggered limp mode?

 

Before commenting further, be cautious in manually attempting to actuate butterfly. But you could gently see if you can move the butterfly by pushing in on top side. Way too much carbon buildup.
Personally I would remove the throttle body completly and bench clean it with CRC throttle body cleaner and same with MAF-CRC Maf cleaner....butt that's just me.

Address all your power source(batt) cable/connector issues and call us in the morning

Won't be long and that 10/18 Wal Mart battery will bite the ghost

TGIF