| Author | Message | ||
     Ded |
Just completed a 2400 mile ride with the blast. Runs fine but hard starting hot and cold. Cranks over at normal speed but won't fire until you release the starter button. Pulled the plug wire and grounded the wire to the engine case. Has no spark when cranking but as soon as you release the starter button it fires bright blue normal looking spark. Starter draw too high? Ignition module bad? Anyone else experience these symptoms? | ||
| Ezblast |
Got me!  | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Sounds like you're on the right track. If the starter is drawing to much current it might be enough to starve the coil.Module could also be starving. It also might be bad switch/wiring only letting the ignition get juice when not cranking or causing a voltage drop. I dont know of any Blast specific anomalies to cause this. Sounds like its time for a test light and wiring diagram. If I think of anything else I'll post. | ||
| Swampy |
Check all your grounds first, battery, engine, frame. Get yourself a volt meter and check cranking voltage, it shouldn't drop less than 9.5 or so volts. Check all you ignition connections, coil wires and plug wire. Check for resistance through the plug wire,(there is a specification for it in the service manual). Replace your spark plug. My bet is on a bad ground. (Message edited by swampy on July 10, 2007) | ||
| Slowhand96 |
My old Mopars do this, My 91 Jeep has even done it. I don't know if Blasts have a "ballast resistor" (whit porcelain rectangle mounted on the firewall) ... but that's what causes the mopars to do it. While starting the current flows through one side of the resister then when you let the key go... it switches to the other side for normal running. One side of the resistor gives more current to the ignition coil, I would assume to aid in starting. Do Blasts switch between two different current levels ... starting / running? Every once in a while one side of the resistor will burn out. To this day I keep a spare in the glove compartment. Joey is deep into blast ignitions isn't he? | ||
| Ded |
Tightened all the grounds and checked for continuity. Cranking voltage 11.5 volts. Put dielectric grease on all ignition connections and the problem went away. I think it just had a less than optimum connection. Slowhand, I went through that ballast resistor thing with and old dodge pickup once. I also carried a spare. | ||
| Ezblast |
Cranking min is 13.2 - time for a new battery. GT - JBOTDS! EZ  | ||
| Ded |
No I think thats min charging voltage. I'm talking about voltage drop while cranking. | ||
| Joey |
I was under the impression that the ignition would successfully signal the coil for a spark as long as it gets at least 8 volts or maybe even less. I don't know where I got that idea, though. I'm going to test mine at 6 volts and see what happens. Quick update: I'm working with a different chip (more signal pins) so I can have more than just the gap in the wheel to control timing. It works on the bench as of today. I'll try it on the Blast probably next week. I also added a 1 meg memory chip to record data during a ride.  |
