Thanks Nory,
As you, and many helpful others! suspected, it was indeed in the
resistance wire circut where the problem was found. Very simply, there
was an open where the wlg wire to the coil was spliced to the resistance
wire. Why this splice is all the way in the front of the car, near the
horns, I do not know. and I spent some time in tracing it there. One of
the other complications to this problem was that I was looking at the
improper wiring diagram in my haynes manual. My 77 Midget 1500 seems to
correspond most closely to the 78-up California in that book.
Thanks again to all who sent many helpful replies! I printed each of
them off and took them into the garage with me.
Yours,
Dave
77 Midget 1500, back on the road
Nory wrote:
>
> I'm not really sure if this applies to the problem, but maybe it'll
> help. You can decide. Anyway, if the poster who suggested a resistance
> problem is right (and I have no idea how to check for it), I may be able
> to help you with an easy solution.
>
> I didn't have the same problem you have. My car ran, for a while. Then
> the coil would get extremely hot and burn out. I went through three
> coils before the tech advisor in my club told me the resistance wire was
> shot (the Midget has a resistance wire, rather than a ballast resistor).
>
> Anyway, supposedly there is no replacement wire available (at least
> there wasn't at that time), but he advised me on what ballast resistor
> to buy (I think it's for a Chrysler, originally) at the local auto parts
> store, and how to splice it in. It's been in the car almost 4 years and
> I haven't had a problem since.
>
> Anyway, if it turns out that this is, in fact, your problem too, just
> let me know and I can look for the part number on my ballast resistor
> and tell you how to install it, or I can try to reach the guy and find
> out if he remembers what kind it was. As a last resort, I could even
> take it off and run it to the parts store and see if they can match it
> up for me. It's not a "stock" repair, you'd lose points in
> show-judging, and it may not be exactly the way it's "supposed" to be
> fixed (so I don't want any complaints from the "purists"!), but it works
> and got me back on the road.
>
> If that turns out to be the problem, and you want the information, let
> me know and I'll check it out.
>
>
> P.S. I've uttered that "why? why?" myself a few times.
>
> -NORY
> Don't assume that because you have found one problem, you have found the
> ONLY problem.
>
> '74 Midget & '71 parts car
> '94 Ford Ranger
> '86 Ford Escort
> '89 Ford Probe
> '96 North American Shepherd
> http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Way/9101
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: Re: Midget Runs, then dies....Continued
> Date: Sat, 09 Aug 1997 07:49:18 -0400
> From: Bud Krueger <bkrueger@ici.net>
> Organization: Krueger Engineering
> To: "David E. Brown" <debrown@concentric.net>
> CC: mgs@autox.team.net
> References: <33EA6398.6B7D@concentric.net>
>
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