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240 Non-starting ignition problem

84B23F said:
Would this work?

Manual
Click to expand...

That's just a handheld scope. It eliminates the need for a laptop/desktop.

A meter can be used on the Hertz frequency setting to measure the output of a hall effect or crank sensor too. I just prefer the pretty image. On modern cars I just use the scan tool data. I'm invested $1,500 on personal scan tool equipment already for the stuff I do at the shop.

Clean flame trap: where is that picture of your homebrew hall effect sensor tester you made!? That may not be needed for the OP, but I'm curious.

OP. I would maybe go find a used dist and then test it with a meter set on Hertz AC setting. And do the same with your suspect one.
 
ZVOLV said:
That's just a handheld scope. It eliminates the need for a laptop/desktop.
Click to expand...

It's a quick and coarse means to evaluate DC voltage and wave pattern, including CAN BUS signals.

FWIW, here's their catalog They have an updated model with 2 channels. And they have an adapter to examine Secondary Ignition wires and COP ignition systems
 
Update on Hall sensor replacement saga
Thanks to an illustration ("Replacing Hall pick-up") posted by Cleanflametrap, I was finally able to remove the trigger wheel from my distributor (the secret was having two, 5mm-diameter, round-shaft screwdrivers to pry with) and install my new sensor (see a photo of it in place).
Unfortunately, my prying buggered the lower of the two 14mm inner-diameter snap rings (see photo). I've had to order a replacement snap-ring from China or Singapore, or somewhere in Asia, and I'm hoping to have it for Christmas so that I can (excuse the pun) wrap up this repair job that began in early July.
The new sensor (YAY!!!!) came already installed on a new base, eliminating me to have to play blacksmith, drilling out the attaching rivets and then beating in new rivets. There's no apparent damage to the old sensor, but I did clean out a lot of gunk from the inside of distributor, and the screws that hold in place the sensor were rusted in place (success was mine, however, thanks to WD40). I attribute that gunk and rust to the burst upper radiator pipe that I suspect poured water into the distributor, but maybe it's just an accumulation of 31 years of sitting outside.
Whether or not this old, gray lady starts when everything is back in place will likely tell me if my hypothesis was correct. I'll keep the forum updated.

45343890385_c6da74ff7f_n.jpg
[/url]Distributor w: new sensor by Tom Fiorina, on Flickr[/IMG]
32384720578_8ed29fec01_n.jpg
[/url]snap rings by Tom Fiorina, on Flickr[/IMG]
45533161824_ae70085261_n.jpg
[/url]old Hall sensor by Tom Fiorina, on Flickr[/IMG]

PS: I nearly had a heart attack when I thought that I had lost the tiny rod that holds the trigger wheel in place on the distributor shaft. I swept every inch of my office/newly designated workshop floor, twice... This effort included moving a piano, desk and a 95-pound labrador. However, I finally determined that the rod, which had squirted out of the small, plastic tweezers that I had confiscated from one of my son's bug-collecting kits like an errant, miniature missile, had lodged in the vice that was holding the distributor while I worked on it.
 
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:drama:

Old sensor "looks good"....I don't see any rotted wiring.

I'm gonna guess no spark....good luck.

One can use a meter set to AC Hertz frequency and measure the sensor output signal.
 
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84B23F said:
Rotor Clip vous offre une gamme compl?te d?anneaux d?arr?ts (circlips, bagues de retenue), d?anneaux en spirale, de ressorts ondul?s, colliers de serrage auto compensateurs con?us pour r?pondre aux besoins sp?cifiques croissants des secteurs de l?automobile, l?a?rospatiale, l??lectronique et du secteur industriel en g?n?ral.
Click to expand...

Thanks! This is a great website. I'll keep it in mind for the future.
 
ZVOLV said:
:drama:

Old sensor "looks good"....I don't see any rotted wiring.

I'm gonna guess no spark....good luck.

One can use a meter set to AC Hertz frequency and measure the sensor output signal.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure my digital multimeter can measure Hertz frequency. It appears that I can use it just to test for the following: DIRECT VOLTAGE, DIRECT CURRENT, ALTERNATING VOLTAGE, DIODEs & CONTINUITY, AND ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE. But thank you for the suggestion.
 
New Year update

The French say that you have until the end of January to wish people a Happy New Year, so I'll abide by that custom to wish all of the followers of this thread a healthy, prosperous, breakdown-free 2019.
Some of you undoubtedly thought that I got my 240 running again and just neglected to post that bit of information. Unfortunately, that's not the case, even though I managed to install the new Hall sensor in my distributor just before the new year began. Sadly, it didn't make any difference, and the old grey lady is still a fixture of our back yard where she's sat since last July.
I hope to evict the spiders that have been busy spinning webs on her during the past six months and, as soon as the temperatures rise above freezing, begin again to try and diagnose the problem. I've purchased, as several of you suggested, a multimeter with a frequency mode, and I'll first verify that the new sensor is putting out the proper sensor output signal. I'll then go through the necessary fuel, spark, ignition tests.
With any luck she'll be running again before long. I promise to let you know when that happens.
Regards,
Tom
 
Finally, SUCCESS!
I checked the Hall sensor for power and everything seemed to be fine, but it still wouldn't start. I then removed the new ignition controller that I had installed, and noticed that one of the connectors in the female part of the plug (number 4, which, I believe, from the ignition drawing that Bobxyz had posted for a Ferrari Dino, was pushed in further than the six others. I pulled it into place, plugged in the ignition coil and she fired right up. I can't understand why, if that connector was for delivering power to the coil's positive #15 terminal (which did have 12v, whenever I checked it), the car wouldn't start before I fiddled with the connector.
I really want to thank all of you for your help. I couldn't have done this without your patience, your expertise, and your willingness to share your knowledge with me. If ever you have any questions about French wine or about my particular area of expertise--wine from the French island of Corsica, please don't hesitate to contact me at tomfiorina[AT]gmail.com.
 
Nice!

A test lamp may have revealed a poor amount of current. A meter can show 12v, but there may not be enough current to operate the circuit. A test lamp may NOT have illuminated.

Or, maybe the circuits got juiced up regardless of the module having power. I haven't looked at the diagram.
 
Great, glad you figured it out and got it running! :)

Pin 4 on the ignition module, or power stage, provides a small amount of +12volt power for the module itself. Without this, the electronics in the module can't drive the pin #1 wire to the coil to generate the spark. Sometimes the +12volt wire runs to the ignition module first and then ends at the coil. Other times, it goes in the reverse direction (coil then ending at module). If pin #4 wasn't making good contact, you would still have +12volts at the coil.
 
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