My 79 Rabbit (gas) died while idling. Ran perfect before that. I have spark and fuel when the key is in the starter position. As soon as I let it to run position it dies. New fuel pump relay. Fuel pump works when jumpered. New ignition switch did nothing. Could a coil fail and cause this? I'm a Vanagon person and new to Rabbits.
p-mail me too as I may miss a post here.
Ask your question in the VWvortex forums. Many experts congregate there. Also, if you don't have one, get a Bentley service manual. It is filled with useful info.
Older Autos had a so called ballest resistor for the ignition coil. When in start position, the current bypassed this resistor and put 12 volts to the coil, when running it was ~ 9 volts. This was to boost spark at start and save the points while running. The Haynes manual says you have one. (0.9 Ohm) (Some also had a fuse, possibly in-line)
This may not be the issue, but, you may have a bypass circuit for starting and running circuit that fails. (Fuel or ignition)
With ignition on, do you have power at coil ?
Start from there...
Mike
From memory, it's been a long time since I had a rabbit to work on. But, you should have 2 wires on the coil power side. One maybe red which is the feed from the starter during cranking to boost the voltage for spark. The other wire maybe be violet which is a resistance wire that comes from the ignition switch. It should be easy to trace down the issue once you get a wiring diagram/manual.
It is probably the fuse box or the wiring near the fuse box. You can look for burnt terminals at the fuse box wiring plugs. Start following the ign coil power source wire from the ign. switch when it is on. Now when you start to touch the fuse box that wiring will probably start working! 8^o
I think some people (mechanics???) bypass the fuel pump relay and hook the fuel pump directly to the ign switch. NOT GOOD since it can cause problems with some terminals burning at the fuse box. Also I think VW repositioned the fuel pump relay taking it out of the fuse box and putting it above the fuse box in it's own socket. This is probably not your problem but at least check for any burnt/loose terminals or connectors.
One quick way around this might be to run a wire from the ign switch to the ign. coil for test purposes. Your '79 might have a resistor in the wire reducing voltage to the ign. coil.
Sometimes this resistor seems not to be present but is in the form of a resistant wire (from memory white/purple). Check, with ignition on, if there's +12v at number 15 of the coil. If the fuel pump isn't running while starting then you have no spark. The fuel pump relay is switched on by the flyback pulses of the ign.coil (#1).
SFC
"Mike L" schreef >> My 79 Rabbit (gas) died while idling. Ran perfect before that. I have
snipped-for-privacy@sbcglobal.net wrote in news:1163341635.182716.71860 @h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:
Could just be a worn ignition switch in the run position. Start position is momentary, it's in run alot, could just be wore out there. Meter her out in start and run, see what no workee workee.
I like this..........email him privately but then he has spam guard on his email address.
You need to test for power at the ign coil and necessary relays such as the fuel pump relay when the ign switch is ON. I suspect the fuse box since I had seen this problem before, but that was a LONG time ago. I think on your 1979 Rabbit the ign coil might get power from the starter during the cranking period. Like I said though..............I might not remember. snipped-for-privacy@sbcglobal.net wrote in news:1163341635.182716.71860
That car has the resistor wire to feed the coil when normally running. GM just had a ballast resistor hanging on the firewall. The manual has a procedure to replace that resistor wire so maybe it is something that goes bad on occasion. I replace that wire, the distributor and coil on my 80 Rabbit with the ignition system from an 81 or 82. I got tired of points over the years.
As Dave and the other guy menti>I like this..........email him privately but then he has spam guard on his
"dave AKA vwdoc1" wrote in news:FxLmj.1813$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net:
All you have to do is remove the nospam and it will work.
"dave AKA vwdoc1" wrote in news:FxLmj.1813$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net:
Oh, you mean him :)
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