LT Leads Shorting at Coil
Discussion
Does anyone have any advice about the LT leads at the coil shorting? eg. Is this evidence of the coil being about to die?
To sort out my lumpy running/ rough riding, I replaced the HT Leads some months back. Recently I had a non-starter due to "broken ignition lead". Today I get the car back (after having new manifolds fitted) and notice there is a short across the LT leads where the HT lead from the distributor enters the coil. The connections are correct and there are no breaks in the leads.
Will replacing the coil sort this out? Or should I take the advice posted earlier (20th Aug) concerning rough running and go to a Ford dealer with a rolling road? It seems from these earlier postings even the specialist TVR garages don't necessarily have the answers.
To sort out my lumpy running/ rough riding, I replaced the HT Leads some months back. Recently I had a non-starter due to "broken ignition lead". Today I get the car back (after having new manifolds fitted) and notice there is a short across the LT leads where the HT lead from the distributor enters the coil. The connections are correct and there are no breaks in the leads.
Will replacing the coil sort this out? Or should I take the advice posted earlier (20th Aug) concerning rough running and go to a Ford dealer with a rolling road? It seems from these earlier postings even the specialist TVR garages don't necessarily have the answers.
"When you say there's a short across the LT circuit do you mean there's a lead across them or is it what you've measured with a multimeter?"
I haven't measured it as I have no meter and probably wouldn't know what to do with one(!) - [Guilty]. What I can see is a pair of short blue sparks from the LT connections on the coil to the HT lead there.
Auto electrician seems like a good suggestion. Thanks.
I haven't measured it as I have no meter and probably wouldn't know what to do with one(!) - [Guilty]. What I can see is a pair of short blue sparks from the LT connections on the coil to the HT lead there.
Auto electrician seems like a good suggestion. Thanks.
I have now replaced the coil, but I still have shorting from LT leads to the HT at the coil terminals PLUS (interestingly) at certain points along the HT lead back to the distributor.
So... I considered the possibility of a faulty HT lead (even though I put a new set on only months ago), so I put back on the old one... and... I still have the same blue sparks everywhere(!)
Having said that, the car now runs a little more smoothly, but I think this may be down to a "cleaner" spark - if that makes sense. There is still the old hesitation at lower revs and the blue sparks.
Anyone have any ideas here as to the cause and solution? The best idea solution-wise from earlier similar postings was to take it to a Ford rolling road for some diagnostics, or maybe an auto electrician. Incidentally, the car was fine before I decided to have an electric ariel fitted. I have heard that ariels are hard to earth on fibreglass bodied cars. Could this be an issue with earthing the electrics....?
Any Auto electricians out there care to comment? Can anyone help, please?
P.S. Thank God, I didn't kill myself with the test with the spark plug. I agree it's better to spend £20 and fit a new one than risk life and limb. It may be a TVR, but it's still "only" a car!
So... I considered the possibility of a faulty HT lead (even though I put a new set on only months ago), so I put back on the old one... and... I still have the same blue sparks everywhere(!)
Having said that, the car now runs a little more smoothly, but I think this may be down to a "cleaner" spark - if that makes sense. There is still the old hesitation at lower revs and the blue sparks.
Anyone have any ideas here as to the cause and solution? The best idea solution-wise from earlier similar postings was to take it to a Ford rolling road for some diagnostics, or maybe an auto electrician. Incidentally, the car was fine before I decided to have an electric ariel fitted. I have heard that ariels are hard to earth on fibreglass bodied cars. Could this be an issue with earthing the electrics....?
Any Auto electricians out there care to comment? Can anyone help, please?
P.S. Thank God, I didn't kill myself with the test with the spark plug. I agree it's better to spend £20 and fit a new one than risk life and limb. It may be a TVR, but it's still "only" a car!
Thanks, Jas. I will try and get the LT spades away from the HT terminal and if that doesn't work invest in (yet another) HT lead.
By the way, looking at the pic of your S2, when was that taken? This looks very like S Club Heaven last April (I think that's when it was). Probably bumped into you there....
Simon.
By the way, looking at the pic of your S2, when was that taken? This looks very like S Club Heaven last April (I think that's when it was). Probably bumped into you there....
Simon.
I have now sorted this out. Here's how.
I took the car to an auto electrician with a rolling road, but he did not need that. He tested the plug extenders on top of the distributor. One of them was faulty. He declared that that was what was causing the problem of the shorting at the LT Leads.
For good measure, he replaced the Distributor Cap and Distributor. I asked him to order a set of the plug extenders to good measure. Hey, at £2 plus VAT each, why not?
The whole lot, including labour, plus the "dreaded", came to less than £100. And now the car runs as smooth as a baby's. And in the rain too!
My advice, having been through this, is "horses for courses". Even if your beloved is serviced regularly at a recommended TVR garage, if they are no good at electrics, they will just not know. Keep the TVR garage for the servicing, anything electrical, take it to a specialist.
Simon
I took the car to an auto electrician with a rolling road, but he did not need that. He tested the plug extenders on top of the distributor. One of them was faulty. He declared that that was what was causing the problem of the shorting at the LT Leads.
For good measure, he replaced the Distributor Cap and Distributor. I asked him to order a set of the plug extenders to good measure. Hey, at £2 plus VAT each, why not?
The whole lot, including labour, plus the "dreaded", came to less than £100. And now the car runs as smooth as a baby's. And in the rain too!
My advice, having been through this, is "horses for courses". Even if your beloved is serviced regularly at a recommended TVR garage, if they are no good at electrics, they will just not know. Keep the TVR garage for the servicing, anything electrical, take it to a specialist.
Simon
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