electronic ignition

[cos124]

When you say that there is no spark is that because the engine will not fire or did you try a plug out of the engine to get a visual on the spark ?

hi Rusty, the answer is both. It wont fire up (when set up/timed using points) and also visualy, by using a plug out.

[cos124]

Mine didn't work as a straight drop-in. I had to turn the dizzy substantially from its original timing setting.  You first need to make sure that it is in fact not sparking at all. It might just be that your timing will be out by a lot like mine was.

I ended up twisting the dizzy while starting the car until it fired up, to look for the correct timing.

Good luck.

that's interesting. Many thanks. I'm not the only one then. With a plug out there is nothing at all. There is a lot of axial play on the trigger disk. I had to put tape on the shaft to get it to stay in one position. I suppose that mean the timing is miles out. I just collected the dizi assembly from Ultra Spark. I saw it being tested on their rig, and with the 2 plugs connected it sparked fine. They said i should not have to change timing at all. Not sure about that.

[bis13]

what type of ht leads are you using as i know the 123 does not work with solid core leads and perhaps this is a similar occasion and my need the silicon type ?

[cos124]

an up-date, and the plot thickens. Coil, dizi, plug leads, spark plugs etc are all connected but off the car, then i connected the +ve side on the coil to the +ve on the battery and the body to earth and turned the dizi by hand fast and i get a spark!!!
Next step was to connect the lead from the ignition at the back of the car. Again turned by hand, and  i have spark! This looks promising i thought.
Bolted down the coil in it's place, again turn the dizi by hand fast and i have spark. Put the dizi on the block cranked the engine with ignition on, NOTHING no spark at all (with spark plugs out of the engine of course). Took it off, turned it by hand and guess what.... it sparks. At around mid-night i gave up... So the starter does not turn the engine fast enough perhaps? It sounds ok, in terms of cranking speed, and the car always started ok on points.....I'll check the voltage reading before and after cranking the engine, and see how that goes.
Any ideas out there? Please? this is driving me mad!

[eben80]

Maybe you have a connectivity issue? It sounds like you're not getting any spark when the dizzy is grounded?

[cos124]

yes, possible, i will go through it again today. It must be something simple. Otherwise if it's the speed of the starter, i've had it.

[jokke]

maybe that the eletronic pickup is getting a to low voltage when you crank the engine.. if you maybe try to connect the coil and electronic pick up to a spare battery if you have, and see if it fires then..

[Rusty's Uncle]

I do not think that the engine cranking speed is the problem. When it has been tested by Ultra-spark and yourself is that getting a spark at the plugs via the distributor cap or just an ht lead from the coil ? You mentioned that the magnetic trigger rotor was loose on the spindle. It is supposed to locate on the points cam, could this be way out of sync with the rotor arm ?

[cos124]

Hi Rusty, many thanks for your suggestion all of you in the forum. The solution from Ultra spark, was .....insulation tape on the shaft. We calculated at work the position of the magnets on the trigger, and it's in the correct place. No movement now. I think i got to the bottom of it now. I borrowed a spare battery, and connected the ignition side of the engine, as a kit with leads and spark plugs and turned it by hand, and there is spark there.(thus eliminating electrical gremlings) I then bolted it in the car, the starter all is doing is rotating it, and again no spark. I remembered then that it's turning at 1/2 engine speed. I then took it out again and tried to replicate that speed by hand and yes, no spark. Basically my starter is too slow. Or the battery is not up to spec. It says on the battery that it's a 33Amp, and i think it should be 45?

[eben80]

I never knew these have a "minimum" speed. I would be very surprised.

[cos124]

well at the suppliers test rig, bellow a certain speed, (i must check with him) there was no spark. When i tried this at home, on my battery only test, same story.

[nrg19uk]

Im sure its down to alignment, when you put the dizzy in place it pushes the cog up slightly

One way of checking Remove the distributor connect a tester on continuity to the wires and turn it slowly it it should make a circuit no matter what speed it's going at, do the same test pushing on the cog.

[cos124]

many thanks, just did that, got continuity, both conditions.

[nrg19uk]

hi everyone in the forum, i hope you all had a nice holiday. After reading all your positive comments on the Ultra-Spark ignition kit, i went for it and ordered one from good old ebay. My Fiat 500 is a daily runner and starts fine, but the thought of not having to replace or check points ever again made my mind up. Kit arrived on time, the problem is it doesn't work! I'm talking about a head scratching issue here. I don't get any spark whatsoever. When i revert it back to points it starts perfectly ok, thus eliminating any coil or electrical issues. I've done the swap now at least 7-8 times, and same story, no spark at all with the electronic ignition, and perfect spark with the points. Fortunately Ultra-Spark are only local, and they tested in front of me a new module and then mine on their test rig and i could see that there is a signal and a spark. But why doesn't it work on my car? I have no idea. Any suggestions will be very very much appreciated. Before anyone asks, battery is perfect, wiring all correct, and yes i connected the red wire to +ve on the coil and black to -ve.

if i am reading this correctly this is wired up wrong





the points switch the neutral with the original points system, why does it need a positive supply? surely if the the circuit has continuity from the postive and the negative you are creating a dead short?

if you leave the negative to the coil from the accu spark and put the postive from the accu spark to earth then surely it should work?

[nrg19uk]

i have spent the past couple of hours looking into this 

The wiring is correct as is explained from accu spark the small unit has a built in transistor and other electrical gubbins to work.

(you wouldnt of thought so in such small unit)

with the dizzy disconnected spinning the end will create the hall effect needed to make the unit switch, should it be slow or fast it should work you may have a slightly sticky unit and might be worth a visit back to the shop to get it tested when its running slowly. 

they give a moneyback gurantee   


in theory it shouldnt work whilst disconnected from the engine as the low tension cable wouldnt be getting a earth from the engine



http://www.jetav8r.com/Vision/Ignition/CDI.html


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Te5YYVZiOKs&feature=related


http://www.mgbreakers.com/accuspark/index.html