£10 Reward for the answer!

[clipperjay]

long time ive worked on one of these.  but with points based ignition there is a thing called a ballast resistor sometimes

during normal running the coil is powerd via the ballast resistor,  unde crancking the coil is powerd usally from a feed off the starter selonoid,  if the ballast resitor fails as soon as you stop crancking the enigne the sparks stop.

worth checking if it has one, if it has to test it just short the bugger out and see if it runs.   dont leave it shorted out as the coil will fail quickly

Better put than me Danny Frankinstarter!
Ps tenners mine 

[Santiago]

^^ I think we have a £10 winner (danny p).

I wonder what relay you really changed when you thought you were changing the fuel pump relay?  I thought all the carb cars had a mechanical fuel pump.

[HARVS1789UK]

Off Topic - Roverdose, I have just sent you an e-mail to the address listed on your profile (your forum inbox is full). If you don't use that address any more please PM me a new on. I would appreciate a response.

Cheers,

Harvs

[Roverdose]

long time since ive worked on one of these.  but with points based ignition there is a thing called a ballast resistor sometimes

during normal running the coil is powerd via the ballast resistor,  unde crancking the coil is powerd usally from a feed off the starter selonoid,  if the ballast resitor fails as soon as you stop crancking the enigne the sparks stop.

worth checking if it has one, if it has to test it just short the bugger out and see if it runs.   dont leave it shorted out as the coil will fail quickly

Don't want to sound like an idiot but any idea where id find the ballast resistor. Fusebox im guessing?

i only said fuel pump relay as i cant remember which one it was, it clicks when the ignition is on. a specialist told me to give it a try, i cant remember what it was called but it began with an X. i'd never heard of it, ordered it from vw and they knew what i was on about.  :embarassed:

[molegti]

I imagine the ballast resistor is on the coil. As for the relay you changed it kills the none esential electrics when you start the car.

[Roverdose]

changed the coil, no joy 

[Santiago]

There should be a white/lilac thin wire going to terminal 15 of the coil (also a thicker black one on there).

With ignition on (but not cranking the starter), measure the voltage between coil terminal 15 and battery negative, if it's zero, there's your problem.  The Haynes manual shows the ballast resistor in series with this wire, but various net references suggest that this white/lilac wire 'is' the ballast resistance, maybe by virtue of its thinness, maybe because it's not plain old copper, maybe a bit of both. 


Anyway, if there's no volts at the coil end of this wire trace it back to the fusebox looking for a break. Mend/replace as required.
If you find an actual resistor somewhere along this wire, test that it has a small resistance.

[danny_p]

a good trick to try is cut the wire back about 50mm and put a new crimp on,   every often if i wire fails its very close to the connection or crimp at the end

[Roverdose]

a good trick to try is cut the wire back about 50mm and put a new crimp on,   every often if i wire fails its very close to the connection or crimp at the end

There should be a white/lilac thin wire going to terminal 15 of the coil (also a thicker black one on there).

With ignition on (but not cranking the starter), measure the voltage between coil terminal 15 and battery negative, if it's zero, there's your problem.  The Haynes manual shows the ballast resistor in series with this wire, but various net references suggest that this white/lilac wire 'is' the ballast resistance, maybe by virtue of its thinness, maybe because it's not plain old copper, maybe a bit of both. 


Anyway, if there's no volts at the coil end of this wire trace it back to the fusebox looking for a break. Mend/replace as required.
If you find an actual resistor somewhere along this wire, test that it has a small resistance.

This wire?



i hope so as i found that the wire was a tiny bit singed either side of the blue connecter so...



cant start it yet till my neighbour wakes up to move her car so i can get the leads of life on her! Can't blame her, she just had 5lb twins! 



on the relay side. i swapped this relay...




for this one, new from vag

[danny_p]

you see that scotch lock there,   you likely see your problem.  cut the fecker out solder and heat shrink over.   ( or better still order some pins for the FB plug and reinstall wire slightly sorter with  new pin.

i was thinking triming back wire under bonnet as they are more likely to fail there.  but on spotting a scotch lock anywhere it instantly becomes chief suspect  they are infenal fecking things