HASL90 no spark

[ChrisJSL90]

Hi everyone,

I have a problem with my HA SL90, apart from it has an 1159cc hb engine.

It has just flown through its MOT and has done 70 miles in the last 4 days.
All was perfect it drove and started well Until yesterday, when it's spluttered and then died on me, luckily outside where I live bun not where the car lives. After a 20min wait I went back to the car and it started no problem, but after 30 seconds it died. It started again and got it on to my drive where it would be safe and proceeded to, guess what, die again.

My initial thought was fuel problems, but that was soon put to rest as it's throwing fuel to the carb.

Next was ignition system, as it has an electronic ignition it can't be the points.
So the rotor arm was replaced, still no joy.
The coil is ok, as it is sparking. But no spark is getting to the plugs.
Distributer cap was next, still nothing.
So we tried a new coil today and it still will not start.

The ballast resistor has been removed and we have a 12 coil.
Would a coil that's designed to be used with a ballast resistor work for a while then die?

I'm 25 and I've been waitIng 20 years to drive this car and so far it's lasted 4 days.
Can anybody help? My grandad and I have run out of ideas.

Many thanks in advance

Chris

[kriswalsh]

Hi,

sound like it's the electric ignition, I fitted one to mine but it went wrong after 3 months so now back on points.

[ChrisJSL90]

Thanks for the quick reply. If the module was failing would the coil still send a spark? As when we put the ht lead from between the coil and dizzy across the engine we still get a spark.

Chris

[jpsmit]

what colour are your spark plugs?

was the gas fresh?

[ChrisJSL90]

Yes, I filled the tank with 97 octane with lead replacement, just after it was MOT'd.
The plugs have a white/brown deposit on them.

[droopsnoot]

I've heard that running a coil designed for a ballast resistor without one can shorten its life, but I think that was to shorten it to fewer years, rather than a couple of days. As you've swapped the coil, it's pretty much ruled that out.

Can you relatively easily put a distributor with points in, to see if that brings it back to life? If the coil is good, the rotor arm and cap are good (and check that they're good, not just assume it because they're new) and the plug leads are good (presumably you've checked for a spark at all plugs, not just one?) then it could point to the electronic ignition. What make is it, does the manufacturer have any diagnostics you can do?