Electronic Gremlins - Electrical Problems That Are Driving You Crazy

1159 messages,  Last post on May 20, 2013 at 10:01 AM

You are in the Maintenance & Repair Forum.

What is this discussion about? Electrical

    

#1088 of 1159 Re: Help me/girl mechanic [sosteen] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Aug 31, 2010 (3:16 pm)

Replying to: sosteen (Aug 31, 2010 2:55 pm)
Hmmm...no spark with a very hot engine? I'd have to say if you're sure about no spark then you haven't checked the ignition components correctly. You might get yourself a simple spark tester to make sure you are losing spark; also you can squirt some starter fluid into the air filter when it fails to start, and if it kicks over for a few seconds, you have a fuel problem not a spark problem. What kind of voltage are you getting on the positive side of the coil? should be 12V. How about the negative side of the coil? Is that properly grounded?

#1089 of 1159 Re: Help me/girl mechanic [Mr_Shiftright] by sosteen

Sep 03, 2010 (4:07 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Aug 31, 2010 3:16 pm)
This is in response to the question I previously asked about a 1980 Corona with no spark. If a electronic ignition control module was the problem would it just quit or would it be intermittent? Could the ballast resistor be bad and would it be working intermittently if so? Thanks again for your help

#1090 of 1159 Re: Help me/girl mechanic [sosteen] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Sep 03, 2010 (5:57 pm)

Replying to: sosteen (Sep 03, 2010 4:07 pm)
It could be intermittent with regards to engine heat, yes.

#1091 of 1159 Re: Help me/girl mechanic [Mr_Shiftright] by sosteen

Sep 03, 2010 (11:12 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Sep 03, 2010 5:57 pm)
I got a voltage meter and tested the positive side of the coil negative to bare metal it read 12v. could not get a reading on pos to neg terrminals on the coil. the key was turned on.i got 12v on all the resister post to bare metal. is the ground wire bad or not grounded right?

#1092 of 1159 Re: Help me/girl mechanic [sosteen] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Sep 04, 2010 (9:26 am)

Replying to: sosteen (Sep 03, 2010 11:12 pm)
Very possibly a bad ground, yes.

#1093 of 1159 2003 Beetle by sully20

Sep 28, 2010 (6:09 pm)

Just purchase an '03 Beetle - 5 speed Turbo... fun fast car. One small issue so far - the cruise control will shut off when I turn on the park or head lights...
 
any simular issues or does anyone know what I need to tell the mechanic to fix.
 
thanks

#1094 of 1159 Re: 2003 Beetle [sully20] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Sep 28, 2010 (6:14 pm)

Replying to: sully20 (Sep 28, 2010 6:09 pm)
I'd suspect the stalk switch (multi-function switch) because the cruise control is shut off by the brake light switch, and the brake light circuit usually goes through the multi-function wiring. This is just a guess but it's the only tangible connection I can make in my head between the cruise control and the headlights.
 
If not that, then I guess I'd tear off the fuse box and look for signs of shorts or corrosion.
 
If not either of those, then lots 'o luck finding this one....it comes down to tracking wires down, by the hour labor rate.

#1095 of 1159 Re: 2003 Beetle [sully20] by kiawah

Sep 28, 2010 (6:55 pm)

Replying to: sully20 (Sep 28, 2010 6:09 pm)
You might actually look at your rear brake light bulbs, to see if a filament is broke in a dual filament bulb, laying over and touching the other parking circuit filament.
 
Most cruise controls will turn off, when the brake circuit is energized.
 
If the bulb has filaments crossing, it would effectively short the parking brake circuit, to the brake circuit. You turn on the lights, it back feeds and energizes the brake light circuit, and turns off the cruise control.

#1096 of 1159 Re: 2003 Beetle [kiawah] by bolivar

Sep 29, 2010 (10:42 pm)

Replying to: kiawah (Sep 28, 2010 6:55 pm)
If this isn't right, it still is a brilliant deduction!!!!
I like it!
A shorted out bulb filament!

#1097 of 1159 Re: 2003 Beetle [bolivar] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Sep 30, 2010 (8:56 am)

Replying to: bolivar (Sep 29, 2010 10:42 pm)
Me, too. I thought it was a very 'bright' idea !
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