My coil is showing positive on both terminals?

Question

Have already replaced Distributor, ignigtor, and coil.

Answer 1

If the primary winding in the coil is not being switched on and off you will have positive battery voltage on both sides of the coil (measured between the terminal and ground) with the ignition on. I have no details of your car. What is triggerering the coil/ignitor, is it a crankangle sensor or an inductive pick up inside the distributor? Is the car computerised? If you put a digital multimeter ACROSS the primary connections of the coil with the engine cranking you should have a pulsating voltage of around half the battery voltage. If you haven't the coil/ignitor triggering device is faulty. With the meter across these terminals with the ignition on you should have virtually zero voltage. If you put your meter across either terminal and ground you will have battery voltage at either terminal. Be aware if you have had the ignition on for sometime the ignitor will "auto turn off" and the readings that I have just told you will be completely different. To avoid this problem turn the ign off and then on again before you check each voltage as I described. Jules, Automotive lecturer. Australia.