Forum and Restorer Save the Day (And Spark)

[jg61hawk]

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.

[Mike V. Florida]

I love it when I hear things like this!

[Chuck Sea/Tac]

Good job! I'll bet it was pretty satisfying as well.

[Tom Wesenberg]

That was too easy..............just keep messing with it and changing parts.

[Marshall57]

Great story! you did better than I would have done. LOL

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

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TIP: If something electrical fails & you "suspect" the ammeter circuit, just run a jumper between the junction box nuts.
Bill W.

[Jim/GA]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

TIP: If something electrical fails & you "suspect" the ammeter circuit, just run a jumper between the junction box nuts.
Bill W.

YES!!! ^^^^

What Bill says. You can be back on the road in very little time if this is the problem. If you SUSPECT a bad ammeter, you can try jumping across these two junction box nuts with any metal object as a quick test. It does no harm if you are wrong.

.

[old31]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

TIP: If something electrical fails & you "suspect" the ammeter circuit, just run a jumper between the junction box nuts.
Bill W.

Curious. If the ammeter is bad, then what is the jumper on the left and right post actually doing?

Signed

Electrically Challenged.

[Jim/GA]

Originally Posted by old31

Curious. If the ammeter is bad, then what is the jumper on the left and right post actually doing?

Signed

Electrically Challenged.

It bypasses the bad ammeter. It allows current to flow from the battery to the coil (and lights and horn), where the burned out ammeter was not doing so.

You don't really NEED an ammeter to start, drive, etc. It just helps you keep tabs on current coming out of the battery and current going back into the battery (confirm generator is working). Most people don't look at it anyway!

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Jim/TX/GA

It bypasses the bad ammeter. It allows current to flow from the battery to the coil (and lights and horn), where the burned out ammeter was not doing so.

You don't really NEED an ammeter to start, drive, etc. It just helps you keep tabs on current coming out of the battery and current going back into the battery (confirm generator is working). Most people don't look at it anyway!

Shame really. It's a good tool to assist in troubleshooting if wired as the later cars. Turn on the key and you should see the needle move to the discharge showing current flowing to the coil and points to ground. Turning over the engine, the meter should "wiggle" showing the points opening and closing.

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by Mike V. Florida

Shame really. It's a good tool to assist in troubleshooting if wired as the later cars. Turn on the key and you should see the needle move to the discharge showing current flowing to the coil and points to ground. Turning over the engine, the meter should "wiggle" showing the points opening and closing.

That depends if the points were closed after shutting down... If the points are open then you'll have no needle movement when turning the key on..

[old31]

Originally Posted by Jim/TX/GA

It bypasses the bad ammeter. It allows current to flow from the battery to the coil (and lights and horn), where the burned out ammeter was not doing so.

You don't really NEED an ammeter to start, drive, etc. It just helps you keep tabs on current coming out of the battery and current going back into the battery (confirm generator is working). Most people don't look at it anyway!

Thanks for the explanation..

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

If you STUDY the wiring diagram, you'll find that the electrical system is QUITE SIMPLE!
Bill Simple

[old31]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

If you STUDY the wiring diagram, you'll find that the electrical system is QUITE SIMPLE!
Bill Simple

Nope, whenever I study wiring diagrams I find out that I am the one that is quite simple