Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 18:54:38 -0500
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Subject: Re: ignition woes
In-Reply-To: <000501c52a55$8c02aee0$6500a8c0@kazzpar007>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
The broken alternator wire gave you a dead battery. Lack of maintenance
and possibly bad distributor bushings burned up the rotor which
contributed to bad running and a no start. The 25 amp fuse is for the
radiator fan and it is common for the fuse and fuse to melt.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of kazzpar007
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 1:26 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: ignition woes
Howdy all!
I am having a problem with ignition on my 85 vanny..
BAsically. The smaller gauge wire that runs from the alternator to the
starter (not to the battery) broke at the connector to the alternator.
It
was running well at 1000 rpm at higher, but at idle it would sputter and
die
unless i kept the rpms up. Unknowning about the broken wire, i drove to
work
and parked it. After sitting for 10hrs i left my job tried to start the
van,
but it would just spark once and die. Thnking it was my battery i hooked
up
a jumper box to it. Same thing no start, then i got a jump from a
coworker.
Still nothing. The engine was getting fuel and air. Then I pulled the
distributor cap and the rotor was literally incinerated to the center
contact. I have never seen anything like this before. Where the rotor
arm
was... was nothing but ASH. I had the van towed and found the broken
wire
from the alternator and then checked my fuse block. The 25amp blade-type
fuse for what i'm assuming was to the ignition was melted with the
block. I
fixed that.
Now I'm assuming that when i was trying to start the van with the broken
wire, that the constant turning over might have fried my rotor and fuse.
What does this wire do or goto is what i need to know. I am getting
voltage
at the coil and the hall controller. I checked the hall sender but dint
get
any flucuations in voltage as per Bentely. Did the high voltage toast my
sender? Should i be looking for anything else that might be affected by
the
broken wire (from the alternator to the starter) that would cause this
high
voltage situation again???
I need to know so i dont toast the replacement parts..
love,
tom
