Steve:
I just now had a chance to catch up on my e-mail and found your post as well
as all the answers you have received so far. While all are valid
possibilities, there has been one possiblity that has not yet been
mentioned.
I had this exact same problem with my Mk 1A some years ago and, like you,
sought help from the list. Help came in the form of Tiger Tom, who didn't
actually solve my problem, but did encourage me to think "outside the box."
Once I got to that point, I found the problem straight away.
I, too, had replaced my coil, as well as condenser, rechecked point gap,
etc.; in other words, all of the normal things. After conversing with Tiger
Tom, I began to trace down my wiring in the ignition system. Believe it or
not, I found that one of the wires on the ballast resistor was loose in it's
non-factory female connector. Rather than crimping the connector onto the
wire, the previous owner soldered the end of the wire to the connector (all
I can figure is that he must have gotten a soldering iron for Christmas, or
something, and was just looking for a place to use it...). The solder spot
had come loose from the connector and, when the wire got hot, it would arc
up and away from the connector, thereby cutting the connection at the
ballast resistor. The end result was a car that would unexplainably die
after it got warm and then start back up once it cooled off. I was stuck on
the side of one of our highways in town when it left me the first time and,
having seen ballast resistors on other Tigers go out before, I thought that
might be the problem. I knew I could fix that temporarily by jumping the
ballast resistor. I found a discarded aluminum pop can by the side of the
road and fashioned a jumper to connect the two ballast resistor wires
together and, by golly, it started up. I thought I had found the problem at
that point; a faulty ballast resistor. But my theory was short lived when
the car died once again on the way home. I let it cool off again and
finally got it home and it was then that I discovered the lose wire. After
fixing that, I have never had the problem again.
I hope this helps you somewhat in your search for the "cure" to your dying
Tiger. I'll watch the net for your final diagnosis; I'll be interested in
hearing what it was.
Good luck,
Andy Walker
B382001600LRXFE
----- Original Message -----
From: <ssage@socal.rr.com>
To: "Tiger Mailing List" <tigers@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, January 31, 2003 9:41 PM
Subject: Coil Failure?
> The Tiger stalled on the freeway today. At first it would idle, but
> eventually, after trying to drive, it wouldn't run at all, or ran for a
> minute or too (poorly) and then just shut down. After it stalled, the
> engine would turn over, kind of run for a second or two and die, or
> wouldn't run at all. I had to have it towed home. A couple of hours
> later (the engine was pretty cool again), it started fine and runs well,
> no problem tonight, all the way up the rev curve. When stuck on the
> freeway today, I checked to make sure the Holley carb was getting fuel
> (it was....plenty of gas through the squirters). I did notice that the
> gas was percolating pretty well in the clear fuel filter I have in line
> before the carb, but then it always does this in hot weather (85-90 F
> today in Los Angeles).
>
> I run a Pertronix Ignitor II ignition and a Pertronix II coil. Reading
> about coils, I note that if they're going bad, they might do fine until
> they get a big heat load from the engine compartment and then fail to
> put out enough voltage to run the system. Since the Tiger seems to run
> fine tonight (a lot cooler out), could could the coil be the problem? If
> so, how do I check to see if the coil is defective or not?
>
> Thanks for the usual help and advice!
>
> Steve Sage
> 1967 MK1A
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