Author Topic: help with electrical issue  (Read 1833 times)

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Offline ArsenicPants

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help with electrical issue
« on: September 28, 2014, 09:07:48 PM »
My 1979 westfalia campmobile has been giving my girlfriend and I grief lately

It started acting up a few weeks ago with a starting issue. It would crank, but wouldn't make an electrical signal at the coil. A friend and I determined it was the ignition switch, replaced it with a switch from an early mk2 golf (since they are physically identical and have the same pins), and it started up beautifully

Then, the next day while driving home from work, at full throttle on the highway, it just died. No sputtering, no rough running. Just one second perfect, the next second dead.
It still cranks, just no spark again at the coil.

I had it towed back to my house, and tried jumping the coil signal wire to the main power wire on the fuse box, in order to bypass the ignition switch, but there is still no power signal at the coil. so I don't believe its the ignition switch again

I am testing for power at the coil by unplugging the center lead at the distributor end and holding it to a ground while my girlfriend cranks in the cab

Can anyone give me any feedback? Is this a common problem with a common fix?
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Offline BUSDADDY

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Re: help with electrical issue
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2014, 10:16:01 PM »
This golf switch you substituted, was it new?, or used?, When you say " coil signal wire" do you mean #15 (black wire) or #1? (usually green), are we discussing a 49 state model, or a California model with the funny distributor and the box on the firewall?
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Offline ArsenicPants

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Re: help with electrical issue
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2014, 10:40:12 PM »
This golf switch you substituted, was it new?, or used?, When you say " coil signal wire" do you mean #15 (black wire) or #1? (usually green), are we discussing a 49 state model, or a California model with the funny distributor and the box on the firewall?

The switch is used, from a low km car.
When I say coil signal wire I mean I'm testibg it by holding the plug lead wire off of the distributor, against a ground, and watching for a spark to jump. There is no spark.

This is a non-california model, with the standard distributor. There are boxes on the firewall, which box are we talking about?
« Last Edit: September 28, 2014, 10:43:37 PM by ArsenicPants »
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Offline BUSDADDY

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Re: help with electrical issue
« Reply #3 on: September 29, 2014, 06:50:36 AM »
The California version has a hall effect distributor connected to a 3rd box on the firewall next to the double relay, sounds like your's isn't that model.
Try an alligator clip test lead between the battery+ and #15 (+) on the coil in the engine compartment, sometimes that black wire from the front fails (If you have a Pertronix in there make sure you jump to the coil terminal with the red lead attached, no need to cook that). If you have points have a look at the plastic tab that rubs on the cam in the distributor, many of those have been breaking off or wearing away lately.
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Offline ArsenicPants

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Re: help with electrical issue
« Reply #4 on: September 29, 2014, 10:02:29 AM »
Awesome, thanks!
I'll check those tonight

I'll check for that little black box too. I just want to make sure it wasn't converted half-assed to points at some time in the past
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Offline ArsenicPants

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Re: help with electrical issue
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2014, 08:13:20 PM »
alright, so I hooked a nice fat wire up from the battery straight to the #15 terminal, gave it a crank, and held the distributor lead up to a ground. still no spark.
so I guess the coil is just pooched!

that's kind of a relief. I hate tracking down faulty wiring.
I just didn't think an engine would die so suddenly, like it did, when a coil finally dies

thanks for your help!
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Offline BUSDADDY

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Re: help with electrical issue
« Reply #6 on: September 29, 2014, 08:40:39 PM »
Before you throw the coil under the bus (so to speak) connect a test light between coil terminal #1 and coil terminal #15 and see if it blinks when cranking, steady light means bad points.
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