Hi,
I have bought a new engine and fitted it to my mini which had a ballasted ignition system.
I have fitted an electronic distributor and have on order a new coil to suit.
I don't want to wire this incorrectly as it will nacker the coil so could you please help make it nice and simple.
To the positive on the coil I need to connect the yellow/white wire from the solenoid, plus one wire from the black box on the distributor?
To the negative on the coil i need to connect the other wire from the black box on the distributor.
Is this right? I have read some other topics which say something about a ballast resistor, what is this??
Thanks for your help,
Jon
Wiring Up New Coil With Electronic Distributor.
Started by
jonb_5
, Sep 03 2008 06:59 PM
5 replies to this topic
#2
merlinsteve
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Posted 04 September 2008 - 12:35 PM
Ok I have no idea about the wiring codes.
In a points dizzy, the ballast resistor is used to reduce the voltage through the points so that they don't weld themselves shut or ware out real quick with the arcking as the points open.
On an electronic dizzy there are no points and no need for a ballast resistor.
the advantages of running an electronic dizzy is partly due to the higher voltage permitted through the removal of the points and ballast resistor.
the other advantages are that the elimination of points mean there is no gap to set and reset or mess up, the points don't ware and at hich reve there is no points bounce.
As for the wiring, do you know the brand of destributor? there may be some sort of schematic on the internet for it.
good luck with it
Steve
In a points dizzy, the ballast resistor is used to reduce the voltage through the points so that they don't weld themselves shut or ware out real quick with the arcking as the points open.
On an electronic dizzy there are no points and no need for a ballast resistor.
the advantages of running an electronic dizzy is partly due to the higher voltage permitted through the removal of the points and ballast resistor.
the other advantages are that the elimination of points mean there is no gap to set and reset or mess up, the points don't ware and at hich reve there is no points bounce.
As for the wiring, do you know the brand of destributor? there may be some sort of schematic on the internet for it.
good luck with it
Steve
#3
Dan
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Posted 04 September 2008 - 04:27 PM
Ok that's quite enough of that.
I promise I will finally get aound to writing the ballasted ignition FAQ because that's the most outragously incorrect explanation of ballasted ignition I've heard yet. The points don't even come into it. That's for another time though.
You need a new 12v ignition supply because your car doesn't have one at present. I'm going to assume you have the four way fuse box because that's the most common type of wiring in a ballast ignition car and you don't say how old the car is. First you need to do away with your existing system.
At the coil you should have a pink/white wire and a white/yellow for the coil positive and a pair of white/black wires for the negative. There should also be a white/black emerging from the loom a few inches further along by itself, or maybe with the pressure sender wire depending on where your loom was made. At the coil you should find the other end of the white/yellow. You need to use some insulating tape and insulate the ends of the pink/white and white/yellow at the coil and the solenoid, make sure any ends are insulated from each other as well as the outside world. You now need to identify which of the two white/black wires is for a tacho connection. Use a test meter or lamp and find which of them is connected to the short white/black further down the loom. The tacho wire may itself be taped back to the loom if the car doesn't have a tacho, this will make things much easier. What you have identified is the dizzy LT connection and both ends of it need to be insulated because you won't need it. All these insulated wires in three locations can now be taped back neatly to the loom. You should now be left with only one white/black tacho feed at the coil position and no other ignition wiring, unless the tacho feed is taped back or not present in which case there will be nothing left.
On your fuse box, fuse#1 should be the ignition fuse. This should have white and green wires connected. Use a meter or a lamp to make sure the white wire has 12v only with the ignition switched on and remains live with the fuse removed. If it does then nobody has messed with it and all is good. You are going to make a new circuit from the same fusebox terminal as this white wire is fitted to in order to run the coil. You will need a couple of meters of automotive cable, preferably white and definitely rated to at least 10 amps. You will also need an inline fuse holder and some crimp terminals and tools. You are going to make a fused circuit to drive the ignition because it makes more sense all round. Make a cable that will fix to the spare spade at the correct fusebox terminal, run a few inches to an inline fuse holder (use a 10 amp if they are blade fuses or a 15 if they are glass fuses) and then run all the way to the coil before ending in the right terminal. Tape this to the loom every few inches and connect it up to the fusebox and the positive coil terminal. If the white/black for the tacho is there connect this to the negative. The two wires from the dizzy module could be red and black, or white and white/black. The red or white one connects to the coil positive terminal and the black or white/black one to the negative. Be careful you connect these correctly.
That's it, it should work. This electronic ignition coil IS ballasted but the ballasting is handled by the electronics inside the dizzy module itself so providing it with a ballasted supply will stop it working as well as damage the electronics. That's why you are making a new circuit. If any of this sounds too complex or doesn't match the look of the wiring of your car, please ask for more help. I'd hate for there to be an electrical fire in your car.
I promise I will finally get aound to writing the ballasted ignition FAQ because that's the most outragously incorrect explanation of ballasted ignition I've heard yet. The points don't even come into it. That's for another time though.
You need a new 12v ignition supply because your car doesn't have one at present. I'm going to assume you have the four way fuse box because that's the most common type of wiring in a ballast ignition car and you don't say how old the car is. First you need to do away with your existing system.
At the coil you should have a pink/white wire and a white/yellow for the coil positive and a pair of white/black wires for the negative. There should also be a white/black emerging from the loom a few inches further along by itself, or maybe with the pressure sender wire depending on where your loom was made. At the coil you should find the other end of the white/yellow. You need to use some insulating tape and insulate the ends of the pink/white and white/yellow at the coil and the solenoid, make sure any ends are insulated from each other as well as the outside world. You now need to identify which of the two white/black wires is for a tacho connection. Use a test meter or lamp and find which of them is connected to the short white/black further down the loom. The tacho wire may itself be taped back to the loom if the car doesn't have a tacho, this will make things much easier. What you have identified is the dizzy LT connection and both ends of it need to be insulated because you won't need it. All these insulated wires in three locations can now be taped back neatly to the loom. You should now be left with only one white/black tacho feed at the coil position and no other ignition wiring, unless the tacho feed is taped back or not present in which case there will be nothing left.
On your fuse box, fuse#1 should be the ignition fuse. This should have white and green wires connected. Use a meter or a lamp to make sure the white wire has 12v only with the ignition switched on and remains live with the fuse removed. If it does then nobody has messed with it and all is good. You are going to make a new circuit from the same fusebox terminal as this white wire is fitted to in order to run the coil. You will need a couple of meters of automotive cable, preferably white and definitely rated to at least 10 amps. You will also need an inline fuse holder and some crimp terminals and tools. You are going to make a fused circuit to drive the ignition because it makes more sense all round. Make a cable that will fix to the spare spade at the correct fusebox terminal, run a few inches to an inline fuse holder (use a 10 amp if they are blade fuses or a 15 if they are glass fuses) and then run all the way to the coil before ending in the right terminal. Tape this to the loom every few inches and connect it up to the fusebox and the positive coil terminal. If the white/black for the tacho is there connect this to the negative. The two wires from the dizzy module could be red and black, or white and white/black. The red or white one connects to the coil positive terminal and the black or white/black one to the negative. Be careful you connect these correctly.
That's it, it should work. This electronic ignition coil IS ballasted but the ballasting is handled by the electronics inside the dizzy module itself so providing it with a ballasted supply will stop it working as well as damage the electronics. That's why you are making a new circuit. If any of this sounds too complex or doesn't match the look of the wiring of your car, please ask for more help. I'd hate for there to be an electrical fire in your car.
#4
burnerking
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Mini Mad
Posted 05 September 2008 - 09:25 AM
Hi Dan,
Thought I would jump in and ask a few Q's in relation to this.
I'm also looking to get an electronic ignition, this one in fact http://tinyurl.com/5gxjd9 It's on £7.
I have a 45D dissy, original Unipart ballasted coil and resister wires.
I'm OK just to replace the points and condenser for this electric ignition? or do I need to do anything else?
Cheers
Thought I would jump in and ask a few Q's in relation to this.
I'm also looking to get an electronic ignition, this one in fact http://tinyurl.com/5gxjd9 It's on £7.
I have a 45D dissy, original Unipart ballasted coil and resister wires.
I'm OK just to replace the points and condenser for this electric ignition? or do I need to do anything else?
Cheers
#5
Dan
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Posted 06 September 2008 - 10:30 AM
Yes but it's going to work better for longer if the module gets a 12v supply rather than ballasted. Continue running your existing coil ballasted but add another new circuit just to run the electronics. This can be taken from the fused side of fuse#1, that is the green wire. Actually that really applies to the kits made by Lumenition and Aldon than this kit is a copy of. I've never used one of these Britpart kits and know nothing specific about them, maybe they do work properly on a ballasted supply but the other types don't. I don't think there is anything about the action of the points and condensor that makes it specific to the Mini engine so I don't think the fact that this kit is designed for a Land Rover is really a problem.
#6
merlinsteve
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Posted 17 September 2008 - 02:54 AM
After doing a bit of research, I have descovered that Dan is correct and I am wrong with my description... SO much for learning from experts!!!!!!!!!!!
So please disregard what i wrote but at the time i believed it was correct.
So Dan please get onto that FAQ about ignition and thanks for making me go and research what i have learnt
So please disregard what i wrote but at the time i believed it was correct.
So Dan please get onto that FAQ about ignition and thanks for making me go and research what i have learnt
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