Hi guys. I've just finished re-wiring my RS after 4 months. Everything works as it should except when I go to start the engine there is no spark. I'm running a Crane Fireball Optical Ignition. I've converted a 1.6 Loom for the 2 L.

What are some of the items I should be checking? Where could I stick a probe to see if there's something missing? Is it the Ballast Resistor?

start with the easy bits - coil - condenser - leads - points etc, then it gets interesting

I dont have a multimeter all I have is a globe tester.

I've turned the ignition on whilst it's not cranking to start and Ive put the globe on the poisitive side of the coil. It's on but very faint. When I crank it lights up more but still not fully.

I've put a globe on the ignition wire just before the ballast resister near the fuse box and the globe is fully on bright.

I'm assuming there may be power being lost through the ballast resistor. It's from a 1.6L

Any further suggestions?

try putting a tempory wire from positive side of the battery to the positive side of the coil then try

Any suggestions for new Coils? Bosch GT40r seems to be the usual.

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Originally posted by The Other Half

Any suggestions for new Coils? Bosch GT40r seems to be the usual.

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Always had good run with GT40R in the RS - fist one lasted for 18 years.......

Please help people.

I've bought a new Coil cause the other one was on the way out. When the ignition is on and the ignition wire immediately after the ballast resister is not connected to the coil it shows 12v. Odd? When connected to the coil it changes then to show 5v. Is this normal? Is 5v enough during normal operation?

I'm running a car alarm. I've tried to make one wiring loom. One of the wires cut is the ignition wire.

I've bought a new HiTorque starter but unfortunately it doesn't have a connection to the ignition wire.

I have never understood why and how there can be two different power sources going into the same ignition wire at the same time during cranking. Am I missing something?

When a normal Escort goes to start does the act of turning the key cut power from the ignition wire at the key and does the power then come from the starter via the solenoid or what????

Please Help!!! [xo]

I'm starting to wonder whether the alarm doesn't like reverse flow through the ignition cutoff circuits amdbthen starts throwing fits. Cause strange things happen when I short the main coil to mains battery power.

The last starter solenoid blew (I feel) when I did this. The new starter briefly started tapping in/out without cranking as well as all the power being redirected in weird ways through the electrical system when I did this abridged coil method.

I'm feeling I may need a diode or something to prevent reverse current back through the alarm via the ignition circuit during the start cycle and also using a relay operated by the starter to provide power during the start sequence. Will this work?

What about the above questions?

Please help

I've been wiring for over 5 months now. It's all a bit annoying now....

Do the crane units require full voltage?? Some electronic ignition kits require 12v.

There is normally an extra pin on the starter solenoid that "bypasses" the ballast resistor on start up.

Have you even checked for spark??

Before the original starter shat itself I got a few cranks in and there was no
Spark. I then tried to bridge the positive side of the coil straight to the battery like what was suggested but without removing the existing ignition wire (because this wasn't suggested.) The starter promptly shat itself. Coincidence or what I dont know.

The problem is, during a normal non-cranking constant operation the Escort first has power running through an ignition wire from the key then through a ballast resistor then to a junction which both goes to the positive side of the coil or the starter.

As far as I can figure, the ignition key barrel has no power running through the ignition wire coming from it when it's cranking and starting. Power can then either run from the ignition key or the starter solenoid to that junction before it goes to the coil.

I'm assuming power then runs from the solenoid on the starter instead when it's cranking and starting. When it's started and the key is returned to ignition/run the power then runs from the ignition barrel through the ballast resistor to the coil.

Thing is, between the ignition barrel and the ressistor I have the alarm circuit.

So as you can see, when power is running through the solenoid during a cranking start power will go to the coil as it should but also return via the junction and backtrack temporarily through the resistor and then through the alarm circuit which I think stuffs things up.

Does this sound correct?

Is this the way the start sequence works on an Escort?

I can't test if there's spark during start at the moment Because the new HiTorque unit doesn't have an ignition plug on it like the original so i can test it. So I'm thinking I need to setup a relay operated by the starter wire that will deliver power both to the coil and starter at the same time.

Thing is I still think I need a reverse flow prevention. Sound right? [xo]