Warm coil and Duraspark
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Joined: Dec 2005
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Warm coil and Duraspark
I have been trying to resolve a battery/charging issue on my 82 and noticed that the Duraspark module and the coil both would get kind of warm with the truck not running but the key in the 'RUN' position. Is this normal? The truck is drawing about 3mA of current in this state and 0mA with the key off.
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,569
Likes: 207
From: Washington
I have been trying to resolve a battery/charging issue on my 82 and noticed that the Duraspark module and the coil both would get kind of warm with the truck not running but the key in the 'RUN' position. Is this normal? The truck is drawing about 3mA of current in this state and 0mA with the key off.
With the Key ON, 3 amps would seem to be normal, was the dome light ON?
Methanoholic
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 6,442
Likes: 8
From: Maine (NorCal Native)
Ok, I got a Q on this... I don't do gassers, last time I really worked on a gasser all there was was points and condensers, Electronics were not invented yet!
If the DS box and Coil are not powered with the key in the run position ... How does it run???
Something has to apply power to those items to make it run, When and how do they get energized.
-Enjoy
fh : )_~
If the DS box and Coil are not powered with the key in the run position ... How does it run???
Something has to apply power to those items to make it run, When and how do they get energized.
-Enjoy
fh : )_~
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 8,786
Likes: 28
From: Northern California
Power is initially supplied to the duraspark II module and the coil to "Charge" the coil for firing in the run position before you start it.
A Secondary wire supplies power to the module in start position to tell the module that it is in start mode. This secondary wire also supplies full battery voltage to the coil for the purpose of starting. Normally the coil only sees between 6 and 8 volts in run, due to the ballast resistor wire.
Normally when the truck is in the run position with the engine off, and after the coil is charged and ready to fire, there shouldn't be any current flow or at the very least a very very slight flow untill the engine is started. .003 of an amp is not much at all.
A short in the DS-II module could account for current flow, or the coil could be bleeding off it's charge slightly due to it's primary and/or secondary resistance being out of spec.
.003 amps or 3mA may be within specs however, as it's a very slight "leak". I will check my books and confirm or deny in a few as I'm not certain...
EDIT:
Primary Circut Continuity: 1.5 volts or less allowed at green wire at tach test lead, hooked to the plus side of a voltmeter, and negative lead to distributor base ground with ignition in the run position, engine off. 1.5 volts is the maximum bleed off. If it's more than that, the circut isn't being properly grounded, or bad ignition module.
Ignition module ground circut: Hook a straight pin to the black wire at the module. DO NOT LET IT GROUND to anything. Attach negative lead to the distributor base, and hook positive lead to straight pin. If the voltage is less than 0.5 volt circut is ok. If more than 0.5 volt check the distributor ground circut.
A Secondary wire supplies power to the module in start position to tell the module that it is in start mode. This secondary wire also supplies full battery voltage to the coil for the purpose of starting. Normally the coil only sees between 6 and 8 volts in run, due to the ballast resistor wire.
Normally when the truck is in the run position with the engine off, and after the coil is charged and ready to fire, there shouldn't be any current flow or at the very least a very very slight flow untill the engine is started. .003 of an amp is not much at all.
A short in the DS-II module could account for current flow, or the coil could be bleeding off it's charge slightly due to it's primary and/or secondary resistance being out of spec.
.003 amps or 3mA may be within specs however, as it's a very slight "leak". I will check my books and confirm or deny in a few as I'm not certain...
EDIT:
Primary Circut Continuity: 1.5 volts or less allowed at green wire at tach test lead, hooked to the plus side of a voltmeter, and negative lead to distributor base ground with ignition in the run position, engine off. 1.5 volts is the maximum bleed off. If it's more than that, the circut isn't being properly grounded, or bad ignition module.
Ignition module ground circut: Hook a straight pin to the black wire at the module. DO NOT LET IT GROUND to anything. Attach negative lead to the distributor base, and hook positive lead to straight pin. If the voltage is less than 0.5 volt circut is ok. If more than 0.5 volt check the distributor ground circut.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 8,786
Likes: 28
From: Northern California
From the Ford Service Specs Manual. Duraspark II.
The Duraspark II ignition system consists of a primary and secondary circuts. Included in the primary circut are the battery, the ignition switch, ballast resistor, coil primary winding, ignition module and distributor stator assymbly. The secondary circut consists of the coil secondary winding, distributor rotor, distributor cap, ignition wires, and spark plugs.
When the ignition switch is in the RUN position, primary circut current flows from the battery through the ignition switch, the coil primary windings, the ignition module switching circut and back to the battery through the ignition circut ground in the distributor. This current flow causes a magnetic field to be built up in the ignition coil primary circut. It is this field that when collapsed (Current interupted abruptly) cuts across the many windings of the secondary circut of the coil and produces very high voltages nessecery for ignition.
To provide inturuption of the primary circut at the apropriate time, the duraspark uses a distributor shaft mounted armature and stationary stator pickup assembly. When the distributors armature, "teeth or spokes" approach the magnetic coil assymbly (stator), a voltage is induced which signals the remotely mounted ignition module to turn off (OPEN) the coil primary current. This colapses the field and induces a high voltage to the distributor where the rotor and cap distribute it to the apropriate spark plug.
The Duraspark II ignition system consists of a primary and secondary circuts. Included in the primary circut are the battery, the ignition switch, ballast resistor, coil primary winding, ignition module and distributor stator assymbly. The secondary circut consists of the coil secondary winding, distributor rotor, distributor cap, ignition wires, and spark plugs.
When the ignition switch is in the RUN position, primary circut current flows from the battery through the ignition switch, the coil primary windings, the ignition module switching circut and back to the battery through the ignition circut ground in the distributor. This current flow causes a magnetic field to be built up in the ignition coil primary circut. It is this field that when collapsed (Current interupted abruptly) cuts across the many windings of the secondary circut of the coil and produces very high voltages nessecery for ignition.
To provide inturuption of the primary circut at the apropriate time, the duraspark uses a distributor shaft mounted armature and stationary stator pickup assembly. When the distributors armature, "teeth or spokes" approach the magnetic coil assymbly (stator), a voltage is induced which signals the remotely mounted ignition module to turn off (OPEN) the coil primary current. This colapses the field and induces a high voltage to the distributor where the rotor and cap distribute it to the apropriate spark plug.
