lowlancer Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 This is essentially the last hurdle I have before I can turn the key to the Celeste. Electrics have never been my forte, and now I have no idea how to hook up my coil+ballast resistor+relays etc I've got a wiring diagram, but I can't see a relay in there at all, what does it do? And what will come off it? Basically I just ned to know how the three work together, and if I can just replace it with a new set up easily... Ive taken pics to help you out. This is just the lot basically stuck together. I assume this red wire goes to power on starter? It comes from relay. Any help=maximum e-mana points Cheers guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaMpylobacter Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 you'll be running an electronic dizzy now wont you? fuck I'd ditch it for a 12v non ballast type coil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlancer Posted November 14, 2006 Author Share Posted November 14, 2006 I'd still need to keep it anyway wouldn't I? Doesn't it reduce current, keep electrics from frying out after cranking?What's its connection to the dizzy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HUNTD Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 doesnt the ballast depend on what coil you are running or vice versa, so if you got a coil that didnt need a resistor you could scrap it no probs. edit: what cam said ^^^^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlancer Posted November 14, 2006 Author Share Posted November 14, 2006 Ahh yeah I see. I thought he meant ditch all concept of a resistor. Yeah I guess I can mack that, what about the relay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HUNTD Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Whats the relay for? is it just hooked up to the ballast? does a ballast even turn on and off?? i dont have any experience with gay ballast resistors so yea pass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaMpylobacter Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 yuh ballast resisitor bypasses on statrting to give a fatter spark or some shit. you'r gonna have to trace where the relay wiring goes. I reckon it's using the feed form the ballast to switch it, or to feed the power supply on it, which in effect owld be a stupid idea anyway. it's probably there to power an accessory circuit that switches off the key. perhaps powering a fan or somehting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlancer Posted November 14, 2006 Author Share Posted November 14, 2006 Fuck, should have taken pics etc before I ripped it all out Means I'll have to strip loom down to trace? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaMpylobacter Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 fuck I'd just hook it up minus the relay, see if you've got shit left over, and what doesn't work. might be redundant now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlancer Posted November 14, 2006 Author Share Posted November 14, 2006 Yeah true story. It'll just blow fuses anyway right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkcortina Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 here is a basic diagram the reason for the resistor is on a non resistor circuit, while the starter motor is crancking the voltage at the coil drops to 7V so to combat this they use a resistor to to drop 12V to 7V and the coil is designed to run on 7V with the resistor circuit you need to have a bypass when the key is on the start possition the coil is feed directly from 12V which will drop to 7 due to the starter motor voltage drop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlancer Posted November 15, 2006 Author Share Posted November 15, 2006 If the starter drops the voltage to 7V, why do I need a resistor to do the same thing? Sorry if I seem a little stupid, I really struggle with electrics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkcortina Posted November 16, 2006 Share Posted November 16, 2006 if you are using a resistor, you are using a coil that is designed to run at 7V not 12V. So you have the resistor to drop the voltage from 12V to 7V. When you turn the key the starter motor will turn. this causes the 12V to drop to 7V (this is only when you turn the key to start)and the voltage at the coil will be 4V (not enough for a good spark)instead of the voltage for the coil coming from the resistor it comes from the 12Vwhich has dropped to 7V due to the starter motor running. hope this helps its hard to explain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burntrubber Posted November 16, 2006 Share Posted November 16, 2006 Ditch the resister and relay when I put the injected Piazza engine in my Gemini I used the coil from the donor car and bypassed the resistor and relay and it all works fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlancer Posted November 16, 2006 Author Share Posted November 16, 2006 if you are using a resistor, you are using a coil that is designed to run at 7V not 12V.So you have the resistor to drop the voltage from 12V to 7V. When you turn the key the starter motor will turn. this causes the 12V to drop to 7V (this is only when you turn the key to start)and the voltage at the coil will be 4V (not enough for a good spark)instead of the voltage for the coil coming from the resistor it comes from the 12Vwhich has dropped to 7V due to the starter motor running. hope this helps its hard to explain. So I just need to lose the resistor and get a 12V coil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sholdowa Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 With a 7V coil, the normal feed is through a ballast resistor that drops the 14V from your alternator to the 7V it requires. During starting, that resistor is shorted out to compensate for the massive voltage drop caused by the starter motor taking a few hundred amps to crank over the engine.. If you drop all of that, then you may find it harder to start, as you get a piddly spark because of said voltage drop. I had a real problem with this on one of my old RS2000's, and it was only when I'd burnt out the starter motor that I found out the direct feed that disconnects the ballast resistor had fallen off. I'd spent the whole winter going around with a spare battery and a set of jump leads by then of course. Mind you, this probably won't happen here, as I was in Holland at the time, and the temepratures were regularly below -30, which didn't help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaMpylobacter Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 wire the coil to a relay and you wont have any probs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sholdowa Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Errr... that'll help with the voltage drop in a long length of sh*t wiring, but won't account for the pasting that the starter motor is giving the battery. The alternative is to use 2 batteries in series for starting, so 24->12V feed. Stuffs starter motors mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaMpylobacter Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 most cars don't have any problems starting, with a 12v coil. thus a relay would get the best current feed possible under any circumstance, regardless of voltage. I'd go as far as saying it'll be fine to start hot or cold on a 12v coil, even with voltage troughs with the current draw. it's a 'low comp' engine as far as things go these days, and I'll take a gamble in saying that the factory coil runs 12v, with no ballast. aftermarket ECU may require the use of a 12v coil too. only way to find out is to 'suck it and see' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlancer Posted November 17, 2006 Author Share Posted November 17, 2006 OK, so I'm definately confused now. Sholdowa, is your method for fairly old school set ups? My dizzy goes straight to the computer now, it has no involvement with the coil etc, so the diagram up there ^ is no good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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