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The alternator checks out...

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Sounds like I'll be going for a Craftsman or Radio shack multitester.

Do you guys think it would be worth it to just replace the stock coil with another stock coil, assuming they contain internal ballast resistors?

Morris, are O'Reilly parts sold at places like NAPA and so forth?

Joel
 
O'Reilly is a place like Napa. I guess they don't have them in your area. It looks like the stock part is only $21-25 bucks at Moss. You may try buying it from Tony. His website is theautoist.com. I hear he gives a 20% discount on Moss parts.
 
FYI Joel and Morris, if this is a 1500 in question, the stock coil is not internally ballasted. The ballast resistor is a resistance wire built into the harness so you won't find a discrete resistor anywhere.
 
Get out! Really? Just like an old Chevy, huh?

How would I test this resistance wire? Is it possible that my DPO removed it, because before I put in a ballast resistor, my coil was getting HOT.

BTW, Joel's car is not a 1500 I think.
 
My car has a 1275 in it. Would it be bad for me to get a coil with an ballast resistor if the stock system never had one? I'm pretty much just going for replacing the cheapest things first to see if that fixes the problem.

If the stock coil had a ballast resistor, I'll buy a new stock coil to replace my current one. However, if the stock one never had a ballast resistor, it seems that the only one available is about $60.

Joel
 
I believe the stock coil is internally ballasted, meaning the resistor is built into the coil. If you are running a stock ignition, you should be able to buy the $20/$24 coil listed on the Moss site and be good to go.
 
Joel, did you ever get the battery load tested to see if it was good? I know it was a new battery, but stranger things have happened.
The coil has absolutely nothing to do with your battery drain. The symptoms you described earlier, popping and loss of power, are exactly what you get when the battery goes dead while you are driving.
I just hate to see you chasing your tail on an unrelated issue.
If you are dead set on changing the coil, ANY internally ballsted, 12V coil will work. Chevy, Ford, lawn tractor, etc. About 15 bucks at Kragens, or Pep Boys. If you want to try out your new meter, the resistance across the two small terminals of the coil should be about 3 Ohms.
Incidentally, check your PM's.
Jeff
 
Well, I'm pretty sure the coil is shot. When I took the coil wire off yesterday, a nice pile of bright turquoise dust fell out of it. When I got the coil off the car, a nice pile of bright orange dust fell out of it once I turned it over.

Anyone have a diagnosis?

Oh yeah...the rotor in the distributor...it says, "Made in West Germany" ...so that gives me an idea of when the last time anything was done in terms of ignition maintainence. Good God.

Joel
 
Got it, Joel. Tag, you're it, as now you have one. I'm in the middle of changing my Volvo water pump, in 10 degree wind chill. About twenty minutes at a stretch, and then it's inside to warm up. Gawd, I hate Michigan!!!!!!!!!
Jeff
 
It's gotta be about 75 F out here today! Perfect day for working on the Sprite...too bad I have Chinese homework.

Well, battery was sucked dry. Sears gave me a new one. I'm going to put everything back together and see what happens. If it was the battery, then I'll start replacing other things one at a time to upgrade the quality and reliability of everything.

Joel
 
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