Engine Maintenance and Modification Bradley Artigue

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FIAT 124 Spider Engine Maintenance + Modification Figure 46: Ignition Electrical Diagram for the 1979-1985 Spider 9.6 Diagnostics and Troubleshooting 9.6.1 Electronic Ignition Failures Vacuum Capsule The failure of this capsule causes poor acceleration. With the engine running you should see the shaft between the dashpot (the barrel on the distributor body) and the distributor pulse. If someone presses the accelerator pedal you will see the shaft pull the shaft back towards the hose. If not then consider that air pulled through the hose (away from the dashpot) will move the shaft if the unit is operating properly. This is not to suggest you suck on the air hose – if you do and the diaphragm is broken then you will suck in the paper and other dirt from the busted diaphragm. Note that some FIAT owners suggest that their car works fine with this unit disconnected or inoperable and the distributor manually advanced; you cannot set up your vehicle properly with this unit inoperable. It is far more likely that these owners have forgotten what the car is like with the advance mechanism working properly! Ignition Pickup The pickup wires can become hard and brittle over time. Wires may also ground on the distributor body. Both situations typically cause poor running and the tachometer may 74
FIAT 124 Spider Engine Maintenance + Modification be erratic during operation. Inspect the wires at every oil change and change if they are suspect. Rotor or Cap Failure Old, brittle, or over-tight rotors can explode inside the distributor cap. They can spin themselves to pieces. The contacts inside distributor caps can also become brittle over time, as can the cap itself. Inspect and change them when necessary. 9.6.2 Conventional Ignition Failures Points and Condensers Poor operation, acceleration, and other running problems may be due to worn points. Inspect the points for the appropriate gap and dwell. Check that the points show even and not excessive wear. When replacing, change the condenser(s) at the same time. 9.6.3 Common Ignition Failures Spark Plugs and Wires Bad plugs and wires can arc, causing misfires and poor overall operation. Plug wires should not be brittle or have any corrosion on the contacts. At night with the hood open you should see no arcs between the wires and the engine body. There is no substitute for high quality 7mm or 8mm wires like Magnecor or Bosch. The spark plugs should be of the resistor type and free of corrosion. When removed from the engine they should be very clean and with a brownish-white “burn” on the electrode. Coil Missing or poor combustion can be caused by a malfunctioning coil. The coil and electronic coil pack are extremely durable and reliable units. The shop manual has procedures for testing each unit. When replacing do not use any coil unit on the electronic system not specifically designed for this purpose. Poor Operation and Erratic Tachometer Display Poor operation accompanied by a tachometer that is jumpy or otherwise erratic is often caused by a short circuit inside the distributor body. On both electronic and conventional distributors this may be caused by a broken rotor or metal in the cap. On the electronic distributor this is usually caused by the wires leading to the pickup unit becoming frayed and interfering with the metal advance plate. 75
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Engine Maintenance and Modification Bradley Artigue

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