OEM Ignition Module 1 - Aftermarket Power Amp 0
OEM Ignition Module 1 - Aftermarket Power Amp 0
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Discussion

PabloGee

Original Poster:

680 posts

36 months

Friday 10th February 2023
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This is a bit of a tale to tell, rather than advice sought, but views very welcome...
First time I took my Chim out this year after the snow, on 'blue monday', dressed in ridiculous bright clothing to turn up to the office in full tw@t regalia, but at least arriving in style. 30 mins into my journey, rumbling in traffic on a dual carriageway the engine dropped to zero revs, but wouldn't fire up again.
I was therefore making the traffic jam worse, talking to the RAC whilst waving traffic around the car (from behind the barrier of course). One very scary moment when the traffic thinned out and two lorries clearly hadn't seen my car, and me waving madly at them they stopped from around 60mph only 20 yards from obliterating my P&J (even my bright yellow shoes sh@t themselves).

Anyway, RAC couldn't get it going with easystart spray, then discovered no sparks coming through the king lead - "the coil has gone" he said.

Had it dropped in at my local mechanic (who does our services etc on the family car), and he identified that the coil was absolutely fine, but the aftermarket power amp was receiving 12V yet putting nothing out. The he pushed it back onto my drive whilst I was at work saying he didn't have the time to sort it. Cheers fella.



Anyway, I got in touch with RPI, since the original installation instructions cite that the transistor is the thing that goes, and they sent me a new one for me to solder in for a princely sum of £7.50. Magic, ordered.

Then I got to removing the power amp to be able to accurately do the solder work, an early model of what's currently available, and paid closer attention to how it had been installed.
Not sure if this is genius or fooooooooooking stupid, but either way it needed attention.



shabbily soldered to the wiper motor wiring!



I called the previous owner to ask what he knew about it, and he had bought it with this mod already on, didn't need to touch it, but pointed out that the original ignition module was still in the car. By jove, he was right!



Anyway, next step was to research the best way forward, which included testing the coil/leads with a spare plug, all giving off sparks. But I tested the resistance on the coil and the primary was reading 0.09 @ 200ohms which just seemed really low. Secondary reading 9.44@20kohm, so within range.
So ordered a new coil (Bosch have a lead time of 'infinite/December' (it was January) at the moment, so got the equivalent Lucas one at nearly 1/4 the price), and the right spec Lucas ignition module.

But whilst I was waiting for those to arrive, I kept digging around, and figured out that all the cables and bits were still in place, so I just reconnected it all up (with a bit of tidying/new spades/waterproof connector), unplugged the trickle charger, got tentatively back in the driver seat and turned the key.
Ruhruhruhruhruhruh...vrooooooooooom!!!!!!!



I ran back inside and yelled "can you hear that??!!"
My youngest had named the car 'Thunder', and he was as excited as me to hear that exhaust note rumbling.

WIN!

Then the question of why the RPI Power Amp was installed became the topic.
If I were to add an 'upgrade' like that, it would most likely be because something had failed, but not in this case, and honestly I can't tell any difference in the way it drives. It even idles more comfortably, no shunting, and drives very smoothly once warmed up.

I have to doff my cap to the RPI guys, they were helpful and willing to send me a repair part for pennies, but even after the replacement transistor, it still doesn't work. They will repair it for around £40 I think, and I might get it fixed rather than throw it away, but I'm undecided. Passing a multimeter around the innards gives a resistance reading on everything but one resistor (or is it a capacitor or something else, I am not an electronics expert at all), so it could be that.



I now have a new spare coil and ignition module ready should the installed bits fail.
I have also done a proper job on all the wiring, proper soldering, heat shrink covers, covered spades etc.
And a car that drives for an installed cost of about a fiver for some new connecting bits.

A fun little journey that gained me some very strong viewpoints (including the very helpful Paul at Bertram Hill) that there is no advantage to a power amp unless you're making other race-level mods...

Belle427

10,784 posts

249 months

Friday 10th February 2023
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Throw it straight in the bin and forget about it.

PabloGee

Original Poster:

680 posts

36 months

Friday 10th February 2023
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Ha, I love that you didn't sit on the fence!

Belle427

10,784 posts

249 months

Friday 10th February 2023
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Keep an eye out on eBay for old stock ignition modules as they do pop up now and again.
Lucas branded are now mostly junk parts but see how you get on with yours.
That’s the biggest headache with these cars now is getting quality ignition components.
Even some Bosch coils have been reported as going bad quickly.
This looks oem old stock to me but hard to tell.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133318230946?mkevt=1&am...

Unweder

19,218 posts

237 months

Saturday 11th February 2023
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What Belle said ,. and that module is Ford new old stock but Lucas so buy it exactly what you are after

PabloGee

Original Poster:

680 posts

36 months

Sunday 12th February 2023
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Good shout, actually the new one remains in its box, I’m using the old one that was still present seems to be fine, though I have had it stall a couple of times at idle - when starting up from cold.
I’m going to clean the stepper motor first, but I know it was cleaned about 1000 miles ago.
If it continues I’ll try the new parts.

Might just buy that one too.

Unweder

19,218 posts

237 months

Sunday 12th February 2023
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Get a spare these OEM are going to get harder to find unless you buy generic crap

PabloGee

Original Poster:

680 posts

36 months

Monday 13th February 2023
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Done. Bought it, so that hopefully I never need to use it...

blitzracing

6,415 posts

236 months

Monday 13th February 2023
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I can confirm the RPI amp is no better than the stock lucas unit. I bench tested the two back to back and the RPI unit has a longer burn time but lower peak HT so in real terms makes no difference to the spark

Belle427

10,784 posts

249 months

Tuesday 14th February 2023
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They seem like a half decent outfit and I've enjoyed some of their you tube content but can't understand why they push this garbage.
Probably beneficial to look at an msd box for this sort of thing.

blitzracing

6,415 posts

236 months

Wednesday 15th February 2023
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They feel they are very sales driven to me. Engine components are just fine fine, but bolt on things things like the amp, Tornado chip, Magnecore leads and variable rising rate fuel pressure regulators really do little at all in the way of improving things but have a big mark up, and of course you have no easy way of measuring any tangible differences for their claims having paid your money, so its all emperors new clothes syndrome really. To be fair to the amp however- although its switching is no better than the Lucas unit, it does offer an ability to switch to a few degrees different for LPG if you want to run switchable dual fuel.

If you are hell bent on after market amplifiers with big switching transistors the Velleman ignition unit piggy backs onto the Lucas quite happily, but it is a simple kit you have to solder together and it will need a small box. I ran this set up for about a year without any problems, but then removed it as it makes things more complex without actually gaining much.

A whole £14!

http://www.velleman.co.uk/contents/en-uk/p199.html

Edited by blitzracing on Wednesday 15th February 16:53

PabloGee

Original Poster:

680 posts

36 months

Tuesday 21st February 2023
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Good pointers.
In fact, I've had it running with the original kit that was sitting there all along, haven't got round to checking the stepper motor (it was cleaned in August, approximately 1000 miles ago), and now the weather is slightly less frozen the car is running much more smoothly through acceleration and when idling.

I completely agree with the emperor's new clothing point of view.

Annoying that I had to go through a breakdown, but I have come out the other other side with a much clearer understanding of that section of the engine at least!

WOO5IE

951 posts

213 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2023
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Hi Paulo

Just looking at you photo and the positioning of the aftermarket power amp is very near the exhaust manifolds. It must get very hot where it is ant at all protected from the heat . Unless you have removed some heat protection for access.
Other things that are ignition /heat related can be the plug extenders if you still have them fitted

For lots of info do a search on Extenders on this forum.

PabloGee

Original Poster:

680 posts

36 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2023
quotequote all
Yes it was, though the aftermarket RPI amp is now in a box in my house, not properly working, probably never will be now I have no impetus to repair it.
The old Lucas ignition module is doing just fine, and I now have two spares - a new 'Lucas', also I bought the one cited earlier in this thread.
I also have a spare Lucas coil, but all seems to be running well so they will remain new spares for now.

The plug extenders are still there, but also not seeing any issues, so will leave them in place.

Very happy with the way it's running now, and if the engine dies with no sparks firing, I have at least one path for investigation that I can do without paying anyone else - it's a learning curve for sure!