3rd failed ignition module?

[worfdog]

I've been running my '89 manual Festiva for almost 2 years now with out that capacitor and have had no problems with my car.

[jmye1524]

Having answered your question, what makes you think "it sucks up extra voltage that the coil produces"?


Because that's what I've read from people like you. Everybody has an opinion, finding out who is right and who thinks there right is the tuff part. If that's not whats going on here, then please give us your best guess on why we keep loosing pickup coils/ignition coils. I'm not speaking facts about anything, because I don't know. I'm just trying to help a brother out by offering suggestions that might get us some real answers from someone who knows better. Professional mechanic maybe?

[1988redfordfestiva]

I actually know where u can get the part off of .
Mazda b2300 disty has them and any Mazda 4 cylinder disty.
I hope this what you where looking for ?
My festiva's original broke so i looked around the junk yard for a replacement !

[Pu241]

Do we have an electrical engineer in the house?

"People like me", you mean tactful good looking guy's?

My best guess that we keep loosing distributor modules is that that they are all at least18 yrs old. Unless, one of these three was a new module they all have my tens of thousands of miles on them, if not hundreds of thousands of miles, and 18 plus years of storage in less than optimum conditions.
In short they have wore out or exceeded their design life.
In at least the first failure the use of a high output low resistance aftermarket coil permitted the module to receive way more amperage than it was designed to see.
Thus burning it up.
So we are left to explain two failures in USED components that we have no history on.

I believe the replacement of the distributor module with a new one has been documented in the past, just have to do some creative searching to find it.

[mattdickmeyer]

jmye1524's called this one for you, removeal of the condenser is allowing excessive voltage to your primary coil, this is causing your ignition component failures. this will fry your pick up coil as well.

[doylerl]

Ok, I am not trying to start a fight or anything here, but one of the modules was new off of ebay. I just ordered a refurbished disty. and it should be here tomorrow. They say all the modules and seals and whatnot are all new and tested. If this one fails, I may just say screw it and switch to EFI! I am tired of messing around replacing the same thing over and over again.

[Pu241]

OK, matt,how so?

The voltage input to the primary side of the coil is likely designed to handle some variation in the input voltage say between 10 and 16 volts, maybe more.
Corresponding to a dead cell in the battery or fully charged battery and maybe not so well regulated alternator output.
So where is the excessive voltage coming from unless his regulator on the alternator has failed such that the continuous DC voltage is in-excess of 16 volts?

[mattdickmeyer]

for you guys who are running with the condenser removed, do your radios still work due to the dreaded "radio suppression" or do have a walkman?

[doylerl]

I have an aftermarket sony cd player in mine, but it works fine.

[mattdickmeyer]

pu241, you really love to hear youself type don't you?

[Pu241]

doyler, didn't think you were!

We all are after the same thing, the truth about the functioning of the various components.
We just hold different opinions, based upon different experiences.
Glad to be wrong, if the data supports another explanation.

But you have now told us something we didn't know in the beginning of this thread. That you have used a new module in one of the replacements.
Have you been able to verify that the modules were indeed bad or did you just swap out the suspect component and it seemed to solve the problem?
Now wondering about your alternator, but if its regulator failed such that you were getting higher than designed voltage into the ignition system I would suspect it would have "boiled" the electrolyte out of your battery and you'd have had battery failures too, as well as premature lighting failure.
Guess we will see were this thread takes us!

[Pu241]

pu241, you really love to hear youself type don't you?

Not really, I actually hate typing!

So instead of attempting to insult me, perhaps you could provide an explanation for your statement!

Or would you prefer a flame war, which though I find entertaining doesn't really provide much useful info?

[doylerl]

But you have now told us something we didn't know in the beginning of this thread. That you have used a new module in one of the replacements.
Have you been able to verify that the modules were indeed bad or did you just swap out the suspect component and it seemed to solve the problem?

I had the same symptoms every time, so I just replaced it. After replacing it, every time, it seemed to fix the problem. Around here, noone can test this style of ign. module, so it is kinda like a guessing game. As far as electrical problems, I have never had any with this car. The battery is the same one that has been in it since I got it. The altenator makes no noise, and I have had no charging issues. I just want to make this thing dependable, but every time I turn around this little module is failing(or seems to be anyway)! I have posted a WTB post for a suppressor, but I am still not completely convinced one way or another on whether it has anything to do with it.

[Pu241]

Scratch the alternator theory!

If you have one of the old "failed" ones, let me see if I can find some one around here that can test them, could you send it to me?
After testing I'd send it back to you!

Not buying the excess voltage theory until I hear an explanation as why this may be true.
By then I should have access to my wiring diagrams.
Of course, a certain Ford Certified Master Mechanic I know can give us an explanation I'm sure!
Jim, you here?

[doylerl]

If you have one of the old "failed" ones, let me see if I can find some one around here that can test them, could you send it to me?
After testing I'd send it back to you!

That would be great, at least then I would know if they were getting fried or if it is the pick-up coil or what. If you can find someone who can test it, let me know and I will get it sent out. Thanks for offering!