Lotus Europa Forums > Garage
3780R Resto - Engine Restart
BDA:
One thing you can do is get an inductive "pen" that you touch a high tension lead while you try to run the engine. The pen lights up when current is flowing. You can use the pen on any high tension lead (coil or spark plug) to see if you're getting spark. The spark in the pen should also indicate the strength of the spark. Here's one on Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Lisle-19380-Spark-Tester/dp/B0002STS3U/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1509995800&sr=8-3&keywords=spark+plug+wire+tester&dpID=31iDgca-27L&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
If you are in a hurry, you can take out a plug and ground it while somebody turns the engine over. If you get a strong spark, you coil is probably good.
4129R:
I had to clean the points up before I got a spark.
Check whether they are making and breaking a circuit with a test meter.
EuropaTC:
If it's the original setup then my money would be on the contact breaker points. You can clean them roughly in-situ with emery paper but my preference would be simply to remove & replace them if needed. You can tell a spark at that location by flicking them open them with a small screwdriver - Cap removed, ignition on of course.
Other things to check - rotor arm for secure brass strip in the middle, distributor cap for eroded terminals and the spring loaded central carbon brush moving and not broken off. The internal condenser could also be at fault but generally that's burnt points and not complete failure. If the internal distributor wiring is untidy it's also possible to have a short inside if any insulation is missing/worn away.
Apart from a multimeter the only check I know of for a coil is to remove the central HT lead and watch the spark to ground as you turn the engine, something I've never been to keen on personally although it used to be common practice.
Brian
DManglano:
Definitely not getting a spark and everything seems to indicate that the coil needs to be replaced. But hope springs eternal, so I'm going to get a multimeter to do a proper test. Just can't seem to find what resistance the meter should register so that I know the coil is good - or bad. Anyone have that information?
dakazman:
There are many 12 volt coil testing videos on you tube.
Have you tried them?
Dakazman
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