Morris Minor Owners Club

my mog starts and stops, fuel okay, plugs etc all good..
ive changed the electronic ign kit.
I was just looking at the coil and noticed
1: three wires connected, one not connectd, could this be the problem/ i drove back from buying it and Im wondering 1: what is the wire thats off, 2: can I connect it, will it do any damage.

What are the colours of the wires?

Short answer: if everything is working as intended then that extra wire is deliberately not connected.

Do you have a tachometer? This could be the 3rd wire connected to the coil

There are lots of different electronic ignition systems. The best thing you could do is identify your system and look up the wiring diagram for that system AND the correct polarity for your car

A mistake can instantly destroy the electronic module so do not guess.

Poor connections (dirty, corroded, loose i.e high electrical resistance) can cause problems.

Stephen

By "starts and stops", do you mean normally with the key, or do you mean that you start it, and then it stops without you causing it to stop? Sorry, we are not mind readers. and really do need clear descriptions of what any problem is - I can't work out whether you have a problem with a car (or perhaps more accurately, an engine?) stopping when it shouldn't, or if you are just concerned about a loose wire.

You have changed the electronic ignition kit. From what to what? Why? You drove the car home, so it appears that it was OK then; so has a new problem arisen, and was that before or after you changed the kit?

Can you please post a photo of the wiring in the area of the coil, provide an accurate history of what has happened; and state exactly what you need from us. Thanks.

I think that this post is related to a previous one. The poster drove home and the engine starts but cuts out after a few seconds

paul 300358 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 28, 2023 4:58 pm I think that this post is related to a previous one. The poster drove home and the engine starts but cuts out after a few seconds

Yes, it's the same Poster as this problem, I can't decide it it's all about the same issue or not....

viewtopic.php?t=76553

does it start then cut out as you go back from the crank to run key position?

If so it would be typical of a failed ballast resistor or something in the ign circuit.

As above work out what electronic ign you have draw out all the wires you have and where they go.

Could the unconnected wire be the 'oil filter clogged' wire from a replacement loom?

stuffedpike20 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 28, 2023 8:54 pm Could the unconnected wire be the 'oil filter clogged' wire from a replacement loom?

It's very hard to speculate. It depends so much on what electronic ignition system is installed. For instance, in my car which has Pertronix electronic ignition in a POSITIVE earth car and a Petronix (standard) coil without external ballast resistor there are only 2 wires connected to the coil. One wire is straight to earth and the other goes to the distributor. The ignition wire also goes to the distributor in that set up.

Let's hope it becomes clearer but as others have pointed out, this problem is linked to another thread and may not be ignition related at all.

Stephen

Thanks for all comments,
Back story : I drove home 60 miles after buying Moggy, all drove fine.
Arrived home, went to restart after a cuppa, wouldn't fire up.

Plugs, leads all fine.
Wiring to coil form distributor all sorted.[ 3 wires all in correct place., all checked and cleaned for good contact]
I've replaced the existing electronic ignition kit, already an electronic kit installed, replaced like for like.
Conclusion: Coil was old, probably failed: did a seperate power lead to coil, no output, so waiting on a replacement.
If that doesnt work, back to the drawing board.
Just want to get back to driving Moggies.

Ok so you tested the coil and it appears dead. That is good methodical work.

See how you go with your new coil.

Many people have reported problems with coils over the last decade or so. It used to be said "It's never the coil" because most often ignition problems were caused by something else. These days coils do not seem very reliable. If all is well and you find yourself using your Morris a lot there are a couple of things you could consider. You could carry a spare coil in the boot (I do) and/or you could get a really high quality coil. Distributor Doctor recommended and sold me a Pertronix coil. These have a good reputation for reliability and are more powerful (so the spark plug gap can be widened to 35 thou). If you do buy a Pertronix coil one day be aware they have a larger diameter than a standard coil and need a new bracket. Unfortunately these coils are a lot more expensive than ordinary ones.

Stephen

Thank you for the advice.
I've opted for a better quality coil and Ill see if that resolves the problem.
Cheers
Keith

I'd be inclined to move the coil onto the inner wing, subjecting them to engine vibration is not ideal and many of the modern ones simply don 't seem able to tolerate it.

Have you tested the old coil? You should have about 3.5 ohms resistance across the coil terminals.

I don't have a tester, another bit of kit to get soon.
Any particular brand is best for general testing on the Moggy?
Cheers
Keith