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Re: Sparky returns

To: Rick Barnard <rstirb@townisp.com>
Subject: Re: Sparky returns
From: Pat Mullen <pmullen@telus.net>
Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2001 12:35:55 -0700
Cc: Triumphs <triumphs@autox.team.net>
References: <3B27ED96.22119.BDF5C7@localhost>
Rick, 
The symptoms:

> .........
> In the four years I've been driving it, this car has had a chronic
> problem with sparking over the plug wires.  It's obvious at night.
> Little sparks on the wires, under the dizzy cap, jumping from the plugs
> to the head, externally.  Idle is a little rough, of course, but she runs
> smooth on the road.  Points, rotor and cap don't last long on this car.
>         ..........
>         Currently, I'm running a Lucas 12V coil with ballast wire 
>bypass......"

sound like exactly what I'd expect with the ballast wire being shorted
ALL the time, not only during engine start.

Try measuring the voltage on the + terminal of the coil while the
engine's running. If it's around 12-15 volts, the ballast wire is
shorted (perhaps a PO messed up the wiring).
I assume that specifying the coil as "12V" means that it's for a 12V
electric system incorporating ballast resistance to halve the coil
voltage when running.

I've only just received Dan Master's superb book so I may have missed
his reference to this type of problem but it's possible he didn't think
such a rare fault likely enough to warrant inclusion. (....Dan?)

Cheers ..... Pat Mullen

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