buick-rover-v8
[Top] [All Lists]

RE: Newbie introduction, longish!?

To: TR8 <tr8@mercury.lcs.mit.edu>,
Subject: RE: Newbie introduction, longish!?
From: Kevin Burtch <kburtch@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 13:48:50 -0400 (EDT)
On 29-May-2002 Wente wrote:
> I feel like I've come in to a twelve step meeting. Hello, my name is Rick and

All together now:  "Hi Rick!"   ;^)

>...
>... Right now ignition seems to be
> cutting out intermittently under load in any gear. Mallory Brit site suggests
> wire fault in the dizzy. ...

Hmmm... if it's load dependent, and not RPM dependent, then I'd guess it's
a weak coil or a low battery. Basically, as the density of the matter in
the spark gap increases, so does the voltage requirement to bridge the gap.
When you are idling or under a light load, the density is quite small, since
you're not pulling a large amount of air/fuel mixture in, so it doesn't take
much energy to bridge the gap. When you are under a heavy load, the cylinders
are filled much more completely, so the density of the mix goes way up.
You'll notice the same thing if your battery gets _really_ weak
(as in push-start weak). You'll be able to drive it with a very light throttle,
but if you try to accellorate hard, it'll sputter and stumble or maybe not fire
at all. This just happened to me a few weeks ago - my alternator died and my
battery was quite low on the way back from grocery shopping... I had to
push-start it and take it really easy on the way home (this was in a TR7,
but the same rules apply).

>...
> assorted Volvos and Dodge Caravan

Are any of the Volvos a P1800? Those are _very_ sharp little cars! :)


Good luck!
Kevin Burtch
        1976 TR7 FHC
        1980 TR8 EFI DHC

///
///  buick-rover-v8@autox.team.net mailing list
///


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>