PD:
I have had this happen to me: the battery master switch allowed power to the
car - engine ran, everything worked. The ignition grounding section of the
switch failed - engine quit. I somehow had the presence of mind (it was a dark
and stormy night) to 'jiggle' the switch nob - car started right up when I hit
the starter. Went back for another 'jiggle', engine quit. Undid the
white/black wire terminal screw on the switch, disconnected and taped the wire
- end of problem. When I later dismantled the switch, I saw what the problem
was - it had failed in such a manner that the main contacts were fine -
allowing power to the car, but the grounding contact had failed in the grounded
position - no spark.
Dave Russel makes a good point - I'm going to re-think the whole battery switch
issue. Don't want to have to deal with another dark and stormy night again if
possible!
Do a test: Take a jumper wire - touch one end to the white/black screw
terminal on the battery master switch, and the other to a nearby chassis bolt
or screw with the engine idling - see what happens. (this assumes that the
white/black wire is intact and still connected to the coil terminal).
Earl Kagna
Victoria, B.C.
BT7 tri-carb
BJ8
----- Original Message -----
From: pdeturck@rochester.rr.com
To: kags@shaw.ca ; healeys@autox.team.net
Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2004 7:22 PM
Subject: Car Stopped Puzzle - confused
Earl and others -
You wrote:
>The white/black wire at the distributor runs directly back to
the battery
>master switch. (if your car is wired as original, which I believe it
is).
>It's purpose - to ground the ignition when the switch is in the
'off'
>position. Never could figure out the reasoning for grounding
the ignition
>when the switch is in the 'off' position anyway.
I agree with this statement. I always assumed that if the CUTOFF switch
was ON, it meant the circuit was CUTOFF. And so if the CUTOFF was OFF,
then a connection still existed. Go figure!
>
>If the switch fails internally (still allowing power to the
car), or if the
>wire grounds anywhere along it's length - no spark.
This where my confusion begins. If the switch fails internally, what POWER
does it provide to the car? Or if the wire grounds anywhere along its length,
isn't that the same as running correctly through the cutoff switch to ground?
It seems to me that a short to ground in the black/white wire would allow for
the coil to work properly and still provide a spark. What am I missing?
I could see an intermittent short to ground causing eratic conditions which
would
likely prevent proper ignition, but a continuous short to ground anywhere
would
still enable the coil.
-pd-
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