Pertronix burn out ?

[AUSMHLY]

Originally Posted By: shorn
The only problem with the Pertronix is that you can burn them out by leaving the ignition key on without the car running.

So my questions to shorns thoughts:
Would someone please explain why the burnout situation. If left on for how long? What happens? How to tell if it happened? Can't start car? Questions like these are coming to mind.

I've got an intermittent grounding problem with my stereo system. In trying to locate the problem, I have the ignition on, without the car running.

Thank you,
Roger

 

[GregW]

Hi Roger,
Pertronix' website doesn't mention how long it would take to burn out. I'd imagine it is variable on the strength of the battery. I think the trouble occurs when the engine comes to rest with the trigger trying to fire the coil I.E. points open. This would have a steady current flowing through the system. If you have to work for a while with the power on, I'd suggest disconnecting the red wire to the Pertronix. Pertronix

 

[Ed Kaler]

Gents, it is also worthwhile (I think) to note that when T/S'ing anything which requires the ignition
be switched ON that one should ALWAYS disable the coil/dist.

Points 'burn-up' just a fast as the electronic units !!


Ed

 

[Ed_K]

Originally Posted By: shorn
//////
I've got an intermittent grounding problem with my stereo system. In trying to locate the problem, I have the ignition on, without the car running.

Thank you,
Roger

Roger,

If you really have a ground problem with your stereo, you can use an ohm meter to trouble shoot the problem instead of turning on the ignition.
Connect one lead to the ground wire of your stereo. Connect the other to a good ground connection on the body ( connect to bare metal, not to painted metal ). You should see something close to zero ohms, no more than one or two ohms.
With the meter leads connected, grab the ground wire and move it back ad forth. If the ohm meter reading starts to increase, you have a bad connection with that wire. If nothing happens then most likely you don't have a ground problem. The only way just your stereo would stop working, assuming all other electrical items in your car are working OK, would be if the connection of the stereo's ground wire was flaky. I would closely inspect that connection first.
It is just as likely to be a bad power connection as it is a bad ground connection.
....
Another way to prove if it is the ground or the power is to use another piece to make another temporary, duplicate path for the electricity to use instead of your existing ground or power. Just add the extra wire to the ground side, then see if it works OK. If it still fails, remove the extra wire and then add an extra wire to the power side. If that cures the problem, then the power side wire or connection is the cause.
None of this involves turning on the ignition for trouble shooting the problem. You will just be starting the car normally and then driving it around for a while to see if the problem has gone away when the extra wire is installed.

If you don't understand what I am saying just ask and I'll try to explain it another way.

Ed

 

[AUSMHLY]

Hello Ed,

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my grounding situation. Maybe I used the term grounding to loosely, (no pun intended). My "stereo" system comprises of a Garmin 660, 4 computer speakers, some RCA cords, a right angle mini jack, and 3 cigarette power cords and adaptors. I think the problem is a break/bad connection in one of those wires. When I move the wires, the systems shuts down. Move it again and the system turns back on.

I've tried moving just one wire at a time. Can't seem to locate the wire. Sometimes the system shuts off when I move the wires to one place, then later I move the same wires to the same place, and no problem.

Not much room under the dash with the factory wires, my stereo wires, the cigarette adaptors and four computer speakers. So this finding the problem takes a bit of time.

The Pertronix issue got my curiosity up. I didn't know the Pertronix could go bad by having the ignition on with out the car running. So I wanted to learn about that.

Thank you for your help. The easiest way for me to try and locate the problem was to spend a couple minutes tracing the wires and moving them under the dash first, to see if I could locate a lose wire. Again, thank you for your advise. That will be the next thing I do.
Roger