Hello all and Merry Christmas. My 244 GL had been giving me a problem starting cold for the last month or so, got worse a couple of nights ago and finally quit yesterday. The starter had started to drag after a couple of turns, as if the battery was suddenly incapable of turning the engine over, then, almost immediately, the engine would start. The battery is plenty strong, and I suspected from previous experience that something in the timing/distributor is the cause. The timing is set dead on. Over the last week, the engine would spin but not catch. I would push down on the distributor wiring harness where it enters the distributor and Presto!, the engine would always start. Well, we had a cold snap the night after Christmas and I thought I was gonna have to walk home from work. After fifteen minutes of poking at the wiring harness and turning the key, the engine finally started and ran like normal. Yesterday a.m. it was frosty and the engine didn't start again. This time no amount of poking revived the car, and I pulled the coil wire to verify there was no spark from the coil. In a bout of wishful thinking, I changed the coil (it was cheap) but no soap. I am thinking that the ignition control unit has gone south. Anyone who has had similar problems, please enlighten me as to what you did to fix the problem. Thanks in advance,
Bill

I haven't really looked into this but some questions. You mention that the starter was slow to turn over though the battery is good. If the engine block isn't properly grounded, would this be a symptom? Would there also be a lack of spark?
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1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb and M46 trans

The computers on this car rarely fail.

Check the fuel injection (pump) relay, resolder or replace with a known good one. You can force the fuel pumps by jumping between #4 and #6 fuse on the left side of the fuse box. You should hear the fuel pumps running when jumped, if the car starts it is a bad relay replace or resolder the board.

Also check the 25 amp fuse and holder near the coil for corrosion or a bad connection at the battery.

I have solved no start problems on my 85 by replacing the distributor cap and rotor. If they have not recently been replaced try a cap, rotor and spark plug wires. Messing with these items seems to get it started. If they are relatively new try expanding the contacts on the wires so you know you have a good tight connection.
Dan

I checked the fuses, the fuel pumps run. I used the Haynes manual procedures and am not getting spark at the distributor. I do have power at the coil and at the ignition control module, which I believe is the problem. At $249 (and if I am wrong I am stuck with it) for a replacement, I want to be somewhat sure that really is my problem.
Bill

Did you check the fuse by the coil it is a 25 amp blade fuse in a white fuse holder. These are known to corrode at the holder and or at the connection to the battery may be bad or corroded. I replaced mine with a waterproof marine blade fuse holder from West Marine for about $8.

The computers rarely fail but it is good insurance to have a spare availablee for trouble shooting. Get a spare ignition and injection computer at a junk yard or ebay for 10 - 20 bucks each. You can get them from an 85 through 88 model year for your 85. You can also get a spare distributor which will have the hall sensor in it. Like the other brick boarder suggested check the wiring and electrical plug at the distributor maybe it is just a bad connection.

Dan

problem is in wiring into hall sesner at dist if you buy icu you waste mony

Happy New Year to all. I went to the local salvage yard last week to get a distributor after getting sticker shock on the price of a Halls Sensor. Unfortunately, the only '85 240 in the yard had a distributor worse than mine. There was an '86 with a distributor but someone had already rescued the Halls Sensor. The rest of the cars that were in the proper year range were Turbos and no help there. I checked the price of a distributor ($218) against the price of an Halls Sensor ($165) and opted for the entire distributor. After my (@&%#*!!)source mis-ordered the part twice , the new distributor arrived yesterday and will be installed, in some fashion or the other, today. With any luck, it will run.... Thanks to all who responded and keep your fingers crossed.

Hello all,
I found, to my surprise, that the new distributor is the new style with the solid shaft instead of the hollow shaft (at the top where the rotor goes). After a trip to the parts store for a new cap and rotor (fits 86 and up), I put the distributor in exactly as the other came out, and Presto! No start. At least the tach needle jumps now when the engine turns over, which it it did not with the old distributor. I am going to try to monkey with it this morning (work interfered with continuing to try to start it on Monday) and see if I can get it running. Suggestions gratefully accepted!

Bill