LUCAS Mysterium

[MKIII_Joey]

Hello....I need help....
I am a Healey driver from germany
My car, a 3L MKIII, has crashed 4 batteries in 2 years .... today i got the fifth.....
The red ignition lamp goes off after starting and the current at the battery is ca. 12.5V.
The white/black wire from battery-switch to ignitioncoil is not connected. The car doesnt run with connectec wire. Last year i rebuild the ignition from IGNITOR back to contactbreaker and condenser.
Now my question: what is exactly the job off the w/b wire to the ignition coil? and could it be that is the reason for my problem?


thanks for ideas, suggestions
Happy Healeying
PS: excuse my small english

 

[Legal Bill]

Why do you think the coil wire is the problem?

 

[TimK]

The w/b wire from the rear switch to the coil is to ground out the coil when you turn the battery switch to off. It has nothing to do with your battery problem. It is not necessary to be connected -- it is an anti-theft device.

 

[TimK]

Is your generator/voltage regulator working? See the repair manual for the proper testing procedure. What kind of battery are you using? Do you have any non-original electric device that drains the battery when not in use? Do you leave the car unused for long periods of time?

 

[MKIII_Joey]

...hey....thanks for the quick answer..
But I heard the following: the ignition coil can draws current from the battery when the wire is not connected

 

[MKIII_Joey]

...i disconnect the battery from positive ground when i leaf my garage and the wiringloom is original
The battery is a 60AH VARTA ...actually the best I have an overhould rev-counter with a separate wire from backside loop to the ignition coil

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Not sure what you mean by 'crashed.' Even if the battery is drained completely it should take a charge if the plates aren't sulfated.

What is the voltage at the battery with the car running at about 1,500RPM? It should be about 13.8V.

 

[Legal Bill]

Bob is right. You should check the voltage at the battery while the engine is running to see what the charge is. TimK is also right. I could't see what the coil would have to do with your problem. If the generator is charging the battery, then you need to look for power drains. But the coil is not your problem.

 

[DerekJ]

Joey, Its not necessary to have the b/w wire connected, mine isn't. Sounds like you have some item that's causing a drain on the battery. I had the same on my last car. Battery would be dead in a week unless I kept it on a top up charge. You have to work through the system ensuring all the connections are good.

 

[TimK]

...hey....thanks for the quick answer..
But I heard the following: the ignition coil can draws current from the battery when the wire is not connected

The coil draws power through the ignition switch. Only if the switch is defective could power get to the coil. You can check this with a voltmeter to see if you are drawing current with the key off. If you are disconnecting the battery when not in use, you can not have a current drain. However, you may not have a good ground if you are reconnecting it frequently. This could limit the charge going into the battery. I'd get an automatic battery charger to keep battery topped up rather than disconnecting the battery.

 

[59diamond]

Check the voltage regular. I had a problem with dead batteries for a long time and it turned out the voltage regulator was the culprit. It wasn't set right.

 

[MKIII_Joey]

Hello and many thanks for your quick answers...
Now...today i mounted the new battery...the fifth..the current by running motor is 12.5V at the battery. I think thats to little. I have checked all connections between generator and regulator.
Joey

 

[steveg]

A couple more ideas to check:
--with everything off, disconnect one of the battery cables at the battery and put a test light or meter across it -- if there is any draw, there's something in the car drawing a current. If you have no clock, something is shorting.
--try cleaning or replacing the cables or cable ends. A dirty cable end can fool the voltage regulator into thinking the battery's fully charged when it isn't, causing the battery to run down.
--suspect the battery shutoff switch; they can be unreliable.

 

[John Kuzman]

Joey -

When you say 12.5V at the battery, what is your engine RPM? Get the engine RPM on the tachometer to at least 2000 RPM, then measure the battery voltage. It should be about 13.2-13.8 volts. If it stays at 12.5 volts at 2000 RPM, then you have either a generator or regulator problem.
there are easy tests to determine which device is the problem. 12.5 is typically straight battery voltage.