Strange Issue

[Resin]

Well, I took a look at both of the distributors and I don't see any damage anywhere. Things have now gotten weirder though.
Now I can't get the car to crank. Fuses are all good from what I can tell. Lights on the dash come on with the key. I get 12v to the injectors.
The security light now stays on. I've tested the resistance of the key and it is still in spec. I tested the continuity of the wires to the ECU and they're not broken with 0 ohms. Tested the key side of the circuit too. I'm starting to think more and more that my ECU is dead. Does that track? Am I crazy?

[Fast355]

Well, I took a look at both of the distributors and I don't see any damage anywhere. Things have now gotten weirder though.
Now I can't get the car to crank. Fuses are all good from what I can tell. Lights on the dash come on with the key. I get 12v to the injectors.
The security light now stays on. I've tested the resistance of the key and it is still in spec. I tested the continuity of the wires to the ECU and they're not broken with 0 ohms. Tested the key side of the circuit too. I'm starting to think more and more that my ECU is dead. Does that track? Am I crazy?

The ECU has nothing to do with the engine cranking over. That is a function of thr VATS module and starter relay.

[Resin]

I just jumped the outside two wires on the starter relay and it cranks again. Is the VATS not part of the ECU?
It's gone back to no spark at the plugs now though too.

[Resin]

8746-1.jpg
The starter solenoid looks like it us run through the ECU. Am I interpreting that wrong?

[dave w]

It appears to me that the starter solenoid sends a voltage to the computer that the engine is being started cranking.

[Resin]

Sounds good. That makes sense.
So I have two separate issues now.
Next thing that I'm going to verify is that the Rotor is actually spinning. It seems that would explain the issue better than the ECU not working.
I didn't think about it till I had already left the shop last night.
Thanks all for your input. I hadn't even thought about the voltage grounding through the distributor shaft but that prompted the idea that it isn't spinning at all, or at least intermittently.

[steveo]

a weak coil will sometimes have enough output to jump one gap but fail to jump the second one. takes quite a big spark to jump the distributor and the spark plug. seen it a few times.

[Resin]

A combination of a low battery and bad spark plug wire seems to have been the culprit on the spark issue. I think steveo was right. Now I have a different issue. The TBI is spitting fuel like a backfire and it actually caught the unit on fire. That is likely a valve issue right?