i just messed up my car somehow while changing it out dist cap. can someone help me figure out whats wrong with it?

heres what i did:

i took off my distributor cap. tried to take off the rotor bit but the screw was on the side. so i cranked the engine by turning my ignition. while doing this, the cap and spark plug wires were off the car. now the screw holding the rotor is on top. i replaced the rotor bit, dist cap, wires and spark plugs. i start up the car and it doesnt turn over. it just cranks and cranks. doesnt start. help me fix this problem.

 

you have to look at what you changed if the car ran before. do you even have spark at the plugs?

is the firing order correct on the cap?

 

this is the first time i messed with the distributor. so i dont know how to test for spark. but i do know the firing order.

#1 is in the 7oclock position. going clockwise it should be 1342

im wondering if i messed up by cranking the engine while the cap was off.

 

probably not, but you have to go back to where you made the change, there is a possibility the fuel pump may have died (using that as an example) just as you changed the cap and rotor, but it is highly unlikely. and it is basically impossible to get the rotor on wrong.

 

okay i found out i have no spark.

i unplugged one of the wires and put a spark plug in. i started the car and watch to see if it sparked. nothing.

so what could it be now?

 

you might want to take a quick check to all the plugs to make sure also i would check your gap the plugs when the wires are out of it. Also check your secondary and primary coils on your distributor that's where i would go next.

 

thanks guys, but i found out the problem. it was a bad coil. i changed it out, and it fired up like a champ.