Ignition failure
Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 10:04 pm
I fitted magnetronic (the lumenition one with the disc fitted under the rotor arm) a while ago and it's been fine for a good couple of thousand miles. However...today on the way to work it hesitated, there was an acrid, burning smell and the car died. Quite a considerable amount of smoke came from under the bonnet and I freewheeled into a convenient petrol station (I know, quite a daft thing to do when you think you've got an electrical fire
). The smoke subsided, fortunately.
Fortunately I had the bits I'd taken off when fitting it, so could refit the points and condensor etc. It fired up and I got to work. I didn't set the points very well (it was dark, I only had a torch and I'm a bit ham-fisted!) and so it's a bit down on power through running retarded/wide points. The cable from the fuse box (ignition) to the coil was well charred, so I had to replace it, and I'll cut it out of the loom and set up the ignition at the weekend.
I'm not sure I'll replace it. I may stick with points from now on and I'm glad I had the old bits in the boot. Although the benefits are not faffing with points, maybe a smoother idle, I can do without that on the way to work!
Andrew

Fortunately I had the bits I'd taken off when fitting it, so could refit the points and condensor etc. It fired up and I got to work. I didn't set the points very well (it was dark, I only had a torch and I'm a bit ham-fisted!) and so it's a bit down on power through running retarded/wide points. The cable from the fuse box (ignition) to the coil was well charred, so I had to replace it, and I'll cut it out of the loom and set up the ignition at the weekend.
I'm not sure I'll replace it. I may stick with points from now on and I'm glad I had the old bits in the boot. Although the benefits are not faffing with points, maybe a smoother idle, I can do without that on the way to work!
Andrew