Ignition woes over...finally...thanks Phil!

["Stephen Bigelow" <sbigelow@sprint.ca>]

Had a difficult week with Audrey....she just flat died in a Canadian Tire
parking lot, about 60kms from home. Would restart briefly, and then die
again. Wind chill is -18C. Phone call to mechanic suggested a Hall sensor,
so I tow it home. This after testing for spark downstream of the Hall, by
disconnecting the connecter at the distributer, and grounding briefly.
Spark! Hindsight, a bad test, because the car started and ran briefly after
this...should have tested it right after it _died_. Oh well.

Different Hall sensor, to no avail. Tow it to mechanic. They pronounce the
coil with an intermittant internal short, that was drawing too much current
from spark control unit, killing it as well. I order both from CTC, and take
the bus (yech) to mechanics to install. On arrival, I'm told Hall is _also_
bad. Went out in sympathy, I suppose, or was never good to begin with. See
you tommorow, then, I suppose. Coil sits wired tied to plug wires.

Order new Hall from CTC, take bus (yech), install, etc. Bruum!

Can't bring myself to install new pretty black coil ("Made in Mexico!") in
rusty coil mount, get a chrome one at CTC for six bucks...install this
morning before heading out to work.

Crank, crank, crank....Holey-Moley, *now* what. Get multimeter, check coil
power using injection lines as ground....good. About to check coil....

I then recall Mr. Paynes' comments about the cylinder head grounds...as I
notice mine sitting there, waiting for me to re-attach it to the coil mount.

Well, _duh_.   Bruum! and a wa-a-ay we go!


Two tows, $205, Hall sensor $140, coil, $46, spark control unit $130,
un-needed distributer $50, diagnosis, $80. All prices Ottawa local.

Merry Chrismas, Audrey... don't expect anything in your stocking on the
25th!