914 starting troubles

[banger's 70]

Hello i have a 1970 914 and i am having trouble with it not starting. i just purchased th car and when i test drove it, it started fine drove around all day and same thing no problems. the previous owner said that the timing was off a bit and he had replaced the points within the last month. it has a 1.7 liter motor, it has a carb, points. with the timing off could the points burned? thanks

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

You need three things for the engine to run: Air (compression), spark, and fuel. Figure out which you are missing.

A compression test will tell you if you're getting air in. You can tell if the compression is uneven by listening to see if the starter cranks unevenly.

You can check for spark by taking an extra spark plug and hooking it up to a plug wire. Tape it so the threaded part or the outer electrode is touching a ground like the crankcase. You should be able to see a fat white spark if when the starter is cranked.

You should be able to see fuel in the float bowl of the carb, and some should dribble or squirt into the manifold when you actuate the throttle.

--DD

[RandyLok]

I assume it's cranking? Does it try to fire at all?

First thing I would check is spark because it's the easiest, and it's more likely than compression given the car was just running. The method Dave mentioned is super quick and easy.

You should see a nice blue snap. If it's weak and yellow the problem is most likely under your distributor cap.

The answer to what the spark looks like will determine what to do next.