Turning over but no spark,help!!

[Adam]

This is a question from one of my mates.
Right, he has got a 1.4SR mk2(J reg) Nova.
But it won't start, it turns over and the starter operates correctly and the battery is fully charged. But it produces no spark. I have started by checking the HT circuit. So i basically checked the plugs/distrubutor for dampness( because it ain't been started for a week or two), but they were fine. So then i checked the HT leads, held them next to the engine and there was no spark when trying to start.
So then i checked the main lead from the coil to the centre of the dizzy, by using the spark technique, it sparked nice and strongly. So its nothing to do with the LT circuit from the battery to coil.
So am i right in thinking that the coil is working fine and supplying the current to the dizzy. So now it is just down to the dizzy end.
I am thinking that the rotor arm is at fault, it looks knackered, its all burnt and looks like it has seen better days.
Tomorrow my mate is going to pick up a new rotor and dizzy cap, am i correct in thinking that this should correct the problem.
Thanks for any help :D

[Cheese]

Sounds like that could be the fault from what your saying..


So then i checked the HT leads, held them next to the engine and there was no spark when trying to start.

Did you put a plug in the end of the HT leads when when you tested them?

[Adam]

Yeah,i put a spark plug in the end of the wires, as that is what generates the spark.LOL
So you are thinking rotor arm, or summit in the distributor.

[Cheese]

Sorry mate, read it that you had tried to get it to spark against the engine just using the HT lead with no plug! :o

Change the cap and rotor arm and give that a go, if it still doesnt work from there, then look at the distributor..

[Adam]

So just change the dizzy cap and rotor.
Then if still no go, change or lookat the distibutor.

[2litreturbo]

you dont need a plug on the end of the ht lead. if you hold the ht lead end near to the block it will earth and create a spark.

[Adam]

I have tried both ways anyway.
Also i have just thought about summit, the car has a Cobra cat1 alarm. That was until yesterday working, now stuff like the remote locking and arming doesn't work.
Do some Cobra alarms come with immobilisers, because if the alarms eletrics were playing up would this cause the immobiliser to cut the ignition signal off, and so no spark.

[Cheese]

If the alarm has a built in immobiliser (CAT1, etc), then yes, could also stop it sparking.. If youve changed the cap and arm, check this next!

[Barn]

new leads?

[Adam]

All sorted now, it was the dizzy cap. New cap, started fist time.
Thanks for all your help guys

[Cheese]

No probs mate :)