re-harnessing '86 CGT, friedness question

[auditude at cox.net]

Marc Swanson <mswanson at sonitrol.net> wrote:
>
> > Sorry, I meant relay the signal wire to the starter solenoid.  I think Huw did this and there was a brief conversation on this on the list.  People were having some kind of weak signal to the solenoid, causing less than full power to the starter itself.

> I woulda thought that as long as the solenoid opens you get full power..
> it is just a switch after all.  Why would it only give partial power?

I don't recall what it was, or if I'd even imagined it.  I couldn't find anything in the archives, but that doesn't mean anything. :-)

I would say it would give partial power because the voltage being put throught the solenoid coil would be reduced by..

(oh wait, maybe it was Steve Buccholz that was having this conversation)  (with that, I found the post)

Here it is:

http://www.audifans.com/pipermail/urq/Week-of-Mon-20020909/009669.html

It was on the urq list, that's why I couldn't find it easily.

Yeah, so what I was typing before I found the post was that the stronger voltage on the solenoid would make sure that the connection to the starter was strong.  More voltage at the solenoid would be better contact for the starter power path.  Let's say those contacts are worn or corroded, and anything less than strong contact might make arcing or something happen to make more junk/resistance to the current to the starter.

> > I'll have to check that.  Which fuse is it?
>
> Dunno, no bentley in front of me to check, but I think it is the 'spare'
> fuse.

Okay, good.  That is what I suspected, and that would make sense.  If it didn't keep popping after replacement, then I might be good to go.

Actually, maybe I had messed with the exposed, corroded, fried wire ends, I may have popped the fuse and maybe that's why the car didn't start after I got the control arm bushings in (and charged the battery since it'd been sitting).  Hence the whole "I guess I better tend to the harness while the car is in the garage" effort.

> > I wonder if there is any potential damage to the computer or anything, ya think?
>
> anything is possible.  If the car starts and the CSV fires, I wouldn't
> worry about it.

Well, the CSV hasn't been fired by the ecu since I bought the car, but that's because the wires to it are only about 2" long.  One is grounded to the motor, actually.  When I hook it up with the new wiring harness, then I'll be able to see if the ecu is okay.

> > Seems to "click" okay off the battery. :-P
>
> Cool, doubt you could damage much on it even if it was 6v.. not much
> complexity in that thing!

Btw, does it "squirt" every time power is cycled, or does it "spray" the whole time power is supplied?  I mean, does power retract a piston that is under spring tension, and when power is removed the piston squirts fuel in?  Or is it fuel pressure that puts it into the motor, and the valve is just a valve.  Hmm.  Cold start "valve".  I guess that is different than injector.

I was wondering that about EFI injectors as well.  I saw some animated gif's somewhere, probably RC Engineering, that had the "stroking piston" effect, and I was surprised to see that it was how injectors worked.  It was as if the fuel rail pressure was only used to fill the injector or something.  But that's not my understanding of how rail pressure affects flow, since injectors flow more with increasing pressure, right?

Anyway, thanks for the info!  Chances are something happened to the wires themselves, rather than a component causing a fried situation.  So, I should be able to replace the harness and move on.

So, I don't think I'm going to bother relaying the starter solenoid.  I have the part tho', should I?  :-P

Later,

Ken