Electronic Ignition and Alternator!

[New_Boy_Traveller]

Could you explain what you think bout both these things, the pros and cons etc? As I am looking to upgrade to these parts and now seems as good a time as any!! If you have an electronic iginition does this mean you dont have points?

[Cam]

If you have an electronic iginition does this mean you dont have points?

Correct! That's the benifit and also the downfall. Electronic ignition is generally a lot more reliable than points, BUT when it fails you are stranded and can't fix it - unless you convert back to points at the roadside.

Alternators are generally not as reliable as dynamos, but they produce a higher output at lower revs, so when you are ticking over in traffic, the alternator is charging and the dynamo is not.

If you do a lot of miles then I'd say go for the electronic ignition (but keep a set of points spare in the boot), and if you've got a lot of electrical accessories then go for an alternator, if not then keep a starting handle in the boot just in case your battery runs down during the winter.

[bmcecosse]

Personally I don't have electronic ignition - far easier to trouble shoot good old points. They only need annual maintenance. Alternator is a good idea though - if for no other reason than spares for dynamos are not so available now. In the past it was mostly the control box that used to let me down - not the actual dynamo. Last alternator i bought was £1 at autojumble - works very well indeed . I also got a starter for another £1 - in top working order. I like autojumbles !

[Pyoor_Kate]

I'd add that if you spend a lot of time in stop-go traffic during winter then you'll probably find the alternator useful. I found that the battery would die, fairly regularly, with the dynamo fitted. It struggled to charge the battery, and because my commute ended in a 45 minute sit in traffic, by the time I got home the battery was only just charged enough to start the car in the morning (if I was lucky).

So when the brushes went on my dynamo it was swapped for an alternator (which failed) which was swapped for an alternator (which was faulty on fitting, killed the radio, that one) which was swapped for an Alternator, which died after about a year and a half, which was swapped for an alternator ((this time one I had in the garage, not a warranty parts swap) a real Lucas one, but which had sat for 10 years) which turned out to have a duff bearing, which was swapped for a Autoparts one (I think) from a scrap yard, which had a faulty regulator which was swapped.... for another one from the scrappy, this time a Valeo (again, *sigh*) which appears (runs round touching all the wood in a large forest) to be working okay at the moment

I still wouldn't go back to a dynamo though; reliable it may have been, but so was the "oh crud, I'll go get the spare battery then" routine.

[chrisd87]

I'd definately say go for the alternator conversion - it's a really easy swap and will make the car much more reliable if you use the car to potter around town and sit in traffic. I use my car for this sort of work and I tried sticking to a dynamo for a while, but the battery kept going flat - so much so that in the end I had to get a new battery. That's when I went for the alternator and I have had no problems since.

I can't vouch for electronic ignition but I've never had a problem with the points - just keep an eye on the gap and you'll be ok.

[Multiphonikks]

It really does depend on where you live and, as Cam says, what accesories you have.

I had a dynamo on Hebe for a while and had great problems keeping the battery charged in traffic. It got so bad at one point that the indicator got slower and slower!

Alternator conversions (if you get a good quality one) are well worth it - but of course make sure your car is negative-earth before starting!

As for the points, I've never had a set fail - although I do change mine at every 3k service. BMC, yours last a year?!?!?! Either I'm changing mine rather frequently or yours are really robust! What's your secret!?

Nikki

[bmcecosse]

The car only does 3k miles/year.

[Multiphonikks]

That explains a lot. Us daily drivers change the points every 3k miles... or about six times a year

[bigginger]

Do you? Blimey, you've been following the instructions again!

[Pyoor_Kate]

I do too, it's so cheap to get new points that it doesn't seem worth the hastle of having them get grotty and fail.

[bigginger]

You would! In my defence, my only car with an electrical fuel pump hasn't done 3k with me in it yet - and it's getting an electronic one soon anyway