Dodge Repair: Ignition problem, obd ii code reader, engine cranks

Question
My son has 94 Dodge Dakota V6 , 3.9 liter. The engine cranks and cranks but no fire. I checked and don't have voltage to the coil. Same thing happened about a month ago, car sat for two hours before I got there and started up. So I assume the problem is between the starter and the coil. I am going to change the cap and rotor tonight, but if I don't have spark to the coil, the cap and rotor should not matter, right? Or is there a sensor in there somewhere that tell the voltage not to fire because the cap and rotor are bad?

Thanks

Answer
There is no sensor in there to tell it that there is no roter or cap.  However, There is an electrical pick up in the distributor.  The pick up is expensive enough that it would probably be better to purchase a rebuilt distributor.  This is not saying that the distributor is bad.  You can get an OBD II code reader and this will have directions on how to use it.  If you are going to work on cars you are most deffanantly going to need one.  You can purchase one at a discount auto parts store for around $50.  This will read the computer and give you a code that tells you what is wrong with the vehicle.  This is a better investment than just replacing parts and taking a guess.

Cowboy 1104