Michael Casiello WUZNTME2@AOL.COM wrote:
>My Bricklin wont run. It will start, but as soon as I let the key
>ruturns to the " run " position, the engine dies. if I keep the ignition
>key turned, like when yu start the car, it will continue to run, and so
>will the starter.. I was told it might be the "balaster resistor" but I
>have no idea what that is, where it it, what it looks like or if it
>might be something else. Do you have any ideas what might be wrong? Any
>information to you can provide me will greatly be appreciated.
Boy what an interesting couple of weeks. I've had questions from at
least 4 owners about their car's not starting.
Michael was asking about the ballast resistor. I've done some research
on this in the last day. There IS a ballast resistor. For a 74 it is a
resistive wire that is run in the wiring harness from the 4A fuse in the
fuse block to the coil. If you measure the resistance from the + side of
the coil to the 4A fuse, it should be 1.35 ohms. If that wire is broken,
then that WOULD explain why the car would start and run ONLY when the ign.
switch was in the "start" position.
When the ign. switch is in the "start" position, the ballast resistor
is cut out of the system. Thus allowing for a hotter spark. (For more
info. on this see my article on electrical - ignition on the web page.)
I would think that if this wire is broken, you could mount an external
ballast resistor on the fenderwell and run a "normal" wire from the
fuse block to one side of the resistor, and then from the other side
of the resistor to the coil.
Change of subject. 74's have an interesting item. They will NOT start
unless the seat belts are buckled. (This is what that large whiteish
plastic box is on the pass. side floor board.) This was NOT the case
in the 75s. The 74's also have a relay on the top, rear of the pass.
front fender well. There is a "red" rod or button sticking out. If
the car will NOT start, you can depress the button inside this rod with
the ignition on and the car should start.
I've spent about 5 hours trying to get the 74 I've been working on to
start. I had it running great for the last month. All of a sudden,
a couple of days ago it would not start. I was not getting and power
to the start side of the starter solenoid. I replaced the ignition
switch to no avail. Today, I managed to figure out how to by-pass
the seat belt control module. The only problem is that I've also
by-passed the park/neutral safety switch. So not the car will start
in any position on the transmission.
Anybody played with the wiring for the park/neutral safety switch?
There are 3 wires going to it. The switch is supposed to signal
both when in park/neutral and when in reverse - it activates the back
up lights. There is a connector on the firewall right next to the one
for the wiper motor. This is the breakout for the wiring to the
park/neutral safety switch. The center wire goes hot when the ign.
switch is turned to "run" and "start". What I haven't figured out
is where the wire goes when it goes back into the main harness. I
have to find a way of getting that tied into the by-passing of the
seatbelt safety lockout so the car will NOT start except in park/
neutral.
Boy what fun!!!
John
John T. Blair WA4OHZ email: jblair@exis.net
Va. Beach, Va Phone: (757) 495-8229
48 TR1800 65 Morgan 4/4 Series V
71 Saab Sonett III 75 Bricklin SV1 77 Spitfire
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