What is the voltage reading you get from the electric choke wire while the ignition is in the run position?

After my engine swap I am only getting 1.7 volts and the electric choke is not opening, no matter how long I wait.

Let me know what readings you have on yours.

Thanks.

 

If you have a standard electric choke you should be getting 12 volts to the coil spring.

Gary

 

32 views and no other responses ?

Does anyone have an idea as to why my choke wire voltage would be low.

 

I think you have most of us stumped. :D
It should be off the "ign" circuit and 12 volts , possibly a broken wire
with some voltage not the fuse. So wire to connector connection or
just go back along the wire till you hit the full 12 volts . The old fashioned way of finding it thats what I'd do. Or lay in a new wire off the "ign" terminal off the fuse block, probably the quicker fix of the two.
Scott


[Modified by Scott78, 6:56 PM 10/9/2001]

 

12 volts is correct on ignition on or hot. Amps is the key.....low amps does not activate the choke. I had the same problem on my 81. One of the winter projects is to trace the cause. For the remainder of the season I ran a jumper from the evaporator oulet case black connector that sits on top (IGN. hot) to the choke. It was nice and neat and tucked it in the conduit running along the right side valve cover. My choke light is now OFF and working 100%. Like I said its on the list for the winter projects....it can NOT stay like it is.

 

As the others have posted, you should be getting full battery voltage to the choke. Make sure that the choke ground is actually connected to a good ground as full voltage won't flow unless it has a place to go.

 

I have mine connected to the winshield wiper motor.I forget which color wire.But it only has voltage with the key on :seeya

 

I had the same problem, try a different wire I had to run mine thru the
firewall and to the fuse box, solved the problem.

Don't use the wiper motor I mucks up you wipers. :D

 

What does it do to the wipers to muck them up? I've been using the wiper motor terminal for about 2 years without any problems. Do I need to pick another spot to get power?

 

I have been using the wiper motor lead as the ignition "hot" on the relay to my fans. I am going to wire a direct lead from the alternator output to a relay. I will use the wiper motor lead as the signal wire and ground to the alternator. From the output of the relay I will have a terminal strip that will now supply all of my "ignition hot" needs, such as the fans, that damn choke, O2 sensor / gage.......

Thanks for all your help, I have eliminated the bad ground and have traced the entire wire back to the block. It has 1.7 volts the whole way. I am going to stop using it, cut and crimp it off and do what I said above.

 

I've just fixed this problem on my '81. The choke was permanently on & the measured voltage to the coil was between 13.5 & 14V. The current passing was 0.25A which was the problem (not enough). Check that your choke heater relay is OK (good contacts). It's located under the rear of the centre console, on the left. Does your Gen warning light come on with the ignition? Mine didn't & the two circuits have things in common. Does the Choke warning light stay on?
The cause of mine was the P. circuit behind the gauge cluster. I have an oil temp gauge instead of the standard whatever (clock?). The P. circuit for the original gauge had just been bent up & allowed to rest against the rear of the oil temp gauge. Where it had been vibrating/moving for 20 years, one of the tracks had broken at the point of the fold in the P. circuit. This track was something to do with the gauge lights & may have explained the Gen light. Not sure about the choke problem though. I also found that the copper tracks on the P. circuit at the main connector position had lifted away from the circuit & were possibly shorting across the connector, or not contacting at all. I glued them back onto the circuit & then cleaned the copper up with very fine wet or dry paper. I also did this for the Speedo/tach P. circuit connector tracks. This solved the problem. Also use a multimeter to check continuity of all the tracks (remembering that the bulbs & gauges will make live have continuity to ground). Fix any broken tracks with jumper wires & low melting point solder (don't buy a criminally expensive new P. circuit!).
I drew a circuit diagram of the choke/gen wiring & can send you a copy if you need one (it took me 2 evenings & an entire weekend to fix this problem, so I got to know it quite well ). I can also measure the correct current to the coil now that it works (so chuffed to have fixed it I didn't bother seeing what it was, I just put the air filter back on & went for a blast!).
If voltage/current checks out OK at the choke heater relay then I'd recommend (very strongly!!) pulling both clock & gauge clusters out. If I'd done that originally then I could have saved a myself a weekend & evening of lying upside down in the drivers seat with a multimeter, circuit diagram & some strong language ;)
If you need any extra help, email me. Hope this makes sense - the boss keeps walking in which makes it difficult to keep track!
:cheers:
Paul