british-cars
[Top] [All Lists]

electrical gremlins puzzle

To: british-cars@hoosier
Subject: electrical gremlins puzzle
From: "James A. TenCate" <jtc@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu>
Date: Sat, 12 Jun 1993 20:49:50 -0500
kevin writes:
>I believe that my problem is electrical in nature.  The short bursts of
>normal running remind me of a bad coil---but I didn't check mine...

Funny thing happened to me this last weekend.  For the first time in my
life, I've been actually stranded in a Triumph and unable to limp home.
My usually trusty TR8 started sputtering and then proceeded to just
die.  I managed to coast into a nice quiet neighborhood where I tried
to debug the car.  Unlike Kevin, I'm quite sure my problem is electrical.
After the car gets hot and has been running for a while, I start to lose
spark every now and then until I don't get any at all.  It's NOT the
electronic ignition amp (I've substituted a new one in just to be sure
and I get the same result from both).  Oh, I checked to see if I had spark
by hooking up a timing light to a plug wire;  also, the electronic ignition
is a Lumenition set up, NOT the original Lucas stuff.

So, what happens to a car if the ballast resistor or coil goes bad???
How can you tell?  What exactly goes bad in a coil?  Mine is only 70k miles
old and is probably original equipment...  BTW, new ballast resistor "blobs"
(5 potted resistors) for FI TR8's go for $120 from VB or TRF!

help,
jim

PS:  the following morning I went back to the car, started it right up,
and BLASTED home as fast as I could (and made it to the safety of my
garage just before the car started acting up again).  So, at least I have
the luxury of having the car HOME to work on it :-)


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>