5 replies to this topic

[nealtdavies]

Hi there, finger poised on website to order myself an electronic ignition kit for the mini.

I've been out off and on the past couple days with a multimeter, prodding, poking, trying to work it out...here's my dilemma....my mini is an 83 mini. 998 mayfair. I'm told it was sporadic wether they put on a ballast or not around then, and standardised it more around 84?

It's got a DLB101 coil, which looking around tells me is a 12v - 3ohm coil. Great...non ballasted.....

....however I have 2 wires on said coil, one pink and white and one yellowish and white thus pointing to ballasted?! Also...multimeter on coil with ignition on gives me solid reading of just under 8 volts.

Is this a potential loom burning fire bomb, someone's put on the wrong coil, or have I got the wrong end of the stick here?

Any advice greatly appreciated. I mention the word ballast to a mechanic nowadays and they look at me like I'm from the moon. "If it ain't got a computer to plug into it then god knows"

Thanks again in advance.

Neal

[geoff-d]

Put a 12v coil on it & run a new 12v switched supply from the fuse box to the coil .

Edited by geoff-d, 22 July 2014 - 10:00 PM.

[cal844]

Okay my advice is to buy a non ballasted coil, and remove the pink wire(i usually just disconnect it at the coil end, so i can use it if required)

Run a new white wire to coil positive from the fusebox(white wires)

A good coil to buy is a GCL143 Unipart item, ive had one on our 998 and i bought it 2nd hand

Edited by cal844, 22 July 2014 - 10:08 PM.

[Stu.]

Mines ballasted. Does yours have a ballast resistor wired in ?

[dklawson]

Please read Neal's post.  He says he has coil DLB101.  That is a standard 12V, non-ballast coil.  He does not need to buy a different coil.  Since you have a standard, non-ballast coil you want to provide it the proper operating voltage by running a new 12V supply wire to the coil.  As wired now, you have a 12V coil that will be operating at low voltage and therefore will be making a weak spark.

 

I believe KernowCooper (a.k.a. Dave) has placed an article in the FAQ section which discusses wiring changes when going from a ballast to non-ballast ignition.  Succinctly, remove the pinkish wire from the coil and tape it off.  You can remove the white/yellow from the coil and tape it off OR leave it on the coil if you want... it won't hurt anything to leave the white/yellow on the coi.  Run a new white wire from the fuse box to coil (+).  That will supply your 12V coil with full battery voltage so it will operate properly.

 

Technobabble to follow:

When you are measuring the voltage between coil (+) and earth you need to insure that current is flowing.  To do that, remove the distributor cap and place a coin between the points.  Turn the key to the run position and measure the voltage between coil (+) and earth.  If you measure 12V on coil (+) you have wiring for a standard coil.  If you measure between 6V and 9V, you have wiring for a ballast coil.  To measure the coil itself, mark and remove the low-tension wires from the coil.  Set your meter to measure Ohms and place its two leads on the two low tension coil terminals.  A standard coil will measure around 3 Ohms.  Ballast coils will measure anywhere from 1 Ohm to 2 Ohms.

[nealtdavies]

Thanks Doug that really helps. So that would explain why i feel she isn't running quite as she should?

 

As for the dizzy in this car, am i right in thinking its a 59D on the later A+ engines? It has no literature on it but taking a punt that it is? just so i can buy the correct ignition kit!

 

Thanks again all of you. I can only assume she's been running pretty under powered all this time due to the coil being fed the wrong voltage!