Welcome to TRS
You can run a "hot wire" to Coil's "+" terminal, won't hurt anything, but easier to just use a Volt Meter, or test light to see if coil's "+" terminal has 12v when key is ON and while engine is cranking
NO, on the Ground, the "-" terminal on a coil is used to Fire/Spark the coil, so if you ground it it will never spark.
All ignition coils spark when power is CUT, thats what the "points" did in the old days.
Points were the Ground for the coil, hooked to "-" terminal, just easier to use the Ground than the 12volt side to prevent blown fuses or fired wires if there was a short in distributor.
So each time the points OPENED the coils power was CUT(no Ground) and the coil SPARKED, points CLOSED and coil powered up again for next CUT
Cam on distributor shaft opened and closed points to time the spark
With electronic ignitions the same, cut the ground("-") to coil was used, but instead of points that wore out and had to be adjusted they used a sensor to read distributor shaft rotation for spark timing, and a transistor to ground and UNground the coil to spark it at the right time.
Your 1989 used a TFI electronic ignition system
Testing it is here:
http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/TFI_Diagnostic.shtml
Basics
First thing I would do, if starter motor is cranking engine, is a 50/50 test
Spray gasoline or Starting Fluid(ether) in to the intake and try to start engine
If it starts and dies then spark is OK, and fuel is the problem, or lack of it
If it doesn't start then Spark is the problem, well the first problem to deal with, lol
Once you get engine to start by adding fuel manually(spray it in) then spark is working, at least well enough to deal with fuel issue
Remove distributor cap, crank engine to make sure rotor under the cap is turning.
Use a Volt meter to see if Coil "+" has 12volts(battery voltage) when Key is ON
Test TFI for 12volts, see page above, print out worksheet
When key is turned ON, you should also hear the fuel pump in the gas tank come on, but ONLY for 2 seconds, you can turn the key off and on as much as you want to listen for that HUMMMM of the fuel pump, it is not quiet, you can hear it in the cab, turn down the radio
And just in case, 10 year old gasoline is bad, tank needs to be drained for sure, you can remove fuel filter in frame rail under drivers seat area to drain tank, you can "hot wire" inertia switch in cab passenger footwell to turn on the pump to drain tank, put in NEW fuel filter.
Fuel injectors and fuel rail will have varnish inside from the gasoline evaporating and leaving base elements behind, part that doesn't evaporate
You may or may not have to remove these to clean them out, you will known when you have spark and fuel pressure but still a no start unless you add fuel manually, 50/50 test, it means all the injectors are clogged
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