Failures in the ignition system of carburetor Samars are a common phenomenon and familiar to most owners of these cars. But they happen, as always, at the most inopportune time. For a novice car enthusiast, the search for a missing spark can take several days, or even weeks. For a person who has ever had to face a similar problem, this is a matter of one or two hours.
In this article we will look at the reasons why the spark disappears and what this may be connected with. We will look at the most likely causes of the malfunction, as well as methods for eliminating them, using the example of an ordinary “nine”.
At the preparatory stage
In a situation where the VAZ 2109 (carburetor) does not start, we can assume that the problem is either in the power system or in the ignition. But, since we are talking about the latter, we will consider the problems associated with the supply of electric current to the candles.
In order to determine that the spark has disappeared on the VAZ 2109 (carburetor), we will need an assistant and the following tools:
- voltmeter (multimeter);
- spark plug key;
- pliers;
- crosshead screwdriver.
Low voltage circuit
Using a 12V lamp, you can check the low voltage circuit. The lamp must be connected with the first contact to the low voltage terminal, and the second to the car body. Next, you need to close the distributor contacts and start the ignition. If the circuit is OK, the lamp will light when the contacts open and go out when the contacts close.
If the lamp does not light up when the contacts are opened, this means that the problem is in the low voltage wiring or in the ignition coil, or rather, in its winding.
No spark on VAZ 2109 (carburetor): reasons
Before you start checking, it won’t hurt to understand those components that are involved in the sparking process. These include:
- battery;
- ignition switch contact group;
- coil (transformer);
- switch;
- distributor (distributor);
- Hall Sensor;
- high voltage wires;
- candles.
Each of these elements can fail, which will inevitably lead to a break in the electrical circuit. If the spark really disappeared on the VAZ 2109 (carburetor), then it could disappear in any of the areas. In order not to complicate your task with finding it, the initial check should be carried out in two stages: to establish whether there is current at the output of the ignition coil and whether there is a spark on the spark plugs themselves.
Device Features
The ignition coil serves to produce a spark coming from the spark plug electrodes. To put it briefly and simply, this is a small transformer that operates in pulse mode and converts 12 volts from the car into 20-30 thousand volts at the output. High-voltage wires are used to transmit the impulse, which also sometimes cause coil malfunctions.
The distributor-type ignition system works simply - the distributor (distributor) receives a low-voltage pulse from the car's network, transmits it to the coil, and it, in turn, transforms the pulse into a high-voltage pulse. Next, the distributor distributes sparks among the cylinders depending on the order of their operation.
Structurally, the VAZ 2109 coil consists of a pair of windings - secondary and primary.
- The primary winding has fewer turns, but wires with a larger cross-section;
- The secondary winding of a coil with a large number of turns, but a smaller wire cross-section.
Windings
Signs of breakdown
Often the spark at the carburetor disappears unexpectedly when the driver is not prepared for such a turn of events. But if you have enough experience and pay close attention to the behavior of your car, you can detect signs of a malfunction before the spark disappears and the engine does not start.
So, why does the spark disappear, what are the reasons and what signs may indicate a failure of the ignition coil?
Approximately 500 kilometers before the coil’s life is over, on a cold engine the device normally starts working only after a couple of minutes of warming up. The engine starts with difficulty, but some people think that the problem is in the idle system. At the same time, the engine begins to behave unstably at low speeds.
This phenomenon occurs within 10-30 seconds, so you don’t always have time to pay attention to it. Another short-term symptom is the engine actively shaking when starting a cold engine and holding down the gas pedal. This will happen literally for 3-5 seconds, and after pressing the pedal again, everything will return to normal. When accelerating or changing gears at the gearbox, the engine may produce jerks, vibrations, and the dynamics deteriorate for a short time
The downside is that such a symptom may appear for a few moments, but disappears just as quickly. The most obvious sign is the complete failure of the engine to try to start. The spark disappears, and therefore the chances of starting are zero.
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Determining the area
If the VAZ 2109 (carburetor) does not start at all, it is better to start checking in the area from the battery to the distributor. This way we will understand whether the battery, the lock contact group, the switch and the coil are working.
Check procedure:
- Raise the hood.
- We disconnect the “cradle” of the central armored wire from the distributor cover.
- We insert the spark plug into the cradle, press it with its “skirt” against the valve cover (an unpainted area of the body) and ask an assistant to start the starter. Never hold a candle with your bare hands! You will receive an electric shock. Although not fatal, it is quite unpleasant. It is best to hold the candle with dielectric pliers.
- While the starter is operating, we look at the interelectrode space. If there is no spark, the VAZ 2109, naturally, will not start.
Now we have to install the faulty element in the battery-coil section. This is not difficult to do.
Problems with the injector electrical or electronics
If your VAZ 2109-2108 is fuel-injected, then there may be many more problems due to which it refused to start. There are about 5 ECM sensors alone, which can affect the normal start of the engine:
- Mass air flow sensor - mass air flow sensor
- IAC - idle air control
- Throttle position sensor
- Crankshaft position sensor
- Phase sensor
Also, you should not lose sight of even the simplest problems, for example with the ignition switch, starter and its solenoid relay, as well as with fuses.
Battery and ignition switch contact group
If you have determined that the spark on the VAZ 2109 (carburetor) has disappeared in the area from the battery to the high-voltage terminal of the coil, the culprit may be either a discharged battery or a faulty ignition switch. Let's check if electricity is supplied to the coil. To do this, using a voltmeter (multimeter), with the ignition on, measure the voltage between the “+B” terminal of the coil and “ground”. If it is, its value should be at least 11 V.
The absence of voltage indicates a failure of the contact group. The most common cause of malfunction is oxidation or burning of the leads. This problem can be resolved by cleaning the contacts.
Examination
If you notice signs of a problem with the ignition coil, or have to deal with a situation where the engine “died,” be sure to check the condition of this element.
As you test, you will be able to determine what caused the coil to fail and how the problems can be corrected.
How to check the device? The instructions are not complicated, even a beginner can handle it.
First, let's check the condition of the unit, and then check for correctness of the resistance of the coil itself.
If there is voltage but there is no spark, check whether the primary winding is intact. To do this, the side low-voltage wires are disconnected from the coil and resistance measurements are taken with a multimeter. Then the secondary winding is checked.
Coil
The VAZ 2109 ignition coil itself fails quite rarely, but it is necessary to check it. This can be done using a multimeter turned on in ohmmeter mode. We connect one of its probes to the “+B” contact, and the second to the “K” terminal. These are the ends of the primary winding. The resistance value should be 0.4-0.5 Ohm.
After this, we check the secondary coil by connecting the probes of the device to the “+B” terminal and the high-voltage terminal. Here the resistance should be about 4-5 kOhm. For any other indicators, the VAZ 2109 ignition coil must be replaced.
Why is car diagnostics necessary?
Judging by everything written above, we can conclude that searching for a problem takes a huge amount of time and spends a lot of effort. In order not to let this happen and to save on possible repairs in advance, it is necessary to carry out regular diagnostics of the vehicle.
Unfortunately, this cannot always be done through a service station, since:
- They ask a lot of money for standard diagnostics.
- You need to go to professionals if a serious problem arises.
- Finding workers who have experience in solving the problems that arise is quite difficult.
It also happens that after diagnostics are carried out at an unverified service station, additional repairs are required.
A good way to solve the problem of inspecting a car is to purchase an ELM327 auto scanner. The device can connect to any car, and the test is carried out using a mobile phone. This will not only allow you to identify the fault in time, but will also save money.
Switch
With a switch the situation is somewhat more complicated. The fact is that it is impossible to check it yourself. The best solution here would be to replace the device with a known good one.
Having determined that the spark on the VAZ 2109 (carburetor) has disappeared in the area before the distributor, we can immediately conclude that the switch is the reason for this. This is the most capricious device in the entire ignition system. It can “burn out” due to the slightest voltage drop caused by a malfunction of the generator, faulty spark plugs or high-voltage wires. This is why some experienced Samar drivers carry a spare device with them.
Bringing the car back to life
As for why a spark disappears, everything is probably very clear. Now, it would not be amiss to consider the order of her return. The reality is that in most cases, getting the spark back is a simple matter and just involves carefully checking the broken car. To be more precise, to normalize sparking it is required:
- Firstly, check the spark on the injector using the method described above, make sure that it has disappeared, and, at least indirectly, try to determine the cause of the malfunction;
- Next, it is enough to assess the current circumstances and act based on them. As typical situations, we suggest considering solutions to the following problems:
- the spark plug is wet, the presence and strength of the spark are unimportant, the carbon deposits are correct (brick color) - wipe the part and screw it back in;
- the spark plug is wet (not always) and the carbon deposits are incorrect (white or black) - clean, dry the part and try to start the engine, if there is no result, change the spark plug and deal with problems in the fuel system (cleaning the injector, checking the ECU, etc.);
- the spark plug is wet, there is no spark at all, the color of the soot is not important - we try to change the part, if there is no result, we check the ignition system and the operation of the injector.
In principle, in theory there are no particular difficulties in repairs of this kind. Despite this, it often causes difficulties in implementation for inexperienced motorists. To solve these, you need to act in the order described above, but if something doesn’t work out, it’s better to turn to professionals at a service station. This approach to repairs will not only save time, but also guarantee trouble-free operation of the car in the future.
Perhaps this concludes the most important information on today’s issue. We hope that the material presented was useful to you and provided answers to your questions. Good luck in operating and maintaining your car!
In search of a spark: candles
If there is still voltage on the central high-voltage wire, it is necessary to determine whether it is distributed and supplied to the spark plugs. To do this, you need to determine whether the distributor and Hall sensor are in working order, whether the high-voltage wires are broken and whether the spark plugs are working. Let's start from the end.
Unscrew the first spark plug, place it on the valve cover without disconnecting the high-voltage wire from it, but disconnecting it from the other spark plugs, and ask an assistant to try to start the engine with the starter. Visually determine if a spark appears between the electrodes. If there is one, screw the spark plug back in and repeat the procedure for each individual cylinder. Be aware of the risk of electric shock, use pliers!
If there is no spark on the VAZ 2109 spark plugs (carburetor), try installing new ones or known good ones instead. The situation has not changed? We continue diagnostics.
What to do
If the engine runs or starts poorly, motorists are interested in how to strengthen the spark on the spark plugs. First, you need to establish the cause of the breakdown by checking the previously mentioned components and elements using a multimeter and visual inspection. Many faults can be seen by eye.
Often, a simple replacement of spark plugs or glow plugs can help improve the spark (depending on the type of internal combustion engine (petrol or diesel). It is advisable to buy elements from well-known manufacturers in the mid-price category, beware of counterfeits. Faulty spark plugs can often be identified by their appearance. In addition, their replacement is required with the following symptoms:
Comparing spark plugs before replacing them It is worth noting that sometimes similar symptoms are observed when other parts of the car fail. Therefore, if the spark plugs visually look serviceable, it is better to check other components and elements. If you were unable to determine the cause yourself or replacing the SZ did not help, it is recommended to contact a car service for professional diagnostics.
The spark power may not be enough if the ignition coil is broken or the high-voltage wires fail. Therefore, they should be tested with a multimeter. Replacing these parts often helps improve the spark.
Checking the coil with a multimeter
Increased power is often achieved by replacing the distributor. Repairing the low voltage circuit or improving the conductivity of the connection contacts often helps solve the problem. To search for an open or short circuit, use a multimeter. Often, replacing or charging the battery with a charger helps increase spark power. Everyone knows that a weak battery does not contribute to good engine starting, especially in winter. Therefore, it must be checked before the cold weather. If it is old or poorly charged, it should be replaced or charged. Recharging may also be required after the machine has been idle for a long time.
Charging the battery using a charger
But sometimes, in order to completely get rid of the problem, you only need to modify the spark plugs yourself. This is primarily relevant for owners of used domestic cars or old inexpensive foreign cars. This method is also suitable for some budget-conscious motorists. For this modification you need to purchase:
The method consists of several stages. You don't have to do all of them. Perhaps one of the proposed solutions is enough for someone to increase the spark. Refinement is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- Install spark plugs without resistors. This should increase the amount of free energy by about 50%.
Spark plugs without resistors Install high-voltage copper wires. This will help reduce resistance in the system. This means the spark will be stronger. High-voltage wires with a copper core Increase the distance between the electrodes on the spark plug. After this, it is advisable to test it in a pressure chamber. It is advisable to choose the longest interval at which the spark is stable. This will significantly improve engine performance and starting. Increased distance between electrodes Install a spark amplifier on the spark plug. This device is sold in car dealerships. It consists of two contact connections and a capacitor. One of the contacts needs to be attached to the SZ, and the other to the high-voltage wire. This will increase the temperature of the spark at the plug. Installed spark amplifier Install a modern contactless ignition system. It works more stable than the contact one. The latter is not used today on new cars and is found only on cars produced relatively long ago. Contactless ignition system kit Almost all modifications can be done independently with minimal knowledge of car repair and maintenance. But, if such tuning yourself seems difficult, it is better to contact a service station, where the problem with a weak spark will be solved by experienced specialists. True, the costs may increase several times.
Ignition distributor and Hall sensor
As for the distributor, its most common malfunction is burning of the contacts located inside the cover. In addition, the slider that “spreads” the voltage can also fail.
Unscrew the two screws and remove the cover from the distributor. Pay attention to the condition of the contacts. If they are severely burnt, deformed, or crumble, replace the lid. Inspect the slider too. It can also burn and become deformed. If necessary, replace it too.
It wouldn’t hurt to check the so-called “coal”. This is a graphite contact of a high voltage wire. If it is damaged, voltage stops flowing to the slider. As a result, all four spark plugs are de-energized.
The Hall sensor is built into the distributor. You can also check it without removing it using a voltmeter. The probes of the device must be connected to the green and black and white wires coming from the sensor to the connector. While turning the flywheel using a screwdriver (in the window on the clutch housing), take voltmeter readings. They should fluctuate from 0.4 to 12 V. If this happens, the sensor is fine. Well, if not, the device needs to be replaced.
These are, in principle, all the common faults that cause the “nine” to have no spark. VAZ 2109, as you can see, is not such a complicated car in this sense: a little time, a little theory, a simple tool, and your car is back in service!
High voltage wires
It doesn’t often happen that all the wires fail at once, but they still need to be checked. The functionality is determined by disconnecting each one in turn and measuring the resistance. In good condition, the resistance value, including on the main conductor, should be within the range of 2.7-9 kOhm. If deviations are detected, faulty elements must be replaced.
It will not be superfluous to check the so-called “coal”, that is, the graphite contact of the wire. If it is damaged, no voltage is supplied to the slider and all spark plugs will be de-energized.
Based on the list of common problems that cause the “nine” to lose spark, it is clear that this car is not very complex in terms of effort and time. It is enough to have a basic set of knowledge and a set of tools - and the car is ready for travel again.
Does not start due to problems with the timing belt or piston group
If the timing belt has jumped a couple of teeth, the engine may no longer start because the ignition has gone wrong. In order to bring it back to life, it is necessary to set the timing according to the gas distribution marks.
The valves are clamped - there is also a possibility that it is for this reason that starting the engine has become difficult and, over time, even impossible. In this case, it is necessary to adjust the thermal clearances of the valves.
Weak compression is the case when difficult starting occurs every day, if the piston is already on the verge of complete decline. This occurs due to too much wear and tear on the piston group parts: rings, pistons and cylinders.
If there is anything to add to this list, don’t be shy - write in the comments to the article below.
Useful tips
If you can't start your carburetor engine, try a few steps. This way you can find the answer to why the engine won't start.
- Raise the hood and visually inspect the condition of your carburetor power unit.
- Check to see if all wires and terminals are securely fastened. A loose terminal or wire often became the cause of rash decisions and significant financial costs for repairs, which in practice could have been avoided.
- Assess the condition of the fuel pump. Often the cause of deterioration when trying to start the car or failure to operate is overheating of the fuel pump. Feel it. If it is too hot, it is more likely to fail. Better to replace it.
- At the same time, check the condition of the filters and oil. Perhaps it’s high time to change them, but you’re still dragging your feet on it.
Stalls while driving
If your car stalls while driving, you need to:
- Check the condition of the Hall sensor on the carburetor;
- Assess the current performance of the switch;
- If necessary, replace both elements;
- If, after the car has stalled while driving, problems arise when trying to start the engine, blow out the fuel pipes;
- If you do not receive an answer during a visual inspection and check of tubes, contacts, and other accessible components, you will have to disassemble the carburetor to find the cause;
- Be sure to adjust the carburetor. Quite often, this measure eliminates all problems. But you shouldn’t do this with your own hands. Contact a trusted carburetor specialist.
In practice, a carburetor may not start well for a variety of reasons. Some of them are not related to the engine itself. Therefore, the optimal solution is a full diagnostics at a car service center.
Carburetor stalls at idle
If your carburetor does not start and constantly stalls at idle, you are faced with a fairly common situation for carburetor VAZ 2109.
