Help with Electrical Spark ... while Starting

65'1300Deluxe · Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 4:58 pm Post subject:

Is it all possible that the spark could result from a bad condenser, making the Low Tension side of the coil circuit ground somewhere else? Just a thought.
_________________
1965 Deluxe Beetle "Camilla"
1972 Super Beetle Barnfind "Roland"

"I will finish the car(s) when I feel like it!"

I bet the idle sounded like Optimus Prime punching a sperm whale in the face.[/quote]

Tdog71 · Samba Member Joined: November 01, 2011 Posts: 453

drscope · Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 4:45 am Post subject:

I keep coming back to the ground strap between transmission and chassis at the front transmission mount.

Are you SURE it is working, clean and properly mounted?

I have seen new installs where it goes from the nose cone to the mount, but is not connecting the transmission to the chassis.

That strap is the only real ground between the engine/transmission assembly and the chassis. So if it isn't doing it's job, the engine/transmission must ground through other parts. And most of the other parts are all mounted in rubber. So then things likt the throttle cable and clutch cable become the only grounds to the chassis and sometimes they don't work so well either.

Any possibility you can post a photo of how you have that strap mounted?
_________________
Mother Nature is a Mean Evil Bitch!

BluzBug · Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 5:14 am Post subject:

drscope: I'm headin' for Work now ..... will Post a Pic later this afternoon Smile

BluzBug · Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 4:08 pm Post subject:

drscope: Here's the Pics... hard to get a good shot of the Ground Strap (there are 2 of them)

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

65'1300Deluxe: i can get a new Condenser .... but it'll be Monday before i get there

65'1300Deluxe · Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 4:54 pm Post subject:

Could the wire from the points to the condenser possibly be contacting the body of the distributor? Yeah, it sucks to have to wait to get new parts. I remember there being tests to check if the condenser is bad. I'll see if I can find them.
_________________
1965 Deluxe Beetle "Camilla"
1972 Super Beetle Barnfind "Roland"

"I will finish the car(s) when I feel like it!"

I bet the idle sounded like Optimus Prime punching a sperm whale in the face.[/quote]

65'1300Deluxe · Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 5:01 pm Post subject:

Okay, so if enough power is reaching the positive side of the coil (ignition ON), then with a voltmeter hooked up between a grounding point and the negative coil terminal and with the points open, you should get some sort of reading. (about 12 volts) No volts, with the ignition ON between those two spots indicates a bad condenser. From my Haynes manual.
_________________
1965 Deluxe Beetle "Camilla"
1972 Super Beetle Barnfind "Roland"

"I will finish the car(s) when I feel like it!"

I bet the idle sounded like Optimus Prime punching a sperm whale in the face.[/quote]

Tdog71 · Samba Member Joined: November 01, 2011 Posts: 453

This problem smells so grounding issue, it stinks. Lol. Sparks fly to escape to a grounded object.

65'1300Deluxe · Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 10:01 pm Post subject:

You mean 'smells' like ozone? Or just some sort of burning?
_________________
1965 Deluxe Beetle "Camilla"
1972 Super Beetle Barnfind "Roland"

"I will finish the car(s) when I feel like it!"

I bet the idle sounded like Optimus Prime punching a sperm whale in the face.[/quote]

drscope · Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 2:16 pm Post subject:

The ground strap appears to hooked up properly across the front mount.

Tdog71 · Samba Member Joined: November 01, 2011 Posts: 453

BluzBug · Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 2:45 pm Post subject:

OK ..... i just ran Condenser Test ..... it checked out Good. (ignition ON), then with a voltmeter hooked up between a grounding point and the negative coil terminal and with the points open. I'll borrow some Jumpers tomorrow, and run from the Negative Post to the Starter Bolt, and see what happens.

drscope · Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 3:00 pm Post subject:

You know there is a long standing tradition on this site.

"Pics or it didn't happen!"

So now that we know you can take and post pictures, we need a picture of the SPARK!
_________________
Mother Nature is a Mean Evil Bitch!

BluzBug · Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 3:51 pm Post subject:

drscope: I can take all the Pictures you want, but to take a Pic. at the exact instant is going to be tricky. I tried taking a Video, but it Sparked and didn't show it.... was going to upload to YouTube. I used a Trouble Light to help light the area, maybe tomorrow i'll try it w/o a Light. I'll try the Jumper Cable first.

BluzBug · Posted: Thu May 10, 2012 4:46 pm Post subject:

Just went out to take a Video, for drscope ..... got all "lined" up (in the dark), told wife to hit the Starter .... and it Sparked .... so, when i got ready to take the Video, 2nd 3rd, 4th & 5th time .... no Spark. And as usual stated and ran fine. Mystery to me ..... tomorrow i'll run the Ground wire from the Negative Post to the Starter Bolt Neutral

drscope · Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 2:14 pm Post subject:

Sounds like it's fixed!

I really didn't expect you to try to get a picture of the spark! But since nobody can figure out what is causing it, I figured it would just give you something to do while banging your head against the wall!

It just doesn't make sense that the spark would jump anyway since the starter body is already grounded to the engine and transmission.
_________________
Mother Nature is a Mean Evil Bitch!

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Help with Electrical Spark ... while Starting
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