[48308]

It's a 1989 Jeep Wagoneer. As is the case whenever there is no spark being produced by the spark plugs, the engine cranks but just doesn't start. I've replaced the rotor and distributor cap, and cleaned the bottom of the cap with a nickel. When it comes to the distributor, ignition coil, and all that stuff I'm not too sure what exactly I'm doing, which is why I'm posting here to get others' advice. Any suggestions? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[WilliamA]

You will need a multimeter along with a Haynes or Chilton repair manual which will walk you through step by step diagnosis of the ignition system. Are you sure you have no spark at the plugs?

Be sure the plugs are gapped correctly. What condition are the plug wires in (They can be checked with a meter)? You said the cap and rotor are new so I guess they are ok. Next in line would be the coil. I forget the exact proceedure, but checking the coil is no more then taking a meter and measuring resistance across the different terminals. If the coil checks out, move on to checking the ignition module. After that you will need to check the pickup in the distributor. So you see, there is quite a bit to it, but the procedure doesn't really take that long.

I hope this helps, but there isn't much you can do unless you have a multimeter and a manual (unless someone else chimes in with the exact proceedures).

I have to ask about the "cleaning the bottom of the cap with a nickel". I have never heard of doing this. What exactly is the purpose?