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External ballast resistors - do they go bad?
- Thread starter tdskip
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Anything can go bad. To test it you need to check its resistance with your multi meter. I should be about 1-2 ohms.
Do you have any reason to suspect it is not good? Unless it has been overheated it is really unlikely that it would go bad, and they can withstand allot of heat.
Do you have any reason to suspect it is not good? Unless it has been overheated it is really unlikely that it would go bad, and they can withstand allot of heat.
dklawson
Yoda
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While the ballast resistor can go bad... you would know in an instant if it did.
After the engine starts, all the coil power flows through the ballast resistor. The failure mode for a ballast resistor would be to "burn open". If that happens, the resistive element burns in half and no more electricity would flow. In short... no power would reach the coil and your engine would stop.
As above, normal resistance would be between 1 to 2 Ohms.
After the engine starts, all the coil power flows through the ballast resistor. The failure mode for a ballast resistor would be to "burn open". If that happens, the resistive element burns in half and no more electricity would flow. In short... no power would reach the coil and your engine would stop.
As above, normal resistance would be between 1 to 2 Ohms.
SkinnedKnuckles
Jedi Trainee
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Mychael said:Well if they came from a broken home, poor upbringing, but don't despair with love and education you can turn them around.
Ha!
Banjo
Yoda
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Ask anyone who owned a 70s-80s Dodge truck. they mounted them to the firewall where the rainwater would run down over them when you opened the hood. *poof* done. Most owners of those trucks had an extra in the glovebox, and a piece of inner tube screwed on the firewall just over the resistor.
that was the exact symptom. Would try to start, then die as soon as you let off the key.
that was the exact symptom. Would try to start, then die as soon as you let off the key.
Bob Claffie
Jedi Knight
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Just to clarify the situation, they don't "taper off". Either they work or they don't so testing is rather pointless. Bob