hancho3 Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Right after I got my '81 BRAT I went and did a tune up new plugs, good wires, new coil, and I got that ea81 runnin like a beast (despite the oil leak on the oil pump, and the one on the pan gasket, I think). I stopped by a buddies house later that day and when it was time to go, No start.....hmmm. After checking the carb for fuel I checked the spark....It was DEAD No voltage to the coil was the problem, so I hot-wired the car and made my way home. 4 months later, its still hotwired (with a relay and switch at least!). Everything in the dash works fine except the tach, its all jumpy and sometimes reads next to nothing, and it bounces when I use my blinker. I read somwhere in the USRM that a bouncy tach can be a sign of distributor failure. Was wondering about what my problem could be? thanks, Kurt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Tach may be unrelated - check the shaft bushings in the disty for that. As for the ignition power - what exactly did you hotwire? Did you wire power directly to the coil? Could be a relay..... you have checked the fuses right? GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerFahrer Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 If it's an 81 Brat, then you're correct that it's a 1st-gen, and 1st-gen questions are best answered in the Historic forum. Ignition module maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hancho3 Posted September 11, 2006 Author Share Posted September 11, 2006 Yeah I ran wire from the +post to the + on the coil, I checked the 8 glass fuses under the dash on the drivers side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 If it's an 81 Brat, then you're correct that it's a 1st-gen, and 1st-gen questions are best answered in the Historic forum. Ignition module maybe? Incorrect - the 81 GL Brat has the EA81 and the 4 speed D/R, so while it is indeed a Gen 1 body, it has a full Gen 2 drivetrain. So his question (which is electronic ignition engine related) is more applicable here where there are MANY more folks familar with his setup. I would say (stab in the dark) either ignition relay, or the ignition switch itself.... but more likely to be a relay or something. If you have a wireing diagram have a look at the coil circuit and start traceing with your multi-meter. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hancho3 Posted September 11, 2006 Author Share Posted September 11, 2006 If the module was bad wouldn't still not run after a hotwire? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Correct - if the module were bad, it would not run regardless of how it was wired. Your problem is clearly in the power supply to the coil. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 Check the fusible links and the ignition switch connector in the steering column for aa bad connection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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