no spark

[foxface]

my car cut out no spark, it is fitted with lumenition magnetronic ignition module, i have checked coil resistance which is 3 ohms and 8700 ohms and supply to the coil, are these readings correct, the coil isnt switching, i just want to know it is ok before replacing the module.Regards Terry.

[soe8m]

my car cut out no spark, it is fitted with lumenition magnetronic ignition module, i have checked coil resistance which is 3 ohms and 8700 ohms and supply to the coil, are these readings correct, the coil isnt switching, i just want to know it is ok before replacing the module.Regards Terry.

Did you measure your testleads also? Average testleads have 0,5 to 1,0 Ohm and older ones can have even 2 Ohm. It's all in the tiny range so your coil can still be 1,5Ohm and your multimeter reading 3 Ohm. Is the baseplate earthed correctly? The extra little lead inbetween the housing and baseplate must be present. Was it fitted recently or years ago?

Jeroen.

[foxface]

Hello Jeroen, the car had one of these modules when i bought the car about 6 years ago, it failed four years ago and i replaced it with the same. I have just tested the leads at 0.2 ohms, should primary windings be 3 ohms and is 8700 ohms for secondary ok, I will have to have another look for the lead you mention. Thanks for your reply. Regards Terry.

[Carledo]

A bad or missing baseplate earth will cerainly fry a magnetronic module in time, though normally a shorter time than yours is doing it in!

Even not using the supplied gunk between sensor pickup and baseplate can send them to an early grave.

TBH, i've not much time for the Magnetronic, it seems, in my experience, to be pretty unreliable, particularly in slant engines, i've slung a good double handful in the bin for "no known cause" failures, even the "cheap as chips" Accuspark ones are more reliable.

Best of all is the Lumenition Optronic, (not counting the 123 Dizzy which is in a class of its own) but they are serious money these days, around £170.

Steve

[cleverusername]

A bad or missing baseplate earth will cerainly fry a magnetronic module in time, though normally a shorter time than yours is doing it in!

Even not using the supplied gunk between sensor pickup and baseplate can send them to an early grave.

TBH, i've not much time for the Magnetronic, it seems, in my experience, to be pretty unreliable, particularly in slant engines, i've slung a good double handful in the bin for "no known cause" failures, even the "cheap as chips" Accuspark ones are more reliable.

Best of all is the Lumenition Optronic, (not counting the 123 Dizzy which is in a class of its own) but they are serious money these days, around £170.

Steve

Surprises me because the Magnetronic looks to be pretty similar to the Accurspark. From what I can see, both are basically hall sensors with magnetic triggers. You would think that something so simple would be bulletproof by now.

[soe8m]

Surprises me because the Magnetronic looks to be pretty similar to the Accurspark. From what I can see, both are basically hall sensors with magnetic triggers. You would think that something so simple would be bulletproof by now.

The magnetronics I replaced were already 15+ years fitted and replaced by magnetronics again.

Take care when fitting and be sure you have the correct primary resistance and they will last another 15+ years.

99% of the " I go back to points" boys just can't fit electronic ignition modules properly or don't know how to measure.

Jeroen

[foxface]

New module now fitted and car running, no heat sink paste came with the kit and no advice in the fitting instructions, would the unit last longer with it.
Terry.

[Carledo]

My Vauxhall engines use the trigger wheel/crank sensor method and seem to be bulletproof, in over 20 years of Cavalier and other Vauxhall ownership and more miles than I care to think about in a dozen or more different models, i've never had a crank sensor failure and only once had a cam sensor (twin cam only) failure and that doesn't stop the car, just limits it to 4000rpm, with autos like mine you can run months and not even notice!

I fit EI because it's consistent in tuning, set the ingnition timing and forget it. A points system, no matter how well made (and most stuff made today is rubbish) will go off tune very slightly before you've finished the road test. It can't be any other way with moving parts rubbing and wearing. So it needs constant fettling to keep it in tune, or accept that it's never going to run perfectly for more than a few miles and live with it. I've been there, done that, have a drawer full of T shirts. If I had a quid for every set of points i've ever fitted or adjusted i'd be rich. I don't need it any more! Even in their heyday, it was adjust every 3000 miles (or less if needed) and replace every 6000 miles. I realize that nowadays our car are mainly toys and only do a couple of thousand miles in a good year rather than the 12k that was average when new, so it's not so big a problem, but it's still one that I, for one, can live without!

Which is WHY I find it endlessly annoying that aftermarket EI systems AREN'T reliable, when they b****y well should be! I bought my first aftermarket setup in 1974, a Lumenition Optronic. Even then they were pricey, about £50 retail IIRC. Since I worked for a Lucas agent who distributed them at the time, staff discount let me buy one for my Essex V6 powered Consul 375 for less (just) than a week's wages! With the coming of the silicone chip, they've got smaller, but that's all, the theory is the same, it should be possible to get it right WITHOUT arcane knowledge.

Whilst i'd never go back to points, or advise anyone else to, I can entirely understand the thinking of those who run EI but carry a set of points and a condenser in the glovebox. It just irritates me that it should be necessary!

Steve

[dursley92]

A bad or missing baseplate earth will cerainly fry a magnetronic module in time, though normally a shorter time than yours is doing it in!

Even not using the supplied gunk between sensor pickup and baseplate can send them to an early grave.

TBH, i've not much time for the Magnetronic, it seems, in my experience, to be pretty unreliable, particularly in slant engines, i've slung a good double handful in the bin for "no known cause" failures, even the "cheap as chips" Accuspark ones are more reliable.

Best of all is the Lumenition Optronic, (not counting the 123 Dizzy which is in a class of its own) but they are serious money these days, around £170.

Steve

Funny thing Steve, the Lumenition Optronic in my TR7 Sprint engine let me down on a classic car run last weekend. It gradually developed a really bad intermittent misfire during the norning. I swapped the coil first, it felt a bit hot and is easy to do, ok for a few miles then it came back. Next swapped the amplifier, again ok to begin with and then it came back. Last resort was the optical switch but that was too fiddly under the twin 45s manifold and at the roadside so it came home on a recovery truck. Now replaced the optical switch and it seems fine again.

[cleverusername]

New module now fitted and car running, no heat sink paste came with the kit and no advice in the fitting instructions, would the unit last longer with it.
Terry.

Yes, the old britpart module came with such paste and I am surprised your kit didn't. What murders these kind of components is heat, so anything that dissipates it more effectively is a good thing.

[Carledo]

A bad or missing baseplate earth will cerainly fry a magnetronic module in time, though normally a shorter time than yours is doing it in!

Even not using the supplied gunk between sensor pickup and baseplate can send them to an early grave.

TBH, i've not much time for the Magnetronic, it seems, in my experience, to be pretty unreliable, particularly in slant engines, i've slung a good double handful in the bin for "no known cause" failures, even the "cheap as chips" Accuspark ones are more reliable.

Best of all is the Lumenition Optronic, (not counting the 123 Dizzy which is in a class of its own) but they are serious money these days, around £170.

Steve

Funny thing Steve, the Lumenition Optronic in my TR7 Sprint engine let me down on a classic car run last weekend. It gradually developed a really bad intermittent misfire during the norning. I swapped the coil first, it felt a bit hot and is easy to do, ok for a few miles then it came back. Next swapped the amplifier, again ok to begin with and then it came back. Last resort was the optical switch but that was too fiddly under the twin 45s manifold and at the roadside so it came home on a recovery truck. Now replaced the optical switch and it seems fine again.

I suppose there has to be one! Thats the only Optronic failure i've known of so far, when I bought my first kit back around 1975 (for a '61 Consul 375 with a 3.0 V6 fitted) I bought a spare amplifier unit, just in case! I still have it somewhere!

Steve

[PeterB]

Which is the correct Lucas ignition coil for a points Sprint 1978 year ?.
DLB101 ( resistance 1.5ohms or DLB102 resistance 3ohms. ).

Thanks.

Peter.

[MIG Wielder]

Assuming your Sprint still has the original ballasted ignition system with the points you will need the 1.5 ohms coil.
HTH,
Tony.

[MIG Wielder]

Diagnostics for Lumenition Electronic Ignition.
-------------------------------------------------

Here is an item I did for the mag; some time ago.

Equipment needed: D.V.M,. to measure volts up to 18V, with a set of needle point probes, and a croc; clip; for the earth lead.

1. Set IGN ON for a short while, and with the DVM connected between the red wire on the module and a good earth, check for 12.6V (ish). This is the module main 12V supply.
2. In the same state check there is 0V (ish) on the module black wire. This is the module earth pin.
3. Connect the DVM + side to the module purple wire. (Goes to coil negative ). Turn the engine over on the starter. The voltage at this point should go between +12.6 V and close to 0V as the engine rotates.
If all these tests are O.K. then the module L.T. side is O.K. so concentrate on the H.T. side.

4. If the test 3 fails then locate the module to opto-unit connector. Its a 3-pin white plastic unit located near the distributor.
Disconnect the 2 halves and on the electronic box side check there is 7.5V on the red wire. If nothing, the internal 7.5V regulator in the module is dead or the red wire is broken. Check there is 0V on the black wire at the connector. Check using the Ohms range on the DVM that there is a low resistance from the black wire on the connector to a good earth point.
Its always worth cleaning the connector pins.

5. Reconnect the 2 halves of the connector and select Voltage range again. Connect the DVM from the blue wire on the connector to a good earth again.
This is the opto-sensor switch signal. Turn the engine over and if the opto-sensor and chopper are working, the voltage here will switch between 7.5V and 0V.

If not, it is worth cleaning the lenses on both halves of the sensor with a cotton bud. Since the wires to the opto-unit from the connector move round with the baseplate to get the correct timing it is worth checking for breakages here if there is no signal on the blue wire.

Tony.

[PeterB]

Thanks Mig Welder.

I have a DLB 3 ohm somebody gave me some time ago.

Is there a particular reason I can't use that ?.

The Sprint will have the stock wiring from 1978.

Thanks.

Peter.