200 dies/weird idle/relay behind glovebox?

[Stephen Bigelow]

> -obnoxious clicking/tapping noise from behind the
> glovebox.  This isn't as "sharp" a click as I'm used
> to hearing from a relay, but that would be my first
> guess?

Using your seat heaters?

> -after it died for the last time (in the driveway), I
> tried to restart to see what would happen.  No start.
> On first hit tach jumped to about 4k, after that, no
> tach movement whatsoever during cranking.  Don't know
> if this is relevant but worth mentioning (I know it's
> very relevant on Fords).

"The following assumes similarities between early and late ignition systems"

Very relevant on Audis,as well. Tach signal is from the coil, which
(surprise!) also supplies sparks.

I'll bet the tach snapped to zero when it died, didn't it? You're loosing
power to the coil somewhere, BTDT intermittantly last winter. Scary on a
road trip, because there is no warning, all of a sudden you're just
coasting...

Carefully check Hall sensor connection at distributor, coil connections,
ignitor connections. Ensure that all the little tangs are _tight_
together...my ignitor connection had one set of tangs slightly wider than
the others (found after replacing coil, ignitor, and Hall sensor upon
mechanics advice) which caused it to die.

A tiny piece of Caramilk candy bar foil was rolled up and stuck into the
single offending connection, where it still serves well today, 8 months
later.

Ignitors (cheapish), Hall sensors (not so cheap) and coils (Kustom Krome
now! cheap, generic part) also die, of course, but check the cheap stuff
first.

Hall sensors are susceptable to wiring failure inside the distributors, as
they are mounted on the advance plate. The wiring flexes everytime you rev
the engine.

Steve Bigelow
84 5000s