no spark !

after srong rain ,humidity car wont start,called my mechanic,he said check if there is a spark from the distributor ,no spark ????? flatbed tomorrow to mechanic,hope it is not a big problem,any ideas ? let you know tomorrow evening,thanks,herbert hofer.

could be that nefarious wire that goes from distributor to coil..

Sounds like a job for WD40 (hmmmm tv show reference?)spray into the distributor and cap.

As mentioned above. There is a wire (usually green but can be any color) that goes from the distributor to the coil.
Check to see if it's attached to the - negative side of the coil.

Another wire (usually red but again, can be any color) that carries 12 volts goes to the + positive side of the coil.

Check and make sure they are attached.

First check for Power Like Larry said.. If yes? Blow out the Dizzy with commpressed air. Or polk a hair dryer in it, for a hour.

If it has a protronics or compufire? You may need to replace it,
But if it runs it's fine!

But for sure, Seal the cap with silicone to prevent it from happening again..

Also make Darn sure your'e running a coil with a built in 3 ohm rezister. If NOT! That also shorten's the modules life..

I have also seen a dieing coil leaking it's oil. (CAUTION) that's a PCB.. cancr causing chemical .

Use plastic gloves to clean it up. and replace the coil

Last nights storm shouldnt a been the worst yr car has seen , if you've had the car in maimi a summer or 2 ,

1) car was outside DURING the rain ??
2) Hit any unusually large puddles ??
3) Points or pertronix ??

thanks guys,hope i have a answer today,herbert hofer.

In a different direction, could you have gotten water into your carbs? If you have duals, and don't have rain hats, it'll make you have a bad day. Ask Kelly Frazer and me how we know.

If you got water in your carbs, good chance that you now have water in your oil. Water will sink to the bottom of the "sump" and hang around where your oil pick-up is. First suck on start-up will be all water rather than oil. Open the little drain plug and see what comes out, quick and easy and you'll know right off if any water went past the valves, past the rings, and into the oil.

Just a mention, happened with the Kadrons a few times.

hi,my mechanic put a new distributorcap on,car started ,i am still thinking about spraying something on the coilconnections after rain,hope it helps. also to all aircooleds in southflorida,friday,saturday and sunday is VOLKSBLAST.COM,maybe a speedster or two are there,i will do the cruise and show,[its in miami] weather should be perfect,thanks friends,herbert hofer.

Herbert - glad to hear it was an easy fix and that your Speedy is back on the road!

thanks jim,hope to meet one day all the grey foxes [and wolfes] from the westcoast ! herbert hofer.

herbert i just got in yesterday, fromn detroit, iam in ft meyers, where is the blast at, bill

sorry bill,just saw your post,volksblast was last weekend in southmiami,just came home from the annual miamicarshow on flagler,great weather great cars,soon,herbert hofer.

With all the rain and radical temperature changes the Southeast has had lately, my money is on condensation inside of the distributor cap. VERY common in VW distributors (and a bunch of others as well.)

The car is relatively cold sitting in the garage, so it gets condensation all over the place, including inside of the disti cap. Not unusual at all. The moisture allows carbon tracks to form and ZAPPO! All of your spark energy goes right to ground and not to your plugs.

Remove the distributor cover, wipe it out thoroughly with a paper towell, let it sit to the air for 30 minutes or so while you wipe off the rotor and make sure everything inside is dry (a hair dryer would be an asset here) and then put it all back together and see if it'll start. there was probably nothing wrong with your old disti cap, but putting on the new, dry cap eliminated the problem and your engine started like new.

DO NOT run a bead of silicon caulk around the base of the distributor cap. There is a vent hole in the disti to let it breath, but it's not adequate if there's a big change in temp/humidity from one day to the next. The disti needs a vent hole for a lot of other reasons, so it's best to just realize what's going on and get in there with a paper towell once in a while.

This is not a big deal. Lot's of people driving VW's back in the day knew how to deal with this.

gn

thanks gordon,everyday first : i pray,next :turn the key ,next :turn to start ,next : HURREY IT STARTED !!!!!! i did put some syliconspray on all the electrical connections from coil to altinator to cap,well it has not rained lately ,also i have my car outside covered with plastic and over that a carcover, will let you guys know after next douwnpour ! herbert hofer.