loss of spark ignition
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- Junior Poster
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- Model: excel
- Colour: white
- Year: 1989
- Location: Nottinghamshire
loss of spark ignition
Hi all,
Was out yesterday and did around 40 miles, all running sweet then out of the blue ignition seemed to fail and engine stopped.
Pulled up, went to restart and it fired up and ran up to about 3k revs in a couple of seconds and stopped. did the same again with same result. third time it didnt fire up at all.
Have checked fuel , thats ok, pump runs fine plugs nice and wet but no spark.
checked the ohms across the coil and getting nothing between coil tower and +
getting around 1.4 ohms resistance between + and -
anyone got thoughts on if its looking like the coil has packed up?
It a lucas coil so I guess a replacement part will be easy to get?
looks like there are plenty on ebay etc.
However if its not the coil I fear it might be the immobilizer - I didn't get the plug in for it when i got the car
Was out yesterday and did around 40 miles, all running sweet then out of the blue ignition seemed to fail and engine stopped.
Pulled up, went to restart and it fired up and ran up to about 3k revs in a couple of seconds and stopped. did the same again with same result. third time it didnt fire up at all.
Have checked fuel , thats ok, pump runs fine plugs nice and wet but no spark.
checked the ohms across the coil and getting nothing between coil tower and +
getting around 1.4 ohms resistance between + and -
anyone got thoughts on if its looking like the coil has packed up?
It a lucas coil so I guess a replacement part will be easy to get?
looks like there are plenty on ebay etc.
However if its not the coil I fear it might be the immobilizer - I didn't get the plug in for it when i got the car
- Hawaiis0
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- Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
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- Location: West Oxfordshire
Re: loss of spark ignition
Check your dizzy cap and rotor arm. Rotors are renowned for being poor quality.
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!
- Tanz
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Re: loss of spark ignition
My usual answer to these kind of problems. Disconnect the rev limiter. Only takes seconds and could save you a lot of time. Wish I had done this when I had the same problem.
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=8349&p=61107&hilit ... ter#p61107
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=8349&p=61107&hilit ... ter#p61107
Cheers, Phil
Never take life seriously, nobody gets out alive anyway!
Never take life seriously, nobody gets out alive anyway!
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- Junior Poster
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- Model: excel
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- Year: 1989
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Re: loss of spark ignition
Hi all,
disconnecting the immobilizer didn't work
Looks like its carbs off to get to the distributor and rotor
If im doing that im thinking of an upgrade to electronic ignition.
any tips or advice on this?
disconnecting the immobilizer didn't work
Looks like its carbs off to get to the distributor and rotor
If im doing that im thinking of an upgrade to electronic ignition.
any tips or advice on this?
Last edited by keith rhodes on Sun Apr 11, 2021 11:30, edited 1 time in total.
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- Junior Poster
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Re: loss of spark ignition
Now looking on line at options for electronic ignition
Can anyone confirm its a lucas distributor with negative earth please?
Its looking like 123 ignition is the correct unit to buy. anyone bought this option?
Can anyone confirm its a lucas distributor with negative earth please?
Its looking like 123 ignition is the correct unit to buy. anyone bought this option?
- Hawaiis0
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 4166
- Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 18:39
- Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
- Colour: BRG; Dirty White
- Year: 1986
- Location: West Oxfordshire
Re: loss of spark ignition
It's a Lucas 45 IIRC and 123 is a usual replacement option.
Take the air box off for better access.
Rotor arm rivet - check
Coil - check
Coil connections usually drop off - check
Dizzy king lead (black) - check
Take the air box off for better access.
Rotor arm rivet - check
Coil - check
Coil connections usually drop off - check
Dizzy king lead (black) - check
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!
- Hawaiis0
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- Posts: 4166
- Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 18:39
- Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
- Colour: BRG; Dirty White
- Year: 1986
- Location: West Oxfordshire
Re: loss of spark ignition
Do you mean the rev limiter here?
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!
- Alan_M
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Re: loss of spark ignition
I have the 123 bluetooth one fitted to mine - fitted by previous owner trying to cure a problem with running which was actually nothing to do with distributor. There is no preset map for the Excel, you have to load your own. This was not very good when I got the car, but now set very close to factory specs.
Have you disconnected the Rev limiter as advised?
You don’t need to remove carbs to get to distributor, just air box - held in by trumpets. Again, as said check rotor arm - the rivet that holds the metal bar can break through on the inside and short to the shaft.
Have you checked electrical connections to coil from ignition switch and between coil and amplifier module?
Have you disconnected the Rev limiter as advised?
You don’t need to remove carbs to get to distributor, just air box - held in by trumpets. Again, as said check rotor arm - the rivet that holds the metal bar can break through on the inside and short to the shaft.
Have you checked electrical connections to coil from ignition switch and between coil and amplifier module?
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Re: loss of spark ignition
Hi Guys, thanks for the responses;
I thought the immobilizer was the rev limiter - i read that somewhere on here.
it the rev limiter item the lucas ignition amplifier ?
or the smaller module next to it which does not have any indication of what it is?
I thought the immobilizer was the rev limiter - i read that somewhere on here.
it the rev limiter item the lucas ignition amplifier ?
or the smaller module next to it which does not have any indication of what it is?
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- Junior Poster
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- Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2020 17:03
- Model: excel
- Colour: white
- Year: 1989
- Location: Nottinghamshire
Re: loss of spark ignition
ahh - i just found another module with speed limiter written on it - it this the one I should unplug?
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- Junior Poster
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- Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2020 17:03
- Model: excel
- Colour: white
- Year: 1989
- Location: Nottinghamshire
Re: loss of spark ignition
I have the 123 bluetooth one fitted to mine - fitted by previous owner trying to cure a problem with running which was actually nothing to do with distributor. There is no preset map for the Excel, you have to load your own. This was not very good when I got the car, but now set very close to factory specs.
Thanks Alan, can you elaborate on how I would find and load my own mapping?
Thanks Alan, can you elaborate on how I would find and load my own mapping?
- Alan_M
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Re: loss of spark ignition
keith rhodes wrote: ↑Sun Apr 11, 2021 11:39I have the 123 bluetooth one fitted to mine - fitted by previous owner trying to cure a problem with running which was actually nothing to do with distributor. There is no preset map for the Excel, you have to load your own. This was not very good when I got the car, but now set very close to factory specs.
Thanks Alan, can you elaborate on how I would find and load my own mapping?
With the Bluetooth one you load the map via the app on a phone or tablet. I used the details from the WSM to set mine. If you get one I can share what I have loaded. With the non bluetooth one you do it via laptop usb.
Sounds like you have now found the Rev limiter. Has unplugging it helped?
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- Junior Poster
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- Model: excel
- Colour: white
- Year: 1989
- Location: Nottinghamshire
Re: loss of spark ignition
Hi Alan, Just tried the engine with the rev limiter unplugged - still no go
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Re: loss of spark ignition
regarding taking the sir box off the access the distributor - the back end of the box looks like its bolted onto the inlet trumpets - i thought it might just be simpler to unbolt the whole inlet manifold and ease it out of the way?
I'll try taking the back box off and see if i can get my large hands in!
I'll try taking the back box off and see if i can get my large hands in!
- Hawaiis0
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 4166
- Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 18:39
- Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
- Colour: BRG; Dirty White
- Year: 1986
- Location: West Oxfordshire
Re: loss of spark ignition
The Lucus Amp is the AB14. Most people hate them and blame it for everything else.keith rhodes wrote: ↑Sun Apr 11, 2021 11:36Hi Guys, thanks for the responses;
I thought the immobilizer was the rev limiter - i read that somewhere on here.
it the rev limiter item the lucas ignition amplifier ?
or the smaller module next to it which does not have any indication of what it is?
We have previously sampled a small number of AB14's previously discarded using a Lucus test set and all passed IIRC. So the bad name for the AMP appears unwarranted.
The rev limiter in just forward of the AB14 as you have found .
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!