'96 caravan --- no spark

3.0 V6 So far the analisis is : No spark> No voltage to the coil, cranking or not, both leads checked. > 11 on fault code analisis analisis. (no distributor reference signal detected during cranking ). I do have voltage going to the distributor. Fuses all look good.
That is as far as I got so far. Does anyone have an idea what to check next ?

crankshaft position sensor???????

only the 3.3 and 3.8 has crankshaft sensors.

Im not familar with the 96 caravan but.. if there is a distributor , cap , rotor, and wires... remove the cap, and see if the rotor turns when some one cranks the engine...if not then it is the distributor/ gear or timing chain. if the rotor turns i would say it was the hall effect sensor in the distributor.

The 3.0 has the photo - optical sensing unit. This is totally strange but this morning I did the key-on test again and I got code 42 wich is the automatic shutdown relay control circuit. I replaced the relay, and I still have the same condition. I also now have no power to the distributor.Yesterday I did. Apparently I have a short or fusable link gone bad. But I will await your responce. Thank you for your help so far...

I also checked for power to the relay. I have power to it. lead # 1 and lead #4. The fuel pump relay is exactly the same and it also has power to #1 and #4.

i need to look at a book to give a good answer,ill try and get that right away.. the computor shuts off the volts to the coil if it sences the engine is not cranking . as far as the ASD relay and the fuel relay yes you should have volts at two of the terminal.

Thank you.

bob the library does not have the manual for your car... im sorry i cant help you...try again to start new thread with the same ?

Working on logic that the Automatic relay needs to be grounded to work. Thinking that there is a indication that something was wrong with the auto shut down circuit.Wondering what indication causes it NOT to work. who know what that is,........... I tested the other leads and found that one was NOT grounded. I jumped to ground. and at first no start. then I was standing there and heard a "click" I thought the worst, I fried something. Too late I thought. I then checked for power to the coil. POWER !! I then started tha engine, removed my "cheat" wire. And now it starts on it's own. (for now ).
As I type this, the engine stalled. I re-connected the wire to ground and I re-started it. Removing the wire had no ill effects. (it still runs.) This is lead #2 under the ADS switch I am grounding. I need to find out what the #2 wire goes to.
Again, the engine stalled. This time I lost power to the distributor. With the "cheat" wire grounded, I have power to the coil, but not to the distributor.
The "cheat" wire was not connected when it stalled the last time.
I know this sounds crazy, but this is a count by count reply as it happened.