Died while driving, no codes
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix AZ
Died while driving, no codes
I just installed a new Accel coil on my '94 - was going to do the 300+ ignition too but they sent me the wrong cable. Anyway about 20 minutes after I installed it I was about 13 miles away driving along and it just died - the "Service ASR" light came on. Wouldn't start back up.
I tried plugging the old coil back in but it was doing the same thing - would turn over and sputter a bit but not start. So I'm thinking either the new coil is dead, the ignition module is fried, or the Optispark finally gave out and the timing was coincidental. It's not throwing any codes - just C12, ---.
I got it towed back to my garage. I'm going to go pull the coil and ignition module and take it down to Vatozone to have them tested.
Any ideas?
I tried plugging the old coil back in but it was doing the same thing - would turn over and sputter a bit but not start. So I'm thinking either the new coil is dead, the ignition module is fried, or the Optispark finally gave out and the timing was coincidental. It's not throwing any codes - just C12, ---.
I got it towed back to my garage. I'm going to go pull the coil and ignition module and take it down to Vatozone to have them tested.
Any ideas?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix AZ
Yep, you're right. Autozone couldn't test the module because it wasn't in their book. 
But I took the $80 gamble and it paid off - the module was bad!
As near as I can tell what happened was the Accel coil is slightly thicker than the stock one so the two parts of the bracket didn't line up correctly so the bolts holding the ignition module on were touching the bracket - where before they went through a hole in the bracket without touching it. Since the bracket is bolted directly to the head it got hot, transferred the heat through the bolts to the module and fried it after about 20 minutes of driving.
I modified the bracket so the bolts don't touch now, so (hopefully) that should be the end of that problem.
But I took the $80 gamble and it paid off - the module was bad!
As near as I can tell what happened was the Accel coil is slightly thicker than the stock one so the two parts of the bracket didn't line up correctly so the bolts holding the ignition module on were touching the bracket - where before they went through a hole in the bracket without touching it. Since the bracket is bolted directly to the head it got hot, transferred the heat through the bolts to the module and fried it after about 20 minutes of driving.
I modified the bracket so the bolts don't touch now, so (hopefully) that should be the end of that problem.
