Re: [DMCForum] Yet more ignition analysis:

["Walter Coe" <Whalt@xxxxxxx>]

> It is NOT:
> 1. coil

I have tried different coils too.  Same problem.  But I
don't burn up coils like you do.

> 2. dist cap
> 3. rotor

Replaced these on my car too.  Made a big improvement.  Also
replaced plugs & plug wires.  My plugs were double the gap
they should have been.  The dist cap had several carbon
traces.  I think that since my plugs were gapped so wide,
the electricity was looking for some place else to go, and
that is the reason for the carbon traces.

> 4. ballast resistor

Never touched mine.  It's been mostly garage kept, so
luckily I don't have many corrosion issues.

> 5. ignition ECU

I have tried different ones.  Problem remains.

> 6. pulse coil (90% sure)

I don't think you could tell for sure until you try a known
good one in there.  It is a part that I can find and
replace.  I like that.  It is hard to get at, but it would
be worth it to fix this problem -- or at least eliminate
another suspect.  This symptom is most likely caused by one
single part, and replacing that should fix it.  Between both
of us, I think we have already replaced everything except
for the pulse coil.  What's left?  Unless we installed a
defective part along the way?  So now I'm considering stupid
things like the battery.

> the acceleration curve "snaps" flat,

I can't say that mine snaps.  It just doesn't have much
power at low RPM coming off of idle.  Giving it more
throttle when it doesn't want to go only makes hesitation
worse.  But once past a certain point, it takes off like a
scalded dog.  (Okay, the sudden boost in power feels like a
snap.)

> I am now not ruling out the spark plug wires even though
they are
mostly new.

Interesting point.  I replaced mine with Bougi(?) cord from
PJ Grady.  The wire from the coil to the cap is almost too
short to reach.  Forget about tying it out of the way.  I
have had problems before of not having the plug wires fully
seated on the plugs.  I prefer to pull the boot back, feel
the clip snap onto the plug and then push the boot back down
where it belongs.  I don't see how pulling the wire loose by
the boot vs. the wire itself will put less strain on the
inner core.  What else can you do?  Reach under the boot
with those funky long needle nose pliers?  Maybe mine has
some bad spots already.

> tiny amount of water in a plug well may cause this

This sounds plausible.  I'll have to check all my plug wells
to see.  But if it were water, I think it would have boiled
out on these long trips.  During the trip for the Pigeon
Forge show, I drove this car from Florida to New Hampshire.
Surely any water in there would have dried out from the
heat.  And I got stuck in lots of crawling traffic.  That
I-495 loop is a disaster area.  I continually had to shift
into neutral and rev the engine to around 1500 rpms to keep
the battery charged.  And this is the only variable that
improves the symptoms.  What is this changing?  Is it the
higher RPMs that keep the alternator running?  (meaning that
this is only a battery voltage problem)  Or does high RPMs
at idle help maintain the fuel flow somewhere?  I still
half-way suspect the warm-up regulator even though I have
replaced it.

Another observation: This behavior doesn't just switch on as
the car warms up.  It gradually gets worse.  And even when I
keep the system voltage up by revving the engine, the
problem never completely goes away.  I still feel a bit of
hesitation until it breaks free and runs.  The longer I sit
at idle, the worse it hesitates when I try to drive.  I
already know that low system voltage is a serious issue.
But apparently it isn't the cause of the problem.  Rather,
it is a contributing variable.  Otherwise more people would
have it.  Maybe I should try hooking several batteries in
parallel and drive the car that way.  Maybe I should hook an
alternator to a lawnmower engine and tie it to the luggage
rack. ;-)

Have you talked to any other name brand people about it like
Rob Grady or Don Steger?  Hey, maybe DMCJoe would know.  One
of us should give him a call.

Walt

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