How To Test The Distributor Pickup Coil (1989-1991 5.2L, 5.9L V8 Dodge Ram Van)

TEST 2: Making Sure The Distributor Pickup Coil Has 8 Volts

If you've made it to this point, it means the pickup coil didn't show that 5-to-0 Volt switch during TEST 1.

Chances are, the pickup coil isn't sending out its ON/OFF signal because it's not getting power from the engine computer.

Next up, we're gonna check if the orange (ORG) wire is delivering 8 Volts DC to the pickup coil.

If power is present, we'll move on and confirm that the sensor's also getting a solid Ground connection.

Here's how to run the power test:

1. 1

   Unplug the pickup coil from its connector.

2. 2

   Attach the black multimeter lead on the battery's negative (-) terminal.

3. 3

   Set the multimeter to read DC voltage.

4. 4

   Turn the ignition key to ON —but don't start the engine.

5. 5

   Touch the red lead to the female terminal marked as number 1 (refer to the illustration of the connector above).
   
   Make sure that terminal really connects to the ORG wire.
   
   NOTE: Remember, you're testing the engine wiring harness connector —the one with the round female terminals.

6. 6

   The meter should read between 7.5 and 8 Volts DC.

Here's how to read your result:

CASE 1: You're getting 7.5 to 8 Volts on the ORG wire. That's what we want.

Next, you'll need to check if the black with light blue stripe wire has a solid Ground: TEST 3: Making Sure The Distributor Pickup Coil Has Ground.

CASE 2: You're NOT getting 7.5 to 8 Volts on that ORG wire. Without that voltage, the coil won't work.

In most cases, that's because the ORG wire has an open-circuit somewhere between the fuel injection computer and the pickup coil.

Finding exactly where the break is goes beyond the scope of this guide, but your next step is to trace the wire and fix the open.

TEST 3: Making Sure The Distributor Pickup Coil Has Ground

If you've reached this point, you have confirmed:

• The signal voltage isn't flipping between 0 and 5 Volts (TEST 1).
• You are getting 7.5 to 8 Volts on the ORG wire (TEST 2).

In this final test, we'll check the black wire with a light blue stripe (BLK/LT BLU) to make sure it's delivering the pickup coil a clean Ground path.

IMPORTANT: The fuel injection computer is the one that provides this Ground. Don't connect the BLK/LT BLU wire directly to 12 Volts —you'll end up frying the computer. The test method below is a safe and accurate way of checking for Ground using a multimeter.

Here's how to do it:

1. 1

   Unplug the pickup coil from the wiring connector.

2. 2

   Connect the red lead of your multimeter to the battery's positive (+) post.

3. 3

   Set the multimeter to read DC voltage.

4. 4

   Turn the key to the ON position —don't start the engine.

5. 5

   Use the black lead to gently probe terminal number 2 on the connector.
   
   Make sure that terminal actually connects to the BLK/LT BLU wire.
   
   NOTE: Remember, you're testing the engine wiring harness connector —the one with the round female terminals.

6. 6

   You should see a reading between 10 and 12 Volts DC on your multimeter.

Now, here's how to understand what your reading means:

CASE 1: You're getting 10 to 12 Volts. That's perfect —it confirms the pickup coil has a good Ground connection.

If your test results looked like this:

• No voltage flip between 0 and 5 Volts in TEST 1,
• You had 7.5 to 8 Volts on the ORG wire in TEST 2,
• And now, Ground on the BLK/LT BLU wire is confirmed...

...then the pickup coil is toast. It needs to be replaced.

CASE 2: Multimeter shows 0 —no voltage at all. That means there's no Ground. And without it, the pickup coil can't send its signal.

In most cases, that's because the BLK/LT BLU wire is broken somewhere between the coil and the fuel injection computer.

Tracking down the exact spot goes beyond the scope of this guide. But your next step is to trace that Ground wire and repair the break.

More 5.2L, 5.9L V8 Dodge Ram Vans Diagnostic Tutorials

I've written quite a few 'how to' diagnostic tutorials for the V8 Dodge Ram van and you can find them in this index:

• 5.2L, 5.9L V8 Dodge Ramp Van Index Of Articles.

Here's a small sample of the articles/tutorials you'll find in the index:

• How To Test The Fuel Pump (1989-1991 5.2L, 5.9L V8 Dodge Ram Pickup).
• Throttle Body Temp Sensor Tests (1989-1991 5.2L, 5.9L V8 Dodge Ram Van).
• How To Test The MAP Sensor (1989-1990 5.2L, 5.9L V Dodge Ram Van).
• How To Test For A Blown Head Gasket (1989-2003 5.2L, 5.9L V8 Dodge Ram Van).