T25 Electrical Problems

Post by **bert** » 24 Aug 2008, 13:53

Hi to you all not been on in a while:)

Have been have a few prob's with my 1990 Auto T25 DJ 2.1ltr petrol as stalling pull up at junctions and it just dies?

So read somewhere to use premium petrol 97 octanes as it was made to run on 98 octane.

Did this and all ok stalling stopped almost only on very few occasions.

Then last Monday out of the blue would not start at all.
I discovered the rotor arm had a hole burnt in the centre and the distributor cap centre pin damaged ?

[IMG:800:600]http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/ ... 08274U.jpg[/img]

[IMG:800:600]http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/ ... 08272U.jpg[/img]

I could only get a BOSCH ROTOR arm as was told the black one is a LUCAS.?

So the new parts I got was a Bosch Distributor cap & Bosch Rotor arm

The coil is also Bosch.

It now starts ok.

So what would have caused the burning?

Post by **VWCamperfan** » 24 Aug 2008, 15:57

Dampness in the distributor and on the rotor arm can cause the spark to 'track' across the top of the rotor arm instead of through it. Once this starts it causes a carbon build up and allows it to continue until there's not much left.
Other cause could well be the resistor in the rotor arm burning out and causing same problems as above.
Not seen very often but it does happen... Yours is a great example!

Post by **bert** » 24 Aug 2008, 16:05

VWCamperfan wrote:Dampness in the distributor and on the rotor arm can cause the spark to 'track' across the top of the rotor arm instead of through it. Once this starts it causes a carbon build up and allows it to continue until there's not much left.
Other cause could well be the resistor in the rotor arm burning out and causing same problems as above.
Not seen very often but it does happen... Yours is a great example!

When I pulled the rotor are off the shaft was rusty how can I stop the dampness?

Post by **edoh** » 24 Aug 2008, 21:25

wipe clean/dry inside and outside of distributor cap - ican pull out ht leads to spark plugs on top of cap (one at a time - remember how they go back!) - clean/dry leads with cloth - same with the middle lead going to coil - rotor arm/shaft - clean dry -sandpaper metal edge of rotor arm to get bright - and lightly spray all the above with wd 40 - would hopefully keep damp n crud off some of your ignition system - so much for summer!