No Start: Getting 12 volts to the points when opened
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canada karl
- Posts: 1058
- Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2009 3:50 pm
No Start: Getting 12 volts to the points when opened
but no spark??? New points and new condensor .Is something grounding? Does anybody have any ideas about what is going on?
1976 530i. BMW 59 Triumph TR3A(rolling resto). 67 Triumph TR4A(salvageable). 86 900S Winter car
Re: No Start: Getting 12 volts to the points when opened
Well, you've got to look at things. A not terribly uncommon problem is the little tiny ground strap coming off the base plate. You might have to rotate the engine a little bit, but you can rotate the rotor by hand and open and close the points. You should be able to see or hear a little tiny spark upon opening. Meter is good too. But by doing it by the rotor you can do it with ease as often as you want.
Ohm out the coil. Rarely, very rarely, but they can go bad. Many more get replaced than actually fail, but it can happen. I don't recall the resistance numbers, but any manual should have it. Doesn't have to be perfect, just very roughly ballpark. Is the wire going to the coil good? Check it out. You're making me think here, it's been so long since I've dealt with points. ~30 years, and like carbs, not long enough.
Where are you checking for spark? Have you ohmed out the spark plug cable from the coil to the dist? Use it to close to ground, making sure you're not going to get zapped and check. Remember, you need a gap for it to jump. I would think even if bad it would still push thru a little tiny spark, but who knows, maybe not. I think on a points car that would be just a stranded copper wire, maybe or maybe not with a resistor terminal on one or both ends, probably no more than 5K ohms each. I had terrible problems on old aircooled VWs and spark plug connectors, which are pretty much the same as E12. The cable was good, but the connector was bad, so weak or no spark on that cylinder.
What else... Hmm, take a wire, attach a connector to one end, attach it to the coil in place of the one from the dist and see what you get when you ground and break it. Don't touch the bare wire though, you could get a backfeed spark. And I have had more than once a new, but bad set of points and or condenser. It happens.
Well, this should give you something to work with.
Ohm out the coil. Rarely, very rarely, but they can go bad. Many more get replaced than actually fail, but it can happen. I don't recall the resistance numbers, but any manual should have it. Doesn't have to be perfect, just very roughly ballpark. Is the wire going to the coil good? Check it out. You're making me think here, it's been so long since I've dealt with points. ~30 years, and like carbs, not long enough.
Where are you checking for spark? Have you ohmed out the spark plug cable from the coil to the dist? Use it to close to ground, making sure you're not going to get zapped and check. Remember, you need a gap for it to jump. I would think even if bad it would still push thru a little tiny spark, but who knows, maybe not. I think on a points car that would be just a stranded copper wire, maybe or maybe not with a resistor terminal on one or both ends, probably no more than 5K ohms each. I had terrible problems on old aircooled VWs and spark plug connectors, which are pretty much the same as E12. The cable was good, but the connector was bad, so weak or no spark on that cylinder.
What else... Hmm, take a wire, attach a connector to one end, attach it to the coil in place of the one from the dist and see what you get when you ground and break it. Don't touch the bare wire though, you could get a backfeed spark. And I have had more than once a new, but bad set of points and or condenser. It happens.
Well, this should give you something to work with.
Mike W.
1980 528i, 3.5 euro, 5 speed conversion
1981 528i, 3.6, Recaros and more. Project
1998 328is, quick and efficient, but not satisfying
2000 528iit, Vacation mobile/wife's grocery getter
1980 528i, 3.5 euro, 5 speed conversion
1981 528i, 3.6, Recaros and more. Project
1998 328is, quick and efficient, but not satisfying
2000 528iit, Vacation mobile/wife's grocery getter