: Weak Spark

[rob hod]

  Air gap testing is a pretty good indicator of voltage, even allowing for
varying atmospheric conditions. There's no 'weak' spark that can cover half
an inch air gap.

   My trusty Gunsons' Sparktest indicates that a spark that crosses a
half-inch(~12.5mm) air-gap is over 20KV. So if you're sure that's the gap
it'll cross then you definitely have a healthy output from the coil.

  Incidentally the range 8.5 to 4.5mm is described as "Ignition fault
developing" and less than that as "Ignition Fault Exists".

  So you have a new rotor, cap and leads(wires?) with new factory 5KOhms
suppressors and they are trunked correctly, and the plugs are new and have
not been flooded, run rich or otherwise carbonized up? Maybe try roasting
them over the cooker to be sure?

  Cheers,

rob
----- Original Message ----- Message: 2
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2003 02:59:08 -0800 (PST)
From: Todd Phenneger <tquattroguy at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Weak Spark
To: Jim Green <jeg1976 at yahoo.com>
Cc: Quattro list <quattro at audifans.com>
Message-ID: <20031218105908.52818.qmail at web12824.mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Jim,
  You really think so.  I spose I could swap over the starter
from the S4 and see what happens.  Read my previous post as
well, not sure what that means.  Everything makes sense from
testing.  I do get some sort of intermittent spark at the plugs.
And a MUCH Stronger spark at the coil wire.  I mean it will arc
1/2" to the nearest piece of metal.  But for some reason the
nice spark wont make it to the plugs.  So either
1) the spark from the coil just looks strong but after going
thought the resistance of the plug, etc its not really that
strong.
2) It is strong and the problem is AFTER the coil.  But what,
its all been replaced.  Could I have an entire BATCH of bad
plugs?  They only have about 100 miles on them and I couldnt
have burnt them up THAT fast.  (my motorcycle could thought, it
eats plugs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner)

Thanks
   Todd (Wanting to get this thing running so I can DRIVE it,
Not to mention sell it.  Boy, this must be inspiring for anyone
who may have been considering buying it. :-)

--- Jim Green <jeg1976 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Todd, I had a episode this weekend, took the car to
> get it alighned, and when the guy went to start it to
> drive it off the rack, the car just would not start,
> or even hint at starting.  I sat there for a good 5
> min trying till my battery started to sound weak.
> They brought over the shop's battery charger/car
> starter and it fired right up.  Later that day my
> starter died completely at the gas station.  It
> wouldn't even spin.  Thanks to some of Denvers finest
> for pushing me through the parking lot so I could drop
> the clutch and get home.
>
> Anyways, I just installed a rebuilt starter and the
> car starts instantly now.  Before it would crank for a
> few seconds, kinda fire, and with a little care from
> the throttle settle into a nice idle.  I always
> thought my EFI settings were just a little out of
> wack, and that I'd fix it later.
>
> So my whole point is a bad starter can really 'F'
> things up!  I'd look at that and your ignition switch.
>
> HTH,
>
> =====
> Jim Green
> '89 80q slow
> '89 90tq fast, really fast
> http://www.mswanson.com/~jgreen/car_home.html
>
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