'77 Midget Won't Start..........

[tfvesquire]

Hi there:

I am new to this section of the forum, but I have posted on the Corvette and Buick forums for several years and have been working on cars since I was 13 (I'm 35 now). I am having problems with my '77 Midget that has been in storage since '91. I built the car myself in HS, mostly stock with the exception of a Weber downdraft carb set up and Monza exhaust system.

That said, I drained the remaining gas, changed the oil/filter and checked a few connections and fuses. Found some corrosion on the resistor and cleaned it off. Installed a new battery. Turned the engine over manually with a breaker bar to make sure it was not frozen up and turned the key. It cranked fine, but would not fire. It was getting good gas flow, so I checked the distributor connections, coil and resistor. NO SPARK. One of the things I did not check was the column ignition, but I will address that later. The distributor has what appears to be a magneto (sp??) with a pickup. How do I check that to make sure it is functioning correctly. Should I just replace it since it has been on the car long before I bought it? Next is the resistor. Is there anyway to test that as well? I have a basic Craftsman engine analyzer, but I have never tested a coil or resistor on it.

Although I have worked extensively on the engine (pulled the engine and rebuilt it myself) I honestly never had any problems with the ignition system, so I never messed with it. The only things I replaced were the cap, rotor, wires, plugs and coil after I pulled the motor. Besides possibly testing those parts, the only other thing I can think of involves the ignition cylinder. When I first tried to turn over the engine buy jumping the dead cell, the ignition warning buzzer kept buzzing even after I removed the key, plus the key was a little sticky to turn. Is there some sort of security feature on our cars, that would prevent starting it if the cylinder is getting stuck in the "safe mode" position? I know that in some cars, you can hot wire them and crank them all day, but there is a switch that is part of the ignition that prevents starting. I will try spraying some lock cylinder lube in there to make sure everything is working smoothly again and see whether that works.

Which brings me to my other question about the no start. I saw a guy selling an ignition control module for a 75-80 Midget on Ebay. I had no idea our cars had such a module. Where is it located? Is there anyway to test it? Do these go bad after so many years? Like I said before, I never had any problems with starting my car. I obviously had trouble keeping it running all the time though!! If my module is bad, where else can I locate one?

Any help would be greatly appreciate. I just want to get my car started again, so I can assess what needs attention prior to selling it. I hate to let it go, but I am buying something else for my wife that is a little more reliable.

Thanks all -- you can reach me here or on my cell at 312-259-9342.

Ted, Chicago

[gerrym]

I had the same problem which was caused by the condenser wire installed wrong (by me).

here's the site you need http://www.custompistols.com/cars/articles/ignition.htm

This site is by Les Bengton and will give you all the reading you need to see if spark and volt readings are correct to trace down the problem. As usual we look for a needle in the hay stack and it is right in front of our noses.

Hope this helps!

Go Cubs!!!!!!!!!