PINTO CAR CLUB of AMERICA

Welcome to FordPinto.com, The home of the PCCA => General Help- Ask the Experts... => Topic started by: hqtoyou on September 10, 2012, 07:31:17 PM

Title: 1978 Pinto coil voltage
Post by: hqtoyou on September 10, 2012, 07:31:17 PM

New to this board "Please help" I need to know what the primary voltage should be on the coil while engine is running on a 1978 california pinto with stock electronic ignition. Thank you!

Title: Re: 1978 Pinto coil voltage
Post by: Pinto5.0 on September 11, 2012, 08:08:36 AM

I'm pretty sure all non-points Pintos take 12 volts on the positive side of the coil. Points cars cut that back to around 7-ish with a resistor wire or ballast resistor before the coil.

Title: Re: 1978 Pinto coil voltage
Post by: hqtoyou on September 11, 2012, 04:52:41 PM

Thank you for the reply and I have another question if you can help me. I am getting just 5 volts with the ignition in run position before starting the car and 4 volts when the car is running. I assume that this voltage is to low to get consistant firing which right now this has been the problem, inconsistent firing to all cylinders.

Title: Re: 1978 Pinto coil voltage
Post by: Pinto5.0 on September 11, 2012, 06:01:00 PM

Yeah, if your voltmeter is accurate you have a problem somewhere. Even points ignition needs more than 4 volts.

Title: Re: 1978 Pinto coil voltage
Post by: Pinto5.0 on September 11, 2012, 06:47:59 PM

What's the voltage at the positive coil wire with the key on & the wire OFF the coil?

Title: Re: 1978 Pinto coil voltage
Post by: hqtoyou on September 11, 2012, 07:03:56 PM

I'm getting 11.5 volts with key on and with wires removed from coil.

Title: Re: 1978 Pinto coil voltage
Post by: Pinto5.0 on September 11, 2012, 07:24:57 PM

Quote from: hqtoyou on September 11, 2012, 07:03:56 PM

I'm getting 11.5 volts with key on and with wires removed from coil.

That's a little low but acceptable. Are there any wires tapped into either side of the coil like a choke wire on the positive side or a tach on the negative side?

Title: Re: 1978 Pinto coil voltage
Post by: hqtoyou on September 11, 2012, 07:42:44 PM

Nothing at all this car is bone stock from the factory. I traced the ground side, it comes from the ignition control module then from the coil it goes to the engine management module. Maybe the management module is bad and causing a short which in turn is causing a higher resistance than it should. I have replaced the following, distibutor,pickup coil,ignition coil,ICU,plugs,plug wires,distributor cap and rotor, all of which needed replacing anyway. The only other thing I can think of is I got the wrong coil and it has an internal resistor which with a electronic ignition it should not. but even so I should get better than 4 volts when running.

Title: Re: 1978 Pinto coil voltage
Post by: Pinto5.0 on September 11, 2012, 07:55:22 PM

Were the coil & control box new or used?

Title: Re: 1978 Pinto coil voltage
Post by: hqtoyou on September 11, 2012, 08:05:01 PM

All the parts that I replaced are new.

Title: Re: 1978 Pinto coil voltage
Post by: Pinto5.0 on September 11, 2012, 08:08:01 PM

So what's it actually doing on you? Shutting off randomly or running rough?

Title: Re: 1978 Pinto coil voltage
Post by: Pinto5.0 on September 11, 2012, 08:10:32 PM

Call me at 330-307-6368 it will be easier than typing all this out. 
 
Keith