3 replies to this topic

[DrMcNasty]

I have been messing with with a poorly running mini since I fixed the weak fuel pump. Problem I am having now is a super rich running car. Question I can't seem to find an answer to is the voltage to the coil on crank and while running. I am only getting about 8 volts on crank and the highest I have seen on running is 10v.

Can anyone confirm their voltage on crank as well as running on the positive side of the coil.

This is on a mini 1000 from 1979.

[Guess-Works.com]

Depends if you have ballasted ignition which run at about 8v ( look for a pink wire on the +ve side of the coil ), you should also have a white or yellow wire from the starter solenoid, this will feed a 12v boost to the coil when starting.. this is only on a ballast system, on a ordinary system there will be a white wire feeding the coil directly from the ignition live on the fuse box which will be 12v constant.

[DrMcNasty]

Depends if you have ballasted ignition which run at about 8v ( look for a pink wire on the +ve side of the coil ), you should also have a white or yellow wire from the starter solenoid, this will feed a 12v boost to the coil when starting.. this is only on a ballast system, on a ordinary system there will be a white wire feeding the coil directly from the ignition live on the fuse box which will be 12v constant.

there is a white with pink wire. So then this is the resisted wire from the fuse panel.
Then there is a white with blue off the starter solenoid to the other positive on the coil. But on crank I am
only getting 8v on the coil not 12v as I suspected I should be. This is the wire off the starter solenoid that should be feeding this correct?

In the end I am trying to sort out why I am running super rich
with everything leaned out to the point that the plug foul and won't start after about 5 min of run time.
Nothing is jamming the needle or the float bowl. The jet is all the way lean to the point of being a mm above the botto
in the carb.

I am just so frustrated from this since it all happened after I replaced tje fuel
pump that now it won't run at all.

[stevede]

[/quote]
there is a white with pink wire. So then this is the resisted wire from the fuse panel.
Then there is a white with blue off the starter solenoid to the other positive on the coil. But on crank I am
only getting 8v on the coil not 12v as I suspected I should be. This is the wire off the starter solenoid that should be feeding this correct?

[/quote]


You will only be getting a lower voltage on cranking because the starter motor will be taking the majority of the current available.



Below is an explaination from a recent post by DK Lawson. It explains the ballast system perfectly which will hopefully help.

First, let's discuss what a ballast ignition is. Basically, while you turn the engine over on the starter motor, the operating voltage available from the battery is reduced. This makes it hard for the coil to give you a good hot spark to start the cold engine. With a ballast ignition system, a coil with fairly low resistance is used and a second, external (ballast) resistor is wired in series with the ignition coil. During normal running (once the engine is started) the coil operates at reduced voltage due to the external ballast resistor. However, the coil has a second wire which runs to an extra contact on the starter solenoid. When cranking the engine, this extra wire takes the full available battery voltage and delivers it to the coil... but only when the starter is turning. This gives you a hotter spark to help start the engine. Once the starter solenoid drops out, your ballast coil again runs on reduced voltage.

Most BL cars that had ballast ignition systems used a resistive wire instead of an external resistor. In these systems, the coil (+) terminal will have two wires on it, pink/white and white/yellow. If you find those two wires on the coil, you have a ballast ignition system.