What causes an ignition condenser to fail?
If your car has standard ignition system wiring and a ballast coil, current flow through the circuit will be excessive and the points, condenser, and coil all may fail prematurely.
Are ignition condensers interchangeable?
Any condenser of the same value will work. They are indifferent to voltage but the capacitance (microfarads) should be the same or at least close. They aren’t that accurate from new. If the condenser is perfect your points won’t burn.
Will a bad condenser cause weak spark?
Weak spark is often the result of a bad condenser (and it’s a cheap part to replace). If you see higher resistance here, then you need to clean and check the connections and the circuit path to ground through the points. Also check resistance between the distributor body and the engine block.
What happens when an ignition condenser fails?
What happens when a ignition condenser goes bad? A failing points and condenser system can cause rough running, misfires, lean and rich conditions. If your vehicle runs rough, the engine will not fire, or the vehicle will not start at all, it may the points and condenser system that is the issue.
How do you test an ignition condenser?
How to Test a Condenser in a Small Engine
- Remove the condenser from the engine.
- Switch the volt ohmmeter to the ohms position.
- Touch the red lead to the hot connector on the condenser.
- Remove the leads and reverse the placement to the condenser.
- Movement from the meter’s needle indicates the condenser is good.
Will an engine run without a condenser?
Yep, cars WILL RUN without a condenser (it’s really a capacitor) but the points will burn out faster! Electrical current will try to keep flowing when a switch (the points in this case) are opened so there will be an ‘arc’ across the points until they are open far enough to break the circuit.
Will any ignition condenser work?
In operation the condenser will “ring” at up to 300 volts, so the condenser needs to be rated much higher, no less than 600 volts DC. The ignition will likely work with any capacitance value between 0.05 and 0.6 microfarad. Almost all automotive coils use a 0.25-0.29 microfarad capacitor.
Can a bad condenser cause a weak spark?
How do you check the condenser on a point ignition?
How does a condenser in an ignition system work?
The condenser absorbs the energy and prevents arcing between the points each time they open. This condenser also aids in the rapid collapse of the magnetic field.
How does a condenser work on a Bosch distributor?
Although on the Bosch distributor the condenser is external, you still have to remove the distributor cap, rotor arm and condensation shield. A terminal block connects the points to the condenser lead. The internal condenser lead is held by a terminal nut. The condenser is secured by a single screw.
How do you test an automobile ignition condenser?
The small metal connector at the condenser’s end is the power link, and the metal case of the part is the grounding point. Discharge the part by shorting the lead wire. Next, switch the meter to ohms and place the red-colored lead into the meter’s resistance connector. Insert the black lead into the meter’s common connector.
What happens when a condenser is removed from a car?
It helps to give a crisper spark at the plugs and also retards erosion of the contact-breaker points. If the points are badly eroded, and a general ignition check (See Checking the high-tension circuit ) has eliminated other causes, suspect a faulty condenser. Condenser removed with its leads from the baseplate.