OK here are the particulars:
'98 CR-V. ran great until Friday, when it wouldn't start. Nice sunny morning.
-Battery died very quickly, but jump starting didn't work.
-Pulling a plug yielded fuel smell, testing showed no spark.
-1 battery later, engine turns over well, still no spark.
-Checked fuses in fusebox and engine compartment - OK
-Plugs + wires; cap and rotor OK
-no spark at coil
-Coil ohms out OK
-when on, have voltage at both coil terminals
-replaced ignition module with new one - no change.
-all three distributor sensors ohm out at ~350 ohms - within spec, according to Haynes.
-0v at tach wire, no shorts
-0v at wire to MCU, no shorts
-nothing shorts to ground that I can find.
-OBD is not showing any errors.

So - as far as I can tell, the problem could be in the wiring (not likely as I've tested most ot it) the distributor (not likely as everything tests OK - at least staticly) or the main control unit (unlikely, as my experience is that these never fail, and I'd think I'd see some kind of error code).

I'm stumped. I'll probably get a new distributor next, just because I'll have a credit at Autozone for the good new ignition module I'll be returning. But I feel like I'm throwing more money away, because everything in the distributor tests out OK. I'd like to test the input to the MCU, but I have no idea what sort of signal goes between it and the distributor.

I feel like I've gotten to the point where I'm just replacing parts out of desperation and that's expensive in a modern car, not to mention time consuming. Anyone have any suggestions on things I've missed? Other ways to test the system? I'd really like it if someone could make me feel like an idiot for missing the obvious right now....

Thanks,

Sam

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It was the coil. I know better than to trust a resistance check alone for checking an ignition coil, but I had to have a friend remind me that as often as not they can be bad even with the right internal resistances. I tried shorting the could to get a spark, no luck. I then hooked an old MG coil to the ign system and turned the car over - excellent spark; problem solved.

Sam