I am looking at my truck which quit running on me, 92 Chevy K1500 4.3L TBI.  226,000 miles, uses very little oil, and ran very well.

I replaced the fuel pump a coupla months ago.  A week or so ago, on the highway, it quit for a second, then resumed purring along.  1/4 mile up the road, it quit again, for good.

I have fuel, but no spark.  Plugs are good, correct caramely color, clean insulator.  I am thinking coil went bad or the module in the distributor.  I am going to take the coil to the shop tomorrow and test it (those two 7mm bolts are hard to get at BTW :-( ).   If it tests good, then I will get a new module and put it back together.

Am I on the right track here?  Can I test the coil on the truck?  I do not have a multitester but I do have access to one.

Thanks in advance.

Hopefully it is only the coil. It may be the computer or the spark trigger sensor (don't know what GM uses, but it's probably in the distributor or down at the front of the crankshaft. Or, if you're really lucky, it could just be a bad or corroded connector somewhere.   I hate the new vehicles. I miss the days of no hoses or sensors. Progress, I suppose.

Wiring harness, ditributor, hall effect switch, ECM, etc,etc,etc.

Best bet is to take it to a reputable mechanic and have them fix it.

I went through that on my S-10 one time, I replaced Distributor, coil, plugs wires cap and rotor, wiring harness to distributor, etc, etc. It turned out to be a cracked board in my ECM, I would not have had to replace half the parts i did if I would have just taken it to a mechaninc in the first place, they have diagnostic equipment that hooks up to your trucks computer and can tell them very quickly what is functioning and what isn't.

You say you have fuel. Does that mean that there is fuel spraying from the injectors or have you verified that you have fuel pressure at the TBI unit.
If you have no fuel from the injectors it is more than likely  an ignition module, but I am listing several things to check out.
Check for 12v at the injector connectors and put a 12v test light across each set of injector connectors and see if the light blinks when the engine is cranked.
If there is fuel spraying from the injectors it is not as likely to be a module or pickup coil(pickup coil resistance 900 to 1500 ohms) as a secondary ignition problem.
Check your coil wire first with an ohm meter. It should have continuity, with somewhere around 5000 ohms of resistance, with continuity being the main thing.
Check the center electrode in the distributor cap also for wear and resistance 100 ohms or less, and the rotor. The rotor can get a small hole down the middle that will let the spark go to ground to the distributor shaft.
Check for approximately 12 volts at the heavy pink wire at the coil, if not check for loss of power to the coil.
Also examine the reluctor ring on the distributor shaft for cracks or looseness, this is the part with 6 teeth that  rotates in the pickup coil and creates the ignition/fuel injection signal to the module
Hook up a 12v test light to the white wire that is in the same connector as the heavy pink wire and see if it blinks at all when you crank the  engine.
If the things I have listed check out, go ahead and have the coil tested.
If the coil tests ok try a module.
If it is the module, I would suggest staying with GM parts, I have had a lot of grief over the years with aftermarket ignition parts
I cant think of anything else right now as I was woke up by a dumb phone call and cant sleep.
Hope this helps, and if I have time tommorow I willl check back and see how you are doing.

Lee (22 years GM service tech)

Hey Lee - I have an unrelated GM question for you: my work truck is a 2001 GMC Safari AWD van. The center differential binds a lot and I was wondering if GM has some kind of additive to prevent it. I think it's the center diff binding because when I accelerate on dry roads, especially when the truck is fully warmed up, I can feel the drive train binding and releasing. It doesn't happen on dirt roads or in snow, and is slightly less pronounced in rain. It goes away at a cruise or when decelerating. I nkow Chrysler has an additive for their Limited Slip diffs, and thought maybe GM had something that they pour in when a customer complains about the banging under the truck.  If they have it, what is the right thing to ask for?

In reference to the question about the AWD van that seems to bind in the transfer case there is a fix. If under warranty have your dealer change the fluid in the transfer case. Have them apply Bulletin #99-04-21-005A. The condition occurs when the clutch plates in the transfer case slip/stick. If out of warranty change the fluid but be sure to use only Auto Trak II transfer case fluid (PN 12378508)and drive in a few figure eight patterns on dry pavement afterwards to free up any plates.

Dustdevil

Per Dustdevils recommendation, look at the fluid, it should be blue and not red if it has the neww Autotrack II fluid. I have also had to tear down some of these and reset the clearance shim for the clutch pack in these when the new fluid change failed to remedy the problem.

Lee

Does the starter crank it over real easy with kind of a "fluff fluff" sound?  Possible timing bet break or slip.  Only take a minute to look at.   Real quick compression check will also tell you.

Norm it turns over normally.  That was my first thought, but the fact that it quit, came back, and then quit again seems to suggest otherwise.  Thanks everyone for the suggestions so far.

I am getting ready for church and have family stuff, so I may not get to work on it today.  I will update when I do.

Thanks!   Happy Easter!

When the ignition went in my truck, it just went.  Kinda just *POOF*...dead.  I replaced all small distributor parts (they are pretty cheap) new cap, rotor.  My coil was ok, but weak, so I replaced it too.  I suspose the module could have just hitched once before it died.  That is where I would look anyway.

When you pull the module out of the distributor...you will find the two wire plug for the pickup coil to be green..dirty..and the plastic insulator probably brittle enough to fall apart when you touch it....new mudule..and clean-up or replace connector...also make sure the harness from mod to coil is not broken burnt or heat damaged......other than that.....borrow a scanner.....[:)]

If you repalce the module be sure to use the little packet of die-electric grease that should come with it. This is applied on the surface of the module that contacts the distributor and helps to disipate heat from the module.
Also per Black and Green if this connector is ruined, keep track of which terminal goes on which pin on the module. I have cleaned these up and put them back on without the plastic connector if the trerminals have good tension with a little electricians tape to keep them separated.

Lee