82 Rabbit No Spark - Gas

I need help troubleshooting a no spark situation for a 1982 VW Rabbit convertible with the 1.7 IF engine. Fuel pump works... Coil is hot on both sides when the key is turned on. There is no flickering on the distributor side. The ignition sensor has been replaced. The issue is intermittent. It will run for ten minutes and then no spark again.

I need some troubleshooting ideas. Why would the coil be hot on both sides? Since there are no points I do not know how to troublshoot the distributor.

Is the ignition system dependent upon the fuel or fuel injection system? Or is it a stand alone system?

Any help or ideas would be much appreciated.

I have a 83 Rabbit Conv. that I'm restoring. Did you check the wire connector
to the Distributor? It has three wires running to a connector. Mine had cracked wiring inside the rubber boot, this may be shorting and killing the engine. Also, Check your relays out on the fuse box, sometimes they jiggle loose.

DR

DR:

You were right on the money. The middle wire had not only cracked but it broke off about 3 inches up the casing from the distributor plug. I thought I was a hero and sure enough I once again regained a good strong spark.

BUT WAIT.... Now I am back to no gas once again. I replaced the fuel pump with a new Bosch a few days ago when the bearing squealed and the flow stopped. Now I am back to troubleshooting the fuel pump electrical. My manual does not list the specific graphic for the fuel pump relay location. If any of you have a phto of graphic for the 82 Rabbit convertible with fuel injection I would really love to see it.

Thanks again,
Michael Leavitt

Michael,
When you turn the ignition key to the on position, you should be able
to hear the pump buzz for a second and then stop. If it's doing that,
then the problem is not the pump. If not, it's one of two relays. My 83
has a fuel pump power supply relay and another relay that actually has the
words "fuel pump relay" on it. I don't have the manual handy right now,
but I wanna say the FPR is in the number 3 slot on the top of the relay
board. The smaller fuel pump power supply relay is right above that, mounted
on top via an add on connector. The problem with the Rabbit's of the 80's
is that water would sometimes leak down from a stopped up front hood vent,
and rust up the fuse box. I pulled all the relays, keeping log of where they go,
and all of the fuses, again, keeping a written log, and then sprayed a little WD40 in the contacts. Then I blew them out with compressed air. Seemed
to help everything. I also cleaned the contacts on all the relays. I did replace the turn signal relays, they're the one's with only three connection
blades on them.

What kind of fuel injection do you have? Is it a mechanical CIS. ( Constant Injection System)

Dave

Oh, and don't forget to make sure there's gas in the tank. :screwy: