Club 80-90 Forums

Hi anyone at home! On hols in Vendee with very occasional buy annoying problem. 1983 van originally DF but fitted with relatively recent vw recon unit ( yes I mean vw as opposed other ) has Pierburg carb and correct distributor but electrics not sure. Anyway stats for a few secs then dies and won't start until I've fiddled with various connections and then re-started. Then runs a bit rough - maybe flooded? Then runs ok. Only other symptom is than in general running it tends to slightly kangaroo or feel as if it holds back a bit when accelerating but if I put my foot down it picks up well. Am wondering about coil as it's carb is rebuilt etc. checked for spark, petrol at carb etc. as its a 83 originally DF with newer DG engine how do I know if it needs a 80-85 coil or later one?? Hope to order from serial Combi in France!! Other thing that I suspect is vacuum advance unit. Thanks for any ideas. Tim

Hello,

I'm at home in the Correze, between jns 21 and 22 on the A 89.

Do you have Electromechanical, (Hall effect ignition), with amp and box on LHS of engine bay.

These have loads of little pins and are frankly a bit of a nightmare when they start to play up.


Quick fix, buy a can of electrical contact cleaner, go to a garagiste, ''pour une souflette pour nettoyer mes contacts s'il vous plait monsieur'

Start and run the thing. Stop, ign off, take the plugs off one at a time, cleanout with the spray, and then blow clean, when it wont start, you've found your dodgy plug. A prod with a bit of wire will usually do the trick.

If you want to come down here, we can look at it again,

Shade, stormproof parking, and hookup available

Cordialement,

Monsieur Sarran- many thanks. This morning I took apart all ignition components and connections and cleaned or remade as necessary, started and ran fine so as we need to drive back to Dieppe on Thursday morning very early I'm going to take it easy and slightly trust in how reliable she's been all these years. When home I'll check timing, vacuum unit (not working very well) and perhaps get a spare coil just in case! Thank you very much for your generous offer. Tim

Yes- it is the early t25 ignition system with box of tricks on lhs but as its a DF van with a DG engine some time ago i connected the two wires going into the idle regulator / speed 'stabiliser' and its run well like this for ages.

Hello,

Well hope you get home ok.

Devils advocate alternative.

You could always buy a proper SVDA bosch (ish) distributor with condenser and contacts, together with a 2 ohm resistance Blue coil.

Re time the engine at 7 1/2 degrees btdc at 800 rpm, vacuum disconnected.

Remove all useless clat.

Run it on 2 star or E10 (95 ron)

Dizzy costs less than a hall sensor, has 1 wire, and allows a clearout of the lhs of your engine bay.

Sort of retro technology.

Cordialement,

Hmm, like the sound of that- presumably it could be fitted with a simple 'ignitior' type electronic ignition system? I was thinking of getting a replacement distributor anyway but had not considered this sort of alternative! I suppose there could be good reasons for sticking with the original kit but not sure what......currently planning a stop over home on route via le mans to Dieppe. My friend and his family camping next door in a bay- would not start but luckily had a starting compatible leisure battery to make a jump from. What would we do without little holiday tribulations;).

NB I run the DG on 95 already, thought this was ok?

Hello,

Let's talk about this when you're home...

The beauty of retro fitting, is since the dizzy is cheap, you can have a spare, all set up in the spare wheel well spares locker..

Cordialement,

Ok! Well this morning she started and then died after a few seconds . Would not start again for 10ins and eventually took a little bit of a turn of the key to get fired up. Having checked the pump I don't suspect fuel supply even though it seemed as if that might be the case.....then my wife commented remarked that of the 2-3 times this has happened it has been the morning after driving 300km (usually at 100kmh or a bit less) in the heat. So.....I wondered if as an explanation to such symptoms if [img]http://img.tapatalk.com/d5cde0c1-8223-11a7.jpg[/img]the old Pierburg's fuel cut of solenoid/valve might ever get stuck/ not work / poorly connected ? Anyway, just have to get her started out of the boat at Newhaven ( now here) and off home to London. thanks again Sarran for your encouragement. It always helps to know a club member shares a dilemma by thinking about it objectively.

I've Just tested the coil, no markings but has black body and red plastic head .

Primary resistance between points 1 & 15 was 0.01 and secondary was 3.35. Haynes says for a 'green sticker' coil it should 0.5-0.8 ohms and 2.4-3.5. Assuming my reading was correct what does this 0.01 reading mean in practice?

As its a originally a DF that went DG with change of carb and distributor does anyone know if I should but a new coil with the higher or lower secondary resistance? Presently my cap has pins in but the coil does not I think. !!??

Hello,

I think you may have a coil for conventional ignition on there.

Coils do age and eventually break down under load.

As its Sunday today, everything useful to you is closed today.

What about asking at the campsite to find a breakers yard, (une casse auto) locally and then find a polo or golf, and try the coil off that. Coil is Bobine d'allumage

Enjoy your day off

I'm sorting my holiday photos and videos today, then maybe big mowing session.

Cordialement,

Mowing is v satisfying! Thanks again, i am safely back home - ironically I had developed three deprecate faults by return- rear o/s bearing, lumpy idle and starting problem! I will order a new coil on Tuesday, what I don't understand is why the coil up to 84 listed for 1.9 & 2.1 appears to have a lower output than the later unit, presumably both have the same connections and HT lead input.

Taking a large piece of reddish crud out of the little conical gauze filter on the Pierburg carb has helped running and revving a fair bit.....,.