hobbes_the_cat

Hmmm I should double check my meter to be safe. It’s been a solid performer so I didn’t doubt it. It’s a Greenlee not harbor freight. 🙂

Ok. Thanks for checking my work. Once this crazy snow quits I’ll go get it tested.

I just swapped in a rebuilt internally regulated alternator into my 69 510 wagon. The alternator is for a 1980 200sx. Problem (I think ) is i’m getting 15.6v at idle. Sometimes drops to the mid 14’s but mostly stays over 15. Never higher than 15.6 though even when at high revs. Alternator light on the dash is illuminated when key is on but immediately goes out when the engine fires up. I followed everyones advice and write ups about removing the external reglator and splicing the yellow and white wires and the white/red and white/black. Then at the alternator i connected the yellow to the “S” and the white/black to the “L”, black ground is connected to the alternator case and the big white/red wire to the “B” lug. Connections feel tight and I unwrapped a bunch of the harness and see no damaged wires. I have heard cold weather can have an effect on this. It’s about 32F in the garage right now. Battery is new and holds 12.68 when the car is not running. Is this just just a cold weather thing or did I get sent a junk rebuild? Or is there something I’m missing?

So I got it running! After cranking it forever I decided to put it on the battery charger to avoid running the battery dead. It wasn’t even struggling to spin the engine yet but I did it as a precaution. A min after plugging it in it fired up! Ran terrible, wouldn’t rev, backfired like crazy but I kept it going till it would hold idle and it gradually felt like it was running better every minute. So I I’m plugged the charger and checked the voltage at the battery and it was still at 12v... alternator is not charging. I hooked up the charger again and let it run with the charger hooked up and it eventually ran great. So I think this is the conclusion. Battery had more than enough juice to spin the starter, run lights ect but wasn’t quite enough to power up the electronic ignition. That’s why it ran pretty good when I first fired it off, the battery was fully charged but as it ran down (even tho still reading 12.2 volts) wasn’t enough to keep the ignition going. I’m going to get the alternator working and see if that was it. Thanks for all all the help guys.

Oh my goodness. I’m going to pull my hair out. Since the new module didn’t make a difference and I still had no spark I swapped the original module back in. Looked over the distributor real good to see if there was any loose parts and all looks smooth. Reinstalled the dizzy and now it has spark. Still not enough to start but its coughing and sputtering... thats all I did. Didn’t adjust the timing wen I pulled the dizzy, I pulled the base with it.

Yes. Exactly that way.

Battery is new. Cables are newer and clean. No corossion at connections or otherwise. Sonce im getting correct voltage at the coil what is left? I hope this module is not junk, the made in China sticker doesn’t inspire confidence when it comes to electronics.

It’s not hit or miss. The starter spins the engine very strong and the voltage at the wires and coil are a solid 12v. I just have no spark.

Yes I have 12v at the coil for on and start as well.

Yup with the starter disconnected it jumped back to 12v so yes I have 12v at on and start positions.

So I checked my key “on” voltage wire has 12 volts but my key “start” wire only has 9 volts while the engine is turning over. That’s not right is it?

Installed new ignition module, still no spark.

I ordered a new ignition module and it should arrive today. I’ll install and let you guys know what happens.

Ok so I have confirmed I have fuel. Fuel pump is strong, accelerator pump is strong. Still no start, it’s acting like there is no spark now. Not even sputtering. I swapped the coil for a good one I had laying around that I pulled from a 280zx and I bench tested it first to make sure it was within spec for a factory matchbox. It’s good. Still nothing, not even a cough or sputter so I stuck a screwdriver into the coil lead that goes to the cap and held it about a 1/4” away from a ground and cranked the engine. No spark jumping to the ground at all. It it feels like the matchbox unit is/was the culprit. Can they slowly fail? I know it’s rare for them to die but it does happen. I think that’s the direction i’m going to pursue. Is there a way to bench test the matchbox unit? The only test I’ve seen in print involves just eliminating all other ignition components...

Ok. Both hard lines terminate in the fenderwell on the passenger side on this car so I don’t know which is which, I just went with the bigger of the 2. I still don’t think it’s fuel related though because I shot starting fluid into the carb to see if that would get it to fire but it did nothing. I’m going to start looking into the ignition side of things by checking for voltage at the coil and try a coil with the proper ohms.