Not getting spark fromm coil on92 saab 900 - Saab Cars & Trucks

SOURCE: Saab 900 se missfireing

If you have plug wires you have a naturally aspirated Saab (non-turbo). The entire ignition system must be checked. First, replace the cap and rotor. They are wear/maintenance parts, are cheap, and can be gotten at most auto parts stores (even for Saab). Next, if the high tension leads (plug wires) had cracks and that is why you taped them up, they MUST be replaced. Mere electrical tape will not prevent voltage leakage through these cracks. Make absolutely certain the plugs are resistor and of the proper specs for your model year and engine and that are gapped dead on to spec. Another common wear part is the cam position sensor (a Hall effect sensor that tells the ECU what position the cams are in). You did not mention whether the CEL light is on or whether you retrieved any codes from the OBD port. Go to Autozone or Advance Auto and let them put a code reader on the port to see if you have any active and stored codes (this is free). Finally, a crankshaft position sensor (crank angle sensor) failure could be imminent. This is a known failure part as well.

SOURCE: I HAVE 94 SAAB 900S

Have a GOOD look at the plug that connects to the hall sensor, they can become fatigued from heat, which causes the wire insulation to crack and sometimes creates a short circuit. you may have to cut away the black rubber boot to see the wires.

-------------If the coil and wires are all acceptable, the next place to look is the distributor cap/rotor. Are the copper terminals corroded or damaged? As a side thought, with the dist. cap removed, make sure the rotor rotates while cranking the engine over. If so, check the ground strap from the motor to the body/ rum a new ground strap. If all else fails, just replace the dist. cap, and dist. rotor. ---------

Also check the flow of fuel.Is the fuel reaching the fuel rail.Spray a bit starting fluid on the throttle body and then try starting the car.If it start by starting fluid, then its fuel pump issue.The fuel is not flowing.----------If your engine cranks normally but will not start because it has no spark, or it stalls and won't restart because it has no spark, the problem may be due to any of the following:

1) A bad pickup inside the distributor ,a stripped distributor drive gear (common problem with plastic distributor drive gears), broken, loose or corroded wires from the pickup to the ignition module or PCM.

2) A bad crankshaft position (CKP) sensor or broken, loose or corroded wires from the sensor to the PCM.

3) A bad ignition module or A bad ignition coil .

4) A bad rotor or distributor cap (cracks or carbon tracks that are allowing the spark to short to ground)

5) Faulty ignition switch.

------------You can also do a test to confirm the problem .The procedure to do the test is as follows:---

If your engine has spark plug wires, disconnect one of the plug wires from a spark plug and place the end of the wire near a metal surface on the engine. Then insert a small Phillips screwdriver into the end of the wire (the plug boot), or a small bolt or nail to provide a conductive path. Then crank the engine and look for a spark to jump from the screwdriver, bolt or nail in the end of the plug wire to the engine. If you do not see a spark, there is an ignition problem.

OR-----------

If your engine has a coil-on-plug ignition system with no plug wires, In that case remove one of the coils from the spark plug and insert an old spark plug, a spark plug tester or a screwdriver into the end of the coil. Ground the spark plug or plug tester to the engine, then crank the engine and look for a spark. No spark indicates an ignition problem.

Possibilities to be checked in this problem are as follows:--

If the engine has no spark, check for voltage at the coil positive terminal when the ignition key is on. If NO voltage, then problem is on the trigger side of the coil (pickup, crank sensor, ignition module or primary wiring circuit).

But If there is NO voltage at the coil itself, then in that case the problem is on the supply side (the ignition switch or ignition wiring circuit).

But if the coil has voltage, then problem may be a bad high voltage output wire from the coil to the distributor, hairline cracks in the coil output tower, or cracks or carbon tracks inside the distributor cap or on the rotor.------Getting this all possibilities checked will point towards the exact faulty part which is to be replaced.----------This should help.keep updated Thanks.Helpmech.

SOURCE: have a 93 saab 900

a bit late but....i had the same problem, it turned out to be the crank sensor.....not cheap but it did the trick!