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Re: Catastrophic failure on 618

To: "K M" <symbiotic@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Catastrophic failure on 618
From: "John T. Blair" <jblair@exis.net>
Date: Sun, 05 Apr 1998 08:58:40 -0400
At 11:36 PM 4/4/98 PST, K M wrote:
>Is my guess right that the switch on the driver's door to the rear
>(there is the door ajar switch to the front) is the one that lights 
>up the interior lights.....

You guessed it.  I just went through the same thing on the 74 I work on.


>But my main question is something that happened when I drove the car 
>today and later when it idled.  Suddenly and without warning the engine 
>just flat dies.....
>......When I say stopped I don't mean that it coughed or stuttered.
>It just flat out stops.  It seems like it is likely electrical because
>when I start it there is no delay like one would expect with having a 
>fuel problem and having the bowls fill up.  Any ideas?

Kim,

  Your assesment sounds right.  The 74's did not have an ignition module
that I know of (were as the 75s did).  When it dies do you have any
other electrical systems, radio, horn, etc.  It sounds like a loose
connection in the ignition system.

Intermitant problems are the hardest to track down as they don't stay
broke long enough for you to find.  Good luck.

Check all wiring associated with the ignition system to be sure it is
not laying on something hot and shorting out.  You might want to get
a can of tuner cleaner (from Radio Shack) and spay the contacts of
all the connectors.

I've heard a lot of discussions about coils going south when
they heat up.  So if you have a spare coil, you might want to try that
also.

Check the low voltage wire running to the dist.  Make sure it is not frayed
and that the connections to the coil and dist. are tight and 
clean.  Check the other lead to the coil also.  If you haven't replaced 
you points, condencer (which I think it has) check them.  While you are 
there, you might as well replace the distrubutor cap and rotor button.  

Next check you high voltage wire between the coil and to of the dist.  
that they are plugged in tightly.  You might want to try and see how
much corosion (sp) is on their contacts and try to clean them with
sand paper.  Again, you might just want to through some money at it 
and replace them if they are old.  The can break down and cause a miss.

I don't know if this could be a possibility but there might be one other 
item causing the problem.  The seat belt interlock system.  The car is 
NOT supposed to start if the seat belts are not connected.  Unfortunately, 
I don't know anything about this system other than there is a relay on
the top rear of the pass front fender well.  It should have 2 connectors
on it, and a red rod sticking up out of the top.

John


John T. Blair  WA4OHZ          email:  jblair@exis.net
Va. Beach, Va                  Phone:  (757) 495-8229

              48 TR1800    65 Morgan 4/4 Series V
71 Saab Sonett III     75 Bricklin SV1     77 Spitfire



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