The Ford Barn

jg61hawk · 10-02-2016, 08:43 PM

Long story short: I was just at the Monmouth County (NJ) Concourse De Elegance and an older gentleman(82) with a 1929 "A" Roadster stalled coming into the show. We got the vehicle pushed into its appropriate spot on the field. It will crank...but...the car had no spark.

Of course everyone gathers around and immediately thinks ignition...condenser, points, coil...you know. But based on this forum and The Restorer I know I want to check for horn and lights too and guess what...the car has NO LIGHTS, NO HORN. HMMM!

Based on reading here and in The Restorer so many times of the exact same thing I am somewhat sure of the path of the electric...battery to starter (so it cranks) but then onto ignition and AMP meter and coil that I know cranking has nothing to do with spark. I have read so often of bad AMP meters stopping the spark and we HAD BUT ONE TOOL, a screwdriver. We jump the AMP meter wires and BINGO the horn blows, the lights light and YES the engine starts.

Thanks to all who post here with problems and those who solve them because you will never know who reads what and how you help. We made quick work of a problem that seemed complex except for the fact that the forum and The Restorer had already planted the seed for solving it.

10-02-2016, 08:43 PM	#1
jg61hawk Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Central New Jersey Posts: 428	Forum and Restorer Save the Day (And Spark) Long story short: I was just at the Monmouth County (NJ) Concourse De Elegance and an older gentleman(82) with a 1929 "A" Roadster stalled coming into the show. We got the vehicle pushed into its appropriate spot on the field. It will crank...but...the car had no spark. Of course everyone gathers around and immediately thinks ignition...condenser, points, coil...you know. But based on this forum and The Restorer I know I want to check for horn and lights too and guess what...the car has NO LIGHTS, NO HORN. HMMM! Based on reading here and in The Restorer so many times of the exact same thing I am somewhat sure of the path of the electric...battery to starter (so it cranks) but then onto ignition and AMP meter and coil that I know cranking has nothing to do with spark. I have read so often of bad AMP meters stopping the spark and we HAD BUT ONE TOOL, a screwdriver. We jump the AMP meter wires and BINGO the horn blows, the lights light and YES the engine starts. Thanks to all who post here with problems and those who solve them because you will never know who reads what and how you help. We made quick work of a problem that seemed complex except for the fact that the forum and The Restorer had already planted the seed for solving it.