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Joined: 19 Feb 2003
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Location: Stafford, UK

PostPosted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

If it is designed to pick up from the coil lead then it will be expecting 2 signals for every turn of the crank, but any plug lead is going to trigger the meter once every other turn of the crank. Hence an HT lead would give 1/4 as many triggers to the meter as a coil lead.

All the best

Keith
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paulhide
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Joined: 20 Dec 2003
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 10:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You tell him Keith Exclamation Smile
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bobbber
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Joined: 14 May 2003
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 11:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

CHILDREN! Laughing
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bobbber
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 10:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Right then... she's running again and here's what happened :

The original relay was broken as we know. I opened it to find the wire to the coil burned out.

Matt33 very kindly sent me a new relay which I replaced the broken one with.

Car still wouldn't start. Hmmm... Tried starting the car and the fuel pump STILL wasn't powered on. On the back bulkhead there are two relays (see my first picture). One grey and one silver. The silver one has the protective diode (this is the one replaced) and the grey one doesn't have this.

So, we (me and mate Andy) decide to look at the Alfa circuit diagrams to see how to test the relay sockets. Behold... it appears the relays are swapped! The grey one should be on the right with the 15A fuse and the silver one on the left! Was this true? I called a few people (thanks Paul, Al and Johnboy) and confirmed these indeed were the wrong way around. Paul, you really shouldn't have two grey ones mate - even though over a long period of time this appears to have caused no problems!

However, this did not explain why the fuel pump wouldn't run as, apart from the protection, the relays should perform the same job. Hard-wiring the fuel pump relay socket again resulted in the pump running and a turn of the key... nice one... engine starts (Paul, that really is one nice engine). Confused now.

Anyway, after a few more tests the upshot is isolating the problem to the new relay! So, I open it up with a screwdriver to find one side of the switch is stuck on the inside of the plastic case! This is a manufacturing fault! A quick poke of the switch back into the correct position with a screwdriver - relay back in - car starts.

Blimey.

Lesson learned here. ALWAYS check the new part is working correctly before assuming something else is wrong with the car!

Over the moon to get it going again though! Very Happy
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paulhide
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 12:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yep, good engine. Will look into my relays - what damage could be done?
I once did an engine change and used four brand new plugs. Got a misfire and spent a while thinking I'd done something wrong only to find that one of the plugs was no good.
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bobbber
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 12:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

paulhide wrote:
Yep, good engine. Will look into my relays - what damage could be done?
I once did an engine change and used four brand new plugs. Got a misfire and spent a while thinking I'd done something wrong only to find that one of the plugs was no good.


Can't remember what the potential damage is. General principle is that when coil discharges, a reverse voltage is sent down the wires. The could damage something - the diode 'smooths' out this 'jolt'.

I think probably faulty manufacture is quite common. I read a book once that said something like "if you've just replaced something and it fails to work, check the replaced component". Basically, if the car was running before replacement then why should something else now be faulty when you've just replaced something.

Should have listened to this and I would have saved myself a lot of time. Anyway, sorted now.

The replacement relay was Portuguese and the original was German - although they were both Bosch. The German one had a higher plastic post inside so this problem couldn't happen. I guess some accountant made them strip off 1mm as part of "cost savings" somewhere! Laughing

Bob
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BigAl
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Joined: 06 May 2003
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 5:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

nice one bobbber, look forward to meeting at the next alfa meet
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